Sociology Exam #3
Effect of a split labor market
openly racist gov. policies and individual racist attitudes were the driving forces behind the black class creation
patriarchy
"rule of the father" male domination over society
Minority group
people who are recognized as belonging to a social category and who suffer from unequal treatment as a result of that status.
cultural assimilation
members learn the cultural practices of the dominant group
Men's rights movement
members believe that feminism promotes discrimination against men
Crisis of masculinity
men came together and addressed their concerns
Intergenerational mobility
movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next. ex: when a child eventually moves into a different social classes from their parents
Institutional discrimination
occurs when institutions (schools, banks) practice discriminatory policies that affect whole groups of individuals.
How are boys and girls treated in school and socialized in to gender roles?
-boys are more aggressive and name call others-gain pressure through athletics -girls gain pressure through social position and physical attractiveness
How are sex roles portrayed in the media?
-girls should be beautiful, caring and sensitive -boys should be assertive, strong and analytic
Basic Principles of social stratification?
1)Its a characteristic of a society rather than a reflection of individual differences 2)it persists over generations Ex: the child will not only inherit race but wealth as well. 3) diff societies use different criteria for ranking them (some use gender or wealth) 4) its maintained through beliefs that are widely shared be members of society
Gan's Functions of poverty?
1. Societies "dirty work" will be done at a low cost 2. poverty creates jobs for occupations that serve the poor 3. Creates both legal & illegal employment 4. Punishment of the poor as deviants uphold social norms 5. The poor serve as a measuring stick 6. The poor absorb the cost of social change
Characteristic of the three waves of feminism:
1st: earliest period- women won the right to vote 2nd: associated w/ the issues of women's equal access to employment & education 3rd: most recent- focuses on diversity
Racism
A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group; used to justify inequality.
Symbolic ethnicity
An ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life. Ex. Cinco de mayo
Individual discrimination
Discrimination carried out by one person against another treat others unfairly because of their race or ethnicity
Why are there differences in life expectancies for people of different races?
Disparities in access too health care may help explain the life expectancy rates
Feminization of poverty
Economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty - because of game in wages, increasing costs of child care
Beginning of gender role socialization
From a very young age, we learn and internalize gendered behaviors from our parents and siblings.
How has the welfare Reform Act of 1996 changed the life of the poor?
Gave the poor the responsibility to work themselves out of poverty.
what school of thought insists that all social structures, including systems of social stratification, are built out of everyday interactions?
Interactionists
Prejudice
Known as "prejudgement". An inflexible attitude about a certain group of people and is rooted in generalizations or stereotypes. Ex All black people can jump
Comparison of marx and Weber on social class?
Marx believed that economic relationships are becoming the only social relationships that mattered Ex: born a noble man always one Weber believed that power wealth and prestige show an individuals social status
Absolute deprivation
People are unable to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing and health care.
Findings of Duncan's study?
People change their minds based on opinions of their friends.
The fact that so many people are asked "what are you" in reference to their race is evidence of what?
Race is not identifiable even in face to face interactions
what is status inconsistency?
Situation in which there are serious differences between the different elements of an individuals socioeconomic status
What system of Stratification is commonly used in capitalist societies?
Social Class
criteria used in a social class system?
Social class is not based on race, ethnicity, gender or age, but there is often an overlap between class and those other variables.
Social construction of race
Socially defined category based on biological differences; if you were not white you were restricted on where to live and work, this discrimination forced immigrants to cluster in Ghettos.
Human Sexual dimorphism
The belief that anatomy defines men and women (transsexuals, transgender)
Genocide
The extermination of a racial, ethnic, national or cultural group. Ex: Holocaust
Vertical social mobility
The movement between different class statuses, often called upward or downward mobility movement up or down the social ladder
what has modern science determined about racial categories?
There are no "pure" races there is no such thing as a "superior" race
What do most Americans claim about their social class?
They claim that they belong somewhere in the middle class even when their life experiences and backgrounds would suggest differently.
Why don't lower class members exercise more often?
They do not have the money, higher class people find it as a luxury
What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender and age in the U.S today?
They overlap eachother/ Social class is not based on those things in today's society
Essentialists
They see gender as immutable and biological cannot be changed.
Goal of affirmative action
To make people listen and make a change
Characteristics of the various social classes in America?
Upper class - makes up about 1% of the U.S 250,00 ^ Upper-middle class - 14% of the U.S 89,00 - 150,00 year high skilled jobs middle class - 30% 55-88,000 (2-4 year degree) working class - 30% 23-54,000 (high-school degrees) working poor - 20% 10-22,000 (some HS) underclass - 5% less that 7,500 (some HS)
Relationship between the American Dream and the system of social class through which the U.S is stratified?
We all want bigger , newer things , but our statuses limit us. Ex: whites are more likely to achieve upward mobility then blacks
what do functionalists generally be true of gender?
Women do the reproducing of labor force without receiving any direct compensation, and men are the capitalists
closed system of stratification?
a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another
Meritocracy
a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit
Identity Challenges
accusations that one it not "really" black or not black enough. they are usually made when postings reveal opinions that dont fit into a certain set of approved boundaries
Discrimination
action or behavior that results in the unequal treatment of individuals because of their membership in a certain racial or ethnic group.
situational ethnicity
an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation
Just-world hypothesis
argues that people have a deep need to see the work as orderly, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving their fates.
class consciousness
awareness of our own and others' social status
According to conflict theory, what is the real source of racism?
capitalist hierarchies
Structural mobility
changes in the social status or large numbers of people due to structural changes in society.
why are interracial relationships still relatively uncommon?
cultural stereotypes and media images provide serious obstacles for interracial relationships. when dating different race your own race almost frowns on you.
According to Karl Marx, what social relations matter in a capitalist society?
economic relationships
Horizontal social mobility
fairly common refers to the changing of jobs within a class
expressive roles
family member who provides emotional support
instrumental roles
family member who provides family support- often authority figure
Homophobia
fear or discrimination toward homosexuals
Racial assimilation
having children with the dominant group until the different races are completely mixed.
Factors that might affect dropping out of high school?
if you are from an economically disadvantaged and non-english speaking backgrounds.
The double standard
in the work place a male who is aggressive could be called a "go getter" while a women would be a "*****"
Social Learning
is the process of learning behavior and meanings through social interaction.
Pluralism
it encourages people to embrace diversity
what sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system?
little to none; members must marry within their group and their caste ranking is passed on to their children.
Intragenerational mobility
movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individuals lifetime. ex. measure of a status an individual was born into and a status they achieve
Assimilation
pattern of relations between ethnic or racial groups the minority group is absorbed into the mainstream (dominant group) making society more homogenous
"hooking up"
sociologists did a study about how young people meet and mate and examined their experience
Feminism
the belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes and the social movements organized around that belief
population transfer
the forcible removal of a group of people from the territory they have occupied.
segregation
the formal and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity. Ex: black water fountain , White water fountain
social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchal system of social classes ex: welder to a knight
what is true of the upper class in the U.S today?
they are about 1% of the U.S population and posses most of the wealth of the country.
How do law enforcement policies make the poor less visible?
they tend to shun the poor from the rest of society by putting them in segregated neighborhoods and since poor people don't care about politics they are not involved.
How do sociologists differentiate between sex and gender?
they view "sex" as biological but "gender" as social or cultural
The "second shift"
unpaid work (cooking, cleaning, child care) that must be done at home after a day's paid labor is complete
Zoning rules effect on residential segregation?
when institutions make it harder for those in poverty to get loans
Redlining
where banks and mortgage lenders identify high risk areas (poor areas) and either refuse mortgages to applicants or offer loans at high rates it keeps the poor from acquiring assets (real estate)
according to conflict theory, why are women's contributions to family life devalued?
because they are classified as "unskilled" when really it takes a lot to be the women role and raise the family.
who is most likely to be mocked by their peers for violating gender norms?
children especially boys
cultural capital
children inherit tastes, habits and expectations from their parents and this cultural capital either helps or hinders them as they become adults. Ex: having educated parents who can help their child with homework. more likely for the kid to succeed in school.
Homogamy
choosing romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership.
Racial passing
living as if one is a member of a different racial category involves manufacturing or maintaining a new identity that is more beneficial than one's real identity.
What is the relation between language and culture?
looking at language we can see how certain words reflect cultural values and norms
Relative deprivation
people are considered poor if their standard of living is less than that of other members of society. Ex: bus driver v surgeon
How do sociologists define race and ethnicity?
race is a social category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people Ethnicity is also a social category that is applied to a group with a shared ancestry or cultural heritage.
internal colonialism
the economic and political domination of the minority group by the controlling group within a nation.
constructionist perspective
they see gender as a social construction and knowledge the possibility that the male - female categories aren't the only way to classify people.
Why are poor women less likely to marry?
they see marriages as having few benefits they feel the men will not offer advantages to them (trust, financial stability)
Symbolic interactionists view of family?
they thought family were the people who help eachother out and care for each other aere considered family legal or not.