Sociology Exam 4

monogamy

Marriage to only one person at a time

polygamy

having more than one spouse at a time

families of procreation

the family in which one enters as an adult and may have one's own children

families of orientation

the family in which one is brought up

sociolozation

the learning of gender roles through social factors such as schooling, the media, and family

white privilege

the unacknowledged and unearned assets that benefit whites in their everyday lives

transnational feminism

A branch of feminist theory that highlights the way that global processes, including colonialism, racism, and imperialism, shape gender relations and hierarchies

personality stabilization

According to the theory of functionalism, the family plays a crucial role in assisting its adult members emotionally. Marriage between adult men and women is the arrangement through which adult personalities are supported and kept healthy.

scapegoating

Blaming an innocent person or a group for one's own troubles

liberal feminism

Form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is produced by unequal access to civil rights and certain social resources, such as education and employment, based on sex. Liberal feminists tend to seek solutions through changes in legislation that ensure that the rights of individuals are protected.

polyandry

One female, several males.

polygyny

One male, several females.

cohabitation

a couple lives together in a sexual relationship without being married

extended family

a household comprised of close adult relatives, some of whom are not related by marriage

gender

a part of the human experience from birth, and influences people's dress, language, relationships, and sense of self-identity. It influences the ways we play and compete, too, in sports and other competitions.

intersectionality

a sociological perspective that holds that our multiple group memberships affect our lives in ways that are distinct from single group memberships

black feminism

a strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women

functionalist approach

a theory of emotion, proposed by Campos and others, that argues that the basic function of emotions is to promote action toward achieving a goal. In this view, emotions are not discrete from one another and vary somewhat based on the social environment Gender differences, and, specifically, men's and women's specialization in different tasks, contribute to social stability and integration.

discrimination

actual behavior that denies members of a particular group resources or rewards that other can obtain

radical feminism

belief that men are responsible for and benefit from the exploitation of women

stereotyping

creating an oversimplified image of a particular group of people, usually by assuming that all members of the group are alike a fixed and inflexible category

pluralism

engaged coexistence of distinct racial or ethnic groups immigrant and the dominant group's cultures exist separately, but both participate in society

feminist approach

everyday gender differences have their roots in men's and women's unequal positions in society. social changes must focus on eradicating women's disadvantages. precisely how these differences can be remedied and other intersecting sources of differences like race, are emphasized in subtypes of feminist approaches including liberal, radical, socialist, black, transnational, and postmodernist

Multiculturalism

immigrant and the dominant group's cultures exist separately, but both participate in society on an equal footing

melting pot

immigrants adopt some of the dominant group's culture, while the dominant culture is also altered by immigrants' influence

assimilation

immigrants come to adopt the attitudes and language of the dominant group

segregation

involuntary separation of groups by legal or social means, based on race or ethnicity

marital homogamy

marriage between individuals who have similar characteristics

assimilation

merging into the larger culture and shedding one's separate identity

difference between male and female

not only a matter of anatomy, but also includes social norms and expectations

prejudice

opinions or attitudes--positive or negative--held by members of one group toward another

institutional racism

patterns of discrimination based on ethnicity that have become structured into existing social institutions

overt racism

racism that is manifest in individual attitudes, perceptions and beliefs, including statements made by political leaders

racial microaggression

small slights, indignities, or acts of disrespect that are hurtful to people of color even though they are often perpetrated by well-meaning White people

gender

social expectations about behavior regarded as appropriate for the members of each sex

social constructionist approach

the assertion that social problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change Gender identities are not pre-determined but emerge in relation to perceived sex differences in societies and cultures, which in turn shape and even perpetuate those differences.

racism

the attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics

socialization approach

the theory that gender identification and behavior are based on children's learning that they will be rewarded for the set of behaviors considered appropriate to their sex but not for those appropriate to the other sex Gendered identities and behaviors are learned, via processes of reinforcement and imitation—similar to other forms of learning.

biological essentialism

the view that differences between men and women are natural and inevitable consequences of the intrinsic biological natures of men and women

intersex

those possessing both male and female genitalia and those with ambiguous genitalia

color blindness

those who profess "not to see color" or racial differences a means of maintaining racial equality without appearing racist

nuclear family

two adults living in a household with their own or adopted children