SOCI 100 Exam Two

What are the three types of norms?

1. Folk ways 2. Mores 3. Taboos Answers found on pages 79-80

What does the color red mean in different cultures?

1. Western/American: passion, love, courage, excitement, erotic, anger, danger, heat, desire, radicalism 2. Japanese: passion, strength, repels evil, anger 3. Hindu: passion, marriage, erotic, heat, energy 4. Native American: passion, success 5. Chinese: success, marriage, happiness, good luck 6. Eastern European: passion, power, love, good luck, courage, heat, beauty, anger, radicalism 7. Muslim: heat 8. African: good luck, anger 9. South American: success, danger Answers found on page 93

What are some examples of formal statuses?

"Professor," "president," or even "parent" (pg. 111).

According to Mead, the self "unfolds (develops) in several stages. What are those stages?

1. Preparatory stage 2. Play stage 3. Final or game stage Answers found on pages 102-103

What are the four most predominant agents of socialization?

1. The Family 2. Schools 3. Peers 4. Social Media Answers found on pages 107-108

According to Cooley, what are the three steps of the looking-glass self?

1. We imagine how we look to others - not just in a physical sense, but in how we present ourselves. 2. We imagine other people's judgment of us. 3. We experience some kind of feeling about ourselves based on our perception of other people's judgements Answers found on page 102

Sociobiology

A branch of science that uses biological and evolutionary explanations for social behavior (pg. 98).

Subculture

A group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values, norms, and lifestyle (pg. 83).

Counterculture

A group within society that openly rejects or actively opposes society's values and norms (pg. 83).

Taboo

A norm ingrained so deeply that even thinking about violating it evokes strong feelings of disgust, horror, or revulsion (pg. 80).

Multiculturalism

A policy that values diverse racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds and so encourages the retention of cultural differences within the larger society (pg. 83).

Status

A position in a social hierarchy that carries a particular set of expectations (pg. 111).

Saturated Self

A postmodern idea that the self is now developed by multiple influences chosen from a wide range of media sources (pg. 117).

Moral Holiday

A specified time period during which some norm violations are allowed (pg. 80).

Embodied Status

A status generated by physical characteristics (pg. 113).

Master Status

A status that is always relevant and affects all other status statuses we possess (pg. 113).

Ascribed Status

A status that is inborn; usually difficult or impossible to change (pg. 113).

Language

A system of communication using vocal sounds, gestures, or written symbols; the basis of symbolic culture and the primary means through which we communicate with one another and perpetuate our culture (pg. 78).

According to Freud, the mind consists of what three interrelated systems?

According to Freud, the minds consist of three interrelated systems: the id, the ego, and the superego (pg. 100).

Definition of the situation.

An agreement with others about "what is going on" in a given circumstance; this consensus allows us to coordinate our actions with others and realize goals (pg. 104).

Dramaturgy

An approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance (pg. 105).

What is the relationship between the influence of peers and the influence of parents?

As children get older peers often become more important than parents as agents of socialization. As the influence of peers increases, the influence of parents decreases. While the family still has the most long-lasting influence on an individual, it is peers who have the most intense and immediate effect on each other (pg. 108).

Cooling the Mark Out

Behaviors that help others to save face or avoid embarrassment, often referred to as civility or tact (pg. 105).

According to Bradley and Wildman, peer pressure is a predictor of what type of adolescent behaviors?

Bradley and Wildman (2002) found that peer pressure was a predictor of adolescent participation in risky behaviors such as dangerous driving unsafe sex and drug and alcohol use (pg. 108).

Role-Taking Emotions

Emotions such as sympathy, embarrassment or shame that require that we assume the perspective of another person or group and respond accordingly (pg. 114).

What theorist pioneered the dramaturgy approach of social analysis?

Erving Goffman (pg. 105).

Role Strain

Experienced when there are contradictory expectations within one role(pg. 113).

Role Conflict

Experienced when we occupy two or more roles with contradictory expectations (pg. 113).

Expressions Given

Expressions that are intentional and usually verbal, such as utterances (pg. 104).

Copresence

Face-to-face interaction or being in the presence of others (pg. 114).

According to Cooley, there could be no sense of self without what?

For Cooley, there could be no sense of self without society, for there is no individual self without a corresponding "other" to provide us with our looking-glass self-image (pg. 102).

Stereotyping

Judging others based on the preconceived generalization about groups or categories of people (pg. 113).

How do the Maoris express grief and mourning?

Maoris believe that death is not final until all funeral rites are complete - which takes an entire year. Though the body is buried after three days, the relatives and friends of the deceased speak of and to her as if she were alive until the year of mourning is complete (pg. 115).

Technology

Material artifacts and the knowledge and techniques required to use them (pg. 88).

According to Mead, the self is created through what?

Mead also believed that self is created through social interaction (pg. 102).

What do negative sanctions express and in what forms do they come?

Negative sanctions express disapproval and may be come in the form of a frown, harsh words, or perhaps a fine or incarceration (pg. 80).

Feeling Rules

Norms regarding the expression and display of emotions; expectations about the acceptable or desirable feelings in a given situation (pg. 114).

Expressions Given Off

Observable expressions that can be either intended or unintended and are usually nonverbal (pg. 104).

What distinguishes proper expressions of grief among the Ashanti of Ghana?

Red is also the color of grief for the Ashanti of Ghana, who wear red clothing, smear red clay on their arms and foreheads, and wear headbands festooned with red peppers. Proper Ashanti expressions of grief are distinguished by gender: women must wail, and men must fire guns into the air. In fact, the amount of gunpowder used in a funeral is considered a mark of the grieving family's status in the community (pg. 115).

Signs

Symbols that stand for or convey an idea (pg. 77).

What are the most powerful of all norms?

Taboos are the most powerful of all norms (pg. 80).

Hegemony

Term developed by Antonio Gramsci to describe the cultural aspects of social control, whereby the ideas of the dominant group are accepted by all (pg. 83).

What are some examples of informal statuses?

The "class clown" or the "conscience" of your group of friends (pg. 111).

Agency

The ability of the individual to act freely and independently (pg. 117).

Ego

The ego is the realistic aspect of the mind that balances the forces of the id and the superego (pg. 101).

Preparatory Stage

The first stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children mimic or imitate others (pg. 102).

Id

The id consist of basic inborn drives that are the source of instinctive psychic energy (pg. 101).

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The idea that language structures thought and that ways of looking at the world are embedded in language (pg. 78).

Symbolic Culture

The ideas associated with a cultural group, including ways of thinking (beliefs, values, and assumptions) and ways of behaving (norms, interactions, and communication) (pg. 77).

Cultural Imperialism

The imposition of one culture's beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products rather by military force (pg. 90).

Self

The individual's conscious, reflexive experience of a personal identity separate and distinct from others (pg. 100).

Looking-glass Self

The notion that the self develops through our perception of others' evaluations and appraisals of us (pg. 102).

Nature vs. Nurture Debate

The ongoing discussion of the respective roles of genetics and socialization in determining individual behaviors and traits (pg. 97).

Personal Front

The performance tactics we use to present ourselves to others, including appearance, costume and manner (pg. 105).

Particular or Significant Other

The perspective and expectations of a particular role that a child learns and internalizes (pg. 103).

Superego

The superego represents the internalized demands of society (pg. 101).

Game Stage

The third stage in Mead's theory of development of self wherein children play organize games and take on the perspective of the generalized other (pg. 103).

Laws

Types of norms that are formally codified to provide an explicit statement about what is permissible or forbidden, legal or illegal in a given society (pg. 79).

What is the conflict theorist approach to culture?

Values and norms are part of the dominant culture and tend to represent and protect the interests of the most powerful groups in society (pg. 90).

What is the symbolic interactionist approach to culture?

Values and norms are social constructions that may vary over time and in different contexts; meaning is created, maintained, and changed through ongoing social interaction (pg. 90).

What is the structural functionalist approach to culture?

Values and norms are widely shared and agreed upon; they contribute to social stability by reinforcing common bonds and constraining individual behavior (pg. 90).

Sociologists often view power as an important dimension of social class. In terms of social class, power refers to what?

In terms of social class, power refers to buying what you want. It enabled you to have the American Dream for that time period.

Front

In the dramaturgical perspective, the setting or scene of performances that helps establish the definition of the situation (pg. 105).

In the 1950s, the meaning of the "American Dream" changed from "the search for a better life" to "the pursuit of a consumer lifestyle." This process was driven by advertisers and facilitated by what?

In the late 40's and the early 1950's there is a very specific instruction on consumerism that takes place within narratives. That if we have these products then we can move into this different place on this socio-economic hierarchy. The Goldbergs is an excellent example of the ethnicom that starts out in urban America that moves to the suburbs. And in that movement you get a very specific idea of the things you need to have in order to gain access to the suburban American dream.

What is one of the reasons that Miner's article has become so popular?

One of the reasons that Miner's article has become so popular is that it demonstrates how easy it is to fail o see our own culture, precisely because we take it for granted (pg. 74).

What do positive sanctions express and in what forms do they come?

Positive sanctions express approval and may come in the form of a handshake, a smile, praise, or perhaps an award (pg. 80).

Expressions of Behavior

Small actions such as an eye roll or head nod that serves as an interactional tool to help project our definition of the situation to others (pg. 104).

Folkway

A loosely enforced norm involving common customs, practices, or procedures that ensure smooth social interaction and acceptance (pg. 79).

How do the Roma (often incorrectly referred to as "Gypsies") express grief and mourning?

Both men and women refuse to wash, shave, or comb their hair, neglect to eat for three days, and absorb themselves totally in the process of mourning, sometimes to the point of harming themselves. Roma mourners provide the dead with clothes, money, and other useful objects for their journey back to the afterlife. Roma mourners traditionally wear white clothes, and the favored color for funeral decorations is red (pg. 115).

How would the concept of mind, self, and society be used to explain identity in childhood?

Children gain a sense of self through imitation, play, and games, in which they learn various roles and take on the perspectives of others (pg. 104).

How would the concept of dramaturgy be used to explain the identity in childhood?

Children learn the arts of impression management and may present a different self to their parents than to other children or to teachers (pg. 104).

Culture Wars

Clases within mainstream society over the values and norms that should be upheld (pg. 85).

Thomas Theorem

Classic formulation of the way individuals determine reality, whereby "if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences." In other words, because we encounter ambiguous situations every day, many meanings are possible. The way we define each station, then, becomes its reality (pg. 103).

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Four distinct stages of the development of the self between birth and adulthood, according to Freud; personality, quirks are a result of being fixated, or struck, at any stage (pg. 101).

What theorist expanded on Cooley's ideas about the development of the self?

George Herbert Mead expanded on Cooley's ideas about the development of the self and laid the essential groundwork that became the theory of symbolic interactionism (pg. 102).

According to Howard (2011), what effect did social media have on the 2009 revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt?

He concluded that "social media played a central role in shaping political debates" during the Arab Spring (pg. 89).

Values

Ideas about what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or worthy in a particular group; they express what the group cherishes and honors (pg. 79).

Feral Children

In myth and rare real-world cases, children who have had little human contact and may have lived in social isolation from a young age (pg. 98).

Total Institutions

Institutions in which individuals are cut off from the rest of society so that they can be controlled and regulated for the purpose of systematically stripping away previous roles and identities in order to create new ones (pg. 111).

Mores

Norms that carry great moral significance, are closely related to the core values of a cultural group, and often involve severe repercussions for violators (pg. 79).

How do the otaku see/view their intense knowledge?

Otaku are extremely knowledgeable about whatever it is they are fans of - and while that kind of obsessive interest is sometimes looked down upon by other who don't share it, they themselves see this intense knowledge as a badge of honor (pg. 75).

Otaku

Otaku isa Japanese word used to describe devoted fans, usually of manga, anime, or video games (pg. 75).

How would the concept of the looking-glass self be used to explain identity in childhood?

Parents and significant others serve as a reflection to children, who develop a sense of self based on their appraisals, real or imagined (pg. 104).

How would the psychoanalysis perspective explain the identity in childhood?

Parents instill a conscience (superego) in children through rules that govern their instinctual behavior (id) until children mature and are self-governing (ego) (pg. 104).

Sanctions

Positive or negative reactions to the ways that people follow or disobey norms, including rewards for conformity and punishments for violations (pg. 80).

How would symbolic interactionalism explain religion?

Religion consists of beliefs and rituals that are part of the interaction among followers. Reciting the Lord's Prayer, bowing toward Mecca, and keeping a kosher home are meaningful displays of different religious values and norms. Leaders may play a role in creating social change (pg. 90).

How would structural functionalism explain religion?

Religion is an important social institution that functions as the basis for the morals and ethics that followers embrace and that are applied to both society and the individual, thus promoting social order (pg. 90).

How would conflict theory explain religion?

Religion serves to control the masses by creating rules for behavior; sanctions against violators may not be equally or fairly applied. Culture wars reflect tensions among groups over which values and norms will dominate (pg. 90).

Norms

Rules or guidelines regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and approbate within a particular culture; these typically emanate from the group's values (pg. 79).

Agents of Socialization

Social groups, institutions, and individuals (especially the family, schools, peers, and the mass media) that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place (pg. 107).

What are the two major categories of culture?

Sociologists conceive of culture as consisting of two major categories: material culture and symbolic culture (pg. 76).

What is the focus of Miner's article "Body Rituals of the Nacirema"?

The article focuses on the beliefs and practices of this North American people concerning the care of their bodies (pg. 73).

What are the two components of the superego?

The conscience and ego-ideal (pg. 101).

Region

The context in which the performance takes place, including location, décor, and props (pg. 105).

Cultural Diffusion

The dissemination of materials and symbolic culture (tools and technology, beliefs and behavior) from one group to another (pg. 88).

Impression Management

The effort to control the impressions we make on others so that they form a desired view of us and the situation; the use of self-presentation and performance tactics (pg. 104).

Culture

The entire way of life of a group of people (including both material and symbolic elements) that acts as a lens through which one views the world and that is passed from one generation to the next (pg. 73).

Social control

The formal and informal mechanisms used to elicit conformity to values and norma s and this promote social cohesion (pg. 80).

Dual Nature of the Self

The idea that we experience the self as both subject and object, the "I" and the "me" (pg. 103).

Ideal Culture

The norms, values, and patterns of behavior that members of a society believe should be observed in principle (pg. 85).

Real Culture

The norms, values, and patters of behavior that actually exist within a society (which may or may not correspond to the society's ideals) (pg. 85).

Material Culture

The objects associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and artwork; any physical object to which we give social meaning (pg. 76).

Generalized Other

The perspectives and expectations of a network of others (or of society in general) that a child learns and then takes into account when shaping his or her own behavior (pg. 103).

Frontstage

The places in which we deliver our performance to an audience of others (pg. 105).

Backstage

The places in which we rehearse and prepare for our performances (pg. 105).

Cultural Relativism

The principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging or evaluating according to one's own culture (pg. 74).

Ethnocentrism

The principle of using one's own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one's own are abnormal or inferior (pg. 74).

Social Construction

The process by which a concept or practice is created and maintained by participants who collectively agree that it exist (pg. 105).

Cultural Leveling

The process by which cultures that were once unique and distinct become increasingly similar (pg. 88).

Emotion Work (Emotional Labor)

The process of evoking suppressing or otherwise managing feelings to create a publicly observable display of emotion (pg. 114).

Role Exit

The process of leaving a role that we will no longer occupy (pg. 113).

Resocialization

The process of replacing previously learned norms and values with new ones as a part of a transition in life (pg. 111).

Socialization

The processor learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social group, by which we become functioning members of society (pg. 97).

According to research by Becker et al. (2002), what effects did Western television programming have on young women in Fiji?

The researchers ascertained that Western television "had specifically influenced their friends and/or themselves to feel differently about or change their body shape or weight" (pg. 109).

Play Stage

The second state in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children pretend to play the role of the particular or significant other (pg. 102).

Role

The set of behaviors expected of someone because of his or her status (pg. 113).

What is the "Twitter revolution"?

The use of social media during the protests in Iran, as well as similar uprisings in Moldova, led some commentators to call it the "Twitter revolution," in recognition of the growing role that social media played in protests (Musgrove 2009) (pg. 89).

Dominant Culture

The values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is most powerful (in terms of wealth, prestige, status, influence, etc.) (pg. 83).

Gestures

The ways in which people use their bodies to communicate without words; actions that have symbolic meaning (pg. 77).

This video illustrates how the culture industry developed TV programming. What is an example of the culture industry today?

There's a scene that is used in Disney's Snow White and also in Robin Hood. There's also a recycled scene that's used in Sleeping Beauty and in Beauty and the Beast. Disney simply changed the characters and movements. For instance, they would just draw over the animation from Sleeping Beauty to get the scene for Beauty and the Beast. While they just recycled the scenes, it still provides entertainment. Instead of creating new scenes, the act of using recycled scenes is done because it's what the consumers liked to see and is used only to entertain people at this point.

Hidden Curriculum

Values or behaviors that students learn indirectly over the course of their schooling (pg. 108).

What are some examples of situations where people find themselves outside of physical copresence?

Video conferences, online dating, Skype, and FaceTime (pg. 114).

What is the "I" component?

What we refer to as "I" is the subject component - the experience of spontaneous, active, and creative part of ourselves, somewhat less socialized (pg. 103).

What is the "me" component?

What we refer to as "me" is the object component - the experience of a norm-abiding, confirming part of ourselves, more socialized and therefore reliant on others (pg. 103).

In this clip, advertising media promoted what form of cultural change?

Working together, producers and advertisers understood that associating products with middle and upper class lifestyles would increase both ratings and sales. The stark contrast between the gritty image of working class life and the shiny sanitized world of consumer advertising proved to be irreconcilable. As television became more consolidated in the late 50's and the early 60's the working class and immigrant families would gradually disappear. If you want people to be thinking that they need to keep buying products that will identify them, will mark them as being members of the middle-class and not the working-class or the lower-classes, you need to provide them with a setting that makes those products seem like they are absolutely tied to success and happiness. Class was being erased.