Exam 3: Chapters 8,9, and 10

Conflict Theory: Religion

- Conflict theorists view religion as an institution that helps maintain patterns of social inequality, such as religion's use to support the "divine right" of oppressive monarchs and to justify unequal social structures. -Conflict theorists are critical of the way many religions promote the idea that believers should be satisfied with existing circumstances because they are divinely ordained as it maintains power structures.

U.S. Trends in Religion

-A megachurch is a Christian church that has a very large congregation averaging more than 2,000 people who attend regular weekly services. -Megachurches exist in other parts of the world, especially South Korea, Brazil, and several African countries, but the rise in the United States is fairly recent and has developed primarily in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. -Since 1970, the number of megachurches has grown from about 50 to more than a thousand in the U.S., most of which are attached to the Southern Baptist denomination. -Critics believe megachurches are too large to promote close relationships while supporters note that congregations generally meet in small groups. -Historical sociologists Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud anticipated secularization and claimed that modernization of society would reduce the influence of religion. -Secularization is the decline in the social and cultural importance of religion. -Some people suggest that secularization is a root cause of many social problems. -While some scholars see the United States becoming increasingly secular, others observe a rise in fundamentalism. -Compared to other democratic, industrialized countries, the United States is generally perceived as a fairly religious nation. -Secularization interests social observers because it entails a pattern of change in a fundamental social institution.

Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine

-According to the functionalist perspective, health is vital to the stability of the society and therefore sickness is a sanctioned form of deviance. -Sick Role -The sick person has not chosen to be sick and should not be treated as responsible but also has the right of being exempt from normal social roles (but only temporarily). -Exemption is only temporary and requires legitimization by a physician. -Parsons argues that since the sick are unable to fulfill their normal societal roles, their sickness weakens society.

Education Around the World

-Available resources and money are both factors that affect education systems around the world. -International differences in education systems are not solely a financial issue as value placed on education, the amount of time devoted, and the distribution of education within a country also play a role. -The PISA test helps to highlight differences in education distribution, showing U.S. students to lag behind other high-income countries. -Top ranked nations and city-states all have well established education standards and clear student goals. -Analysts attributed 20% of performance differences and low U.S. rankings to differences in social backgrounds and underperformance of the middle class.

Buddhism

-Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama around 500 B.C.E. who famously meditated under a sacred fig tree and vowed not to rise before he achieved enlightenment (bodhi). -After this experience, he became known as Buddha. -Buddha's teachings encourage Buddhists to lead a moral life by accepting the four Noble Truths: Life is suffering, suffering arises from attachment to desires, suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases, and freedom from suffering is possible by following the "middle way" -The concept of the "middle way" is central to Buddhist thinking, encouraging people to live in the present and practice acceptance of others. -Buddha taught wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity, and compassion as important virtues. -Buddhism also tends to deemphasize the role of the godhead and instead stress the importance of personal responsibility. -The five moral precepts prohibit killing living things, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, and using drugs or alcohol. -The four truths express the basic Buddhist orientation that people crave and cling to impermanent state and things, which is dukkha, "incapable of satisfying" and painful. -The Eightfold Path to the state of nirvana includes eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi. -Buddhism is the world's fourth largest religion and encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices. -The two major extant branches of Buddhism are Theravada and Mahayana. -Vajrayana is a body of teachings attributed to Indian adepts and may be viewed as a separate branch or aspect of Mahayana. -Buddhists celebrate several festivals throughout the year including Vesak, a festival that commemorates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.

Charter Schools and Homeschooling

-Charter schools are self-governing public schools that have signed agreements with state governments to improve students when poor performance is revealed. -Charter schools are free to attend and accessible via lottery when more students are seeking enrollment than the available spots. -Homeschooling refers to children being educated at home, typically by a parent. -Proponents of homeschooling argue that it provides the opportunity for student-centered learning while opponents argue that children miss out on social development. -The National Center on Education Statistics shows that the quality of education isn't the only major concern of homeschoolers but also chosen for "religious reasons"

Family Challenges: unequal childhoods

-Concerted Cultivation: structured play, teaches negotiation but fosters entitlement: middle-class -Accomplishment of Natural Growth: free play, allows creativity but teaches obedience to authority: working-class/"poor class"

Conflict Theory: Education

-Conflict theorists believe the education system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. -Educational systems preserve the status quo and push people of lower status into obedience and maintain socioeconomical disadvantage. -Fulfillment of education is closely linked to social class. -Cultural Capital -Members of the upper and middle classes have more cultural capital than families of lower-class status. -The educational system maintains a cycle in which the dominant values are rewarded. -Hidden Curriculum -Tracking -Schools play a role of training working-class students to accept and retain their position as lower members of society. -IQ tests have been attacked for being biased and testing cultural knowledge rather than actual intelligence.

Conflict Theory: Health

-Conflict theorists suggest that issues with the healthcare system are rooted in capitalist society. -Capitalism and the pursuit of profit lead to commodification of health, or the changing of something not generally thought of as a commodity into something that can be bought and sold. -The inequality seen in other spheres and institutions is pervasive even in healthcare. -When health is a commodity, the poor are more likely to experience illness caused by poor diet, to live and work in unhealthy environments, and less likely to challenge the system. -Discrimination is often the result of stigma towards specific groups or medical conditions. -Conflict theorists do not give enough credit to medical advances that required an economic structure of support.

Taoism

-Confucianism and Taoism, later joined by Buddhism, constitute the "three teachings" that have shaped Chinese culture. -The Chinese government today formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. -In Taoism (also commonly written as Daoism), the purpose of life is inner peace and harmony. -Tao is usually translated as way or path. -Lao Tzu (Laozi) was an ancient Chinese philosopher living during the 6th or 4th century B.C.E. and author of Tao Te Ching, which remains the fundamental text of Taoism. -Taoism began as an organized religion in the year 142 C.E. with the revelation of the Tao to Zhang Daoling by the personified god of the Tao, Taishang laojun, the Highest Venerable Lord. -Taoism became a semi-official Chinese religion during the Tang dynasty, continuing through the Song dynasty, and falling from favor as Confucianism gained popularity. -Taoist beliefs emphasize the virtues of compassion and moderation with the central concept of tao understood as a spiritual reality, order of the universe, or the way of modern life in harmony with the former two. -After the communist takeover of China in 1949, Taoism was banned and followers re-educated though revived some after the Cultural Revolution. -Taoism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture.

Confucianism

-Confucius (551-479 B.C.E) was a philosopher and politician who founded Confucianism. -He sought to provide structure and reform to some of the religious ambiguities of the Zhou dynasty and saw the rituals of the Zhou religion as holding society together. -Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor. -Basic Confucian ethical concepts and practices include rén, yì, and lǐ, and zhì. -Rén is the essence of the human being which manifests as compassion and is sometimes translated as love or kindness. -Confucianism entrenched itself in Chinese history and cultures becoming a civil religion and foundation of a society's central institutions. -Confucianism was the official religion in China from 200 B.C.E. until it was officially abolished in 1949.

Hot Topics in Education

-Equal Education -Presently, students of all races and ethnicities are permitted into schools but there remains a troubling gap in education equality. -Today's public schools are positioned to help remedy those gaps. -Children from families of lower socioeconomic status often enter school with learning deficits they struggle to overcome throughout education (Coleman Report of 1966). -Head Start -Busing -No Child Left Behind -Teaching to the Test -Critics of "teaching to the test" argue that it only equips students to regurgitate facts while proponents argue that it fosters lifelong learning and transferable work skills. -Bilingual Education -Supporters of bilingual education argue that it allows for equal opportunities in education while opponents argue that English fluency is needed in everyday life and in the professional world. -Common Core -Standards should be evidence-based, clear, understandable, consistent, aligned with college and career expectations, include the application of higher-order thinking skills, and be informed by other top-performing countries. -Critiques focus on the high stakes assessment process concerning the quality, usefulness, and accuracy of many of the standardized tests.

Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family: Symbolic Interactionism

-Family as a social construct to understand roles (mother, father, husband, wife, breadwinner, caregiver, etc.) -Evolving meaning of "family" and roles over time

Feminist Theory: Education

-Feminist theory aims to understand the mechanisms and roots of gender inequality, particularly in education. -Educational systems are characterized by unequal treatment and opportunity for women. -Women in the United States have been relatively late to be granted entry to the public university system. -There is also a post-education gender disparity between what male and female college graduates earn with women earning 80% of what men make and racial minority women earning even less.

Functionalism: Religion

-Functionalists contend that religion serves several functions including providing answers to spiritual mysteries, offering emotional comfort, and creating a place for social interaction and social control. -Functionalists sees one of the most important functions of religion that it creates opportunities for social interaction and the formation of groups. -Religion provides social support and offers a place to meet others with similar values, fostering group cohesion and integration. -Religion also reinforces social norms such as appropriate styles of dress, following the law, and regulating sexual behavior.

Functionalism: Education

-Functionalists view education as one of the more important social institutions in society with both manifest and latent functions. -Manifest functions are the primary functions that are intended and visible functions of education. -The first manifest function is socialization: children are taught to practice various societal roles beginning in preschool. -School systems in the United States transmit the core values of the nation through manifest functions like social control. -Social placement: Education also provides one of the major methods used by people for upward social mobility. -Education also fulfills latent functions. -The educational setting introduces students to social networks that might last for years and can help people find jobs after schooling is complete. -Another latent function is the ability to work with others in small groups. -Important U.S. values students learn include individualism and patriotism. -Schools also prepare students for competition in life through athletics and academics. -Functionalists content that school is taking over some of the functions that were traditionally undertaken by family.

Symbolic Interactionism: Health

-Health and illness are both socially constructed as interactionists focus on the specific meanings and causes people attribute to illness. -Medicalization of deviance: the process that changes "bad" behavior into "sick" behavior. -Demedicalization: when "sick" behavior is normalized again. -Medicalization and demedicalization affect who responds to the patient, how people respond to the patient, and how people view the personal responsibility of the patient. -• While interactionism does acknowledge the subjective nature of diagnosis, it is important to remember who benefits when a behavior becomes defined as illness or condition.

Family Challenges: Children of Divorce and Remarriage

-Involvement of non-custodial parent -Financial situation of custodial parent -Age, proximity to parents, involvement, joint custody.

Islam

-Islam is a monotheistic religion following the teaching of the prophet Muhammad (born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 570 C.E.). -Muhammad is not a divine being and believed to be the messenger of Allah (God), who is divine. -Followers of Islam are called Muslims and are of one or two denominations: Sunni (75 - 90%) and Shia (10 -20%). -Islam means "peace" and "submission". -The sacred text for Muslims is the Qur'an (Koran). -Five Pillars or Practices: Shahadah(profession of faith in God), Salat(Daily Prayer done 5 times a day at set strict times and facing Mecca),Zakat(almsgiving that Is used to support holy places and mosques as well as those in one's community), Sawm(Fasting as a spiritual practice, as is done during the month of Ramadan), Hajj( Pilgrimage to the holy center of Mecca to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad). -There are two specific days set aside as holy days: Eid ul Fitr (end of Ramadam) and Eid ul Adha (to remember the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son.

Why It Matters: Religion

-It plays a major role in the socialization process. -Religion, in one form or another, has been found in all human societies since human societies first appeared. -Social conflict and wars have resulted from religious disputes. -To understand a culture, sociologists must study its religion.

Jainism

-Jainism is a predominantly Indian religion sharing some commonalities with Hinduism. -Followers of Jainism are called Jains, a word from the Sanskrit word jina (victor) and connoting the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths through an ethical and spiritual life. -Jains consider their religion to be external (sanatan) and believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology. -Main religious premises include ahiṃsā (non-violence), anekāntavāda (many-sidedness), aparigraha (non-attachment) and asceticism. -Devout Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy or chastity), and aparigraha (non-attachment). -Parasparopagraho Jīvānām (the function of souls is to help one another) is the motto of Jainism.

Judaism

-Jews became a monotheistic society, worshipping only one God, after their Exodus from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. -Sacred text is the Torah (also first five book of the Christian Bible) is part of the larger text known as the Tanakh and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud. -Talmud refers to the collection of sacred Jewish oral interpretation of the Torah. -The most important teaching of Judaism is that there is one God who wants people to do what is just and compassionate. -A person serves God by learning the holy books and doing what they teach, with an emphasis on moral behavior and action in this world. -Jews believe in non-violence and improving the world around them. -Tikkun olam translates to mean "repair" and " of all time" or an obligation to fix up the world. -Tzedakah translates to mean "righteous or justice or fairness" and is categorized into eight levels. -Today's largest Jewish religious movements are Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reform Judaism. -Differences among these groups include approaches to Jewish law, authority of the Rabbinic tradition, and the significance of the State of Israel. -Orthodox Jews are the most recognized because of their appearance and strict dress code for both men and women. -Reformed Judaism permits women to be rabbis and does not require strict observance to the laws found in the Torah. -Although Jews make up a very small percentage of the global population, most people around the world are familiar with Jewish culture and practices.

Cultural Meaning of Illness

-Many medical sociologists content that illnesses have both a biological and an experiential component that exist independently of and external to each other. -Goffman (1963) suggests we might view illness as a stigma, pushing others to view the ill person undesirably. -Stigmatization of illness often has the greatest effect on the patient and the type of care received. -Many argue that our society and even healthcare institutions discriminate against certain diseases. -• Contested illnesses are those that are questioned or questionable by a fraction of the medical professionals, creating a dynamic that affects how a patient seeks treatment and what treatment is received.

Cultural Significance of Health

-Medical sociologists study the physical, mental, and social components of health and illness. -The social construction of health is a major research topic within medical sociology. -The idea of the social construction of health emphasizes the socio-cultural aspects of the discipline's approach to physical, objectively definable phenomena.

Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family: Functionalism

-Murdock: heterosexual, nuclear family -Four Functions: sexual (marriage provides legitimate sexual outlet for adults), reproductive (sexual outlet leads to reproduction, societal survival), educational (train and socialize children, teach gender roles, culture), economic (supports traditional gender roles, division of labor). -Roles are instrumental (external to household): male or expressive, (inside home): female -Fails to account for variations found in modern families

Religion and Social Change

-Religion has historically been an impetus for social change. -The United States' first European arrivals were acting largely on religious convictions when they settled in the United States. -Disagreements between religious groups and religious persecution have led to wars and genocides. -Liberation Theology -Liberation theology addresses the elimination of causes of poverty and injustice, involves the emancipation of the poor and marginalized, and involves liberation from selfishness and sin. -Today liberation theology is an international movement that encompasses many churches and denominations and influences Pope Frances' philosophy from the Vatican.

The Sick Role

-Sick role is a term used in medical sociology regarding sickness and the rights and obligation of the affected. -Sociologist Talcott Parsons argued that the best way to understand illness sociologically is to view it as a form of deviance that disturbs the social function of the society. -Being sick is not simply a condition but also contains within itself customary rights and obligations based on the social norms that surround it. -Parsons outlined two rights of a sick person along with two obligations. -A sick person has the right to be exempt from normal social roles and are not responsible for their condition. -A sick person is obligated to try to get well and to cooperate with medical professionals.

Symbolic Interactionism: Education

-Symbolic interactionism sees education as one wat that labeling theory is seen in action. -Labels are difficult to "shake off" and can create self-fulfilling prophecies. -Credentialism -Certificates and degrees are labeling of an individual based on what that individual should be expected to be based on their credential.

Symbolic Interactionism: Religion

-Symbolic interactionism view beliefs and experiences as sacred only when regarded as such by society. -Interactionists might have interest in the interactions between religious leaders and practitioners, religion's role in everyday life, and ways people express religious values in social interactions.

Contemporary Issues in Education

-Teacher Effectiveness -Social Promotion -Affirmative Action -Rising Student Loan Debt

Christianity

-The largest religion in the world, beginning 2,000 years ago in Palestine by Jesus of Nazareth. -Jesus taught his followers about caritas (charity) or treating others as you would like to be treated. -The sacred text is the Bible. -While Christians believe that God has already returned as Jesus Christ, Jews and Muslims disagree. -Christian groups have variations among their sacred texts (Mormons also use the Book of Mormon)(The Catholic Bible includes the Apocrypha, which is not included in Protestant versions). -Although monotheistic, Christians often describe their god through three manifestations called the Holy Trinity: the father (God), the son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. -Christian holidays are widely celebrated in the United States and around the world. -

Hinduism

-The oldest religion in the world, originating in the Indus River Valley (modern day India and Pakistan) about 4,500 years ago. -Hinduism is the third largest of the world's religion with roughly one billion followers. -Hindus believe in a diving power that can manifest as different entities with three main incarnations: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. -Vedas are sacred texts that contain hymns and rituals from ancient India written mostly in Sanskrit. -Hindus generally believe in dharma (one's duty with "right" actions) and karma (spiritual ramifications of actions are balanced in this life or in reincarnation)

Social Construction of the Illness Experience

-The social construction of the illness experience deals with such issues as the way some patients control the manner in which they reveal their diseases and the lifestyle adaptations patients develop to cope. -Culture and individual personality both play a significant role in constructing the illness experience. -Many institutions of wellness acknowledge the degree to which individual perceptions shape the nature of health and illness. -The CDC recommends the use of a standard level of exertion to assess physical activity and many medical professionals use a comparable, somewhat universal scale for perceived pain. -Medical knowledge can both reflect and reproduce inequalities in gender, class, race, and ethnicity (Conrad and Barker).

Introduction to Global Education

-Today, some degree of education is necessary for people in most countries. -UNESCO has calculated that in the next 30 years, more people will receive formal education than in any prior period of human history. -In general, education is a means through which the aims and habits of a group of people are passed from one generation to the next. -Technically, education is the formal process by which society deliberately passes accumulated knowledge, skills, customs, and values from one generation to the next.

Universal Access to Education

-UN's Universal Declaration on Human Rights calls for all individuals to be entitled to a free education at the primary level. -Universal access is more difficult in practice. -The1972 Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia was on behalf of seven school-age children with special needs and upheld the right to free education. -Today the optimal way to include differently-abled students in standard classrooms is still being researched and debated.

Karl Marx's view of religion

-a German philosopher, journalist, and revolutionary socialist believed that religion reflects the social stratification of society, maintaining inequality and perpetuating the status quo. -Marx argued that religion was just an extension of working-class economic suffering.

Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family: Conflict Theory

-focus on macrolevel inequality -family: where power struggles occur -Sexism, gender role enforcement, domestic violence -"Second Shift" women work: labor inbalance in homes, women work both outside the home and in the home; men work only paid jobs.

Bilingual Education

Attempts to give equal opportunity to minority students through offering instruction in languages other than English

Busing

Courts across the United States ordered some school districts to begin a program that involved bringing students to schools outside their neighborhoods to bring racial diversity into balance and was met with a great deal of resistance

Who defined religion as a, "unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things" and happens in society where there is a separation between ordinary life and the sacred (1915)

Emile Durkheim

Affirmative Action

Opponents suggest that minority students are given greater weighted priorities for admittance while supporters say that it grants opportunities to students who are traditionally done a disservice in college admissions

Social Promotion

Passing students to the next grade regardless of whether grade standards are met

Established Sects

Some sects dissolve without growing into denominations

Head Start

Still active and successful today, it was developed to give low-income students an opportunity to make up the preschool deficit identified in the Coleman report

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001 and requires states to test students in designated grades to determine whether they can continue to receive federal funding. -Sociologists and teachers contented that the impact is far more negative than positive and that "one size fits all" cannot apply to education.

Equal Education

Until the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, school had operated under Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) allowing racial segregation in schools and private businesses and introduced "separate but equal" phrase.

Teaching to the Test

When a curriculum focuses on equipping students to succeed on standardized tests to the detriment of broader educational goals and concepts of learning

Ambilineal Descent

a form of bilateral descent in which an individual may choose to affiliate with either the father's or mother's descent group

Tracking

a formalized learning system that places students on "tracks" perpetuate inequalities

Marriage

a legally recognized social contract between two people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship and implying a permanence of the union.

Family

a socially recognized group (usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption) that forms an emotional connection and serves as an economic unit of society.

Religion

a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds to be sacred or considers spiritually significant -Considered a social institution. -Considered a cultural universal.

Patrilineal Descent

a system of tracing descent through the father's side of the family

Matrilineal Descent

a system of tracing descent through the mother's side of the family

Bigamy

act of entering into a marriage while still married to another person (a felony offense in the U.S.)

Religious Rituals

behaviors or practices that are either required or expected of a particular group.

Totemism

belief in human-natural being connection Example: Ojibwa (Native American) beliefs

Polytheism

belief in multiple gods Example: Greek and Romans

Atheism

belief in no deities

Animism

belief in nonhuman beings (animals, plants, natural world) Example: Indigenous Nature Worship (Shinto)

Monotheism

belief in one god Example: Judaism, Islam

Domestic Violence

between household/family members

Sect

breakaway group that may be in tension with larger society and often begins as an offshoot of a denomination.

Liberation Theology

combines Christian principles with political activism and began as a movement within the Roman Catholic Church in the 1950s and 1960s.

What is religion about, according to sociologists?

community with social cohesion, social control, and meaning and purpose all important

Cultural Capital

cultural knowledge that serves as metaphorical currency and helps to navigate a culture.

Informal Education

describes learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors by participating in a society.

Formal Education

describes the learning of academic facts and concepts through a formal curriculum.

Credentialism

embodies the emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications

Family of Orientation

family into which a person is born

Feminist Theory: Religion

focus on gender inequality and dominance of male power in religions

Family of Procreation

formed through marriage

Shaken-Baby Syndrome

gender difference: men vs women

Matrilocal

husband lives with/near wife's family

Common Core

include a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy that outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade

Denominations

large, mainstream religious organizations

Teacher Effectiveness

many teachers in the United States teach subject matter that is outside their own field of study, impacting their ability to adequately teach

Polygyny

marriage of a man to more than one woman at a time

Polyandry

marriage of a woman to more than one man at a time

Polygamy

marriage to more than one person at a time

Monogamy

marriage to one partner

Cults

new religious groups and often carries perjorative connotations today in the United States as begin secretive, highly controlling of members' lives, and dominated by a charismatic leader.

Sick Role

patterns of expectations that define appropriate behavior for the sick and for those who take care of them

Family Life Cycle

predictable steps and patterns over time that don't account for variations. 1. Marriage Family-childless 2. Procreation Family-children 0-2.5years 3. Preschooler Family-children 2.5-6yrs 4. School-age Family-children 6-13 years 5. Teenage Family-children 13-20 years 6. Launching Family-children begin to leave home 7. Empty Nest Family-adult children have left home

Universal Access

refers to people's equal ability to participate in an education system.

Cultural Transmission

refers to the way people come to learn values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture.

German sociologist and political economist Max Weber believe ____________ was a precipitator of social change.

religion

Child Protective Services

respond to thousands of cases of abuse, neglect

Education

social institution through which society teaches children basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms.

Descent

socially recognized links between ancestors and descendants or one's traceable ancestry

Religious Beliefs

specific ideas members of a particular faith hold to be true.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

spouses, partners of all varieties; -1 in 4 women; 1 in 7 men experience it in a lifetime -physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse -rates differ by gender, sexual orientation, race

Rising Student Loan Debt

students are hard-pressed to repay their education earning entry-level wages, even at the professional level

Medical Sociology

systematic study of how humans manage issues of health and illness, disease and disorders, and healthcare

Ecclesia

term used to refer to a religious group (congregation) that most members of a society belong to

Religious Experience

the conviction or sensation of connection to "the divine."

Bilateral Descent

the tracing of kinship through both parents' ancestral lines

Unilateral Descent

the tracing of kinship through one parent only

Hidden Curriculum

type of nonacademic knowledge that students learn through informal learning and cultural transmission

Patrilocal

wife lives with/near husband's family