Exam 3 Sociology

What is false consciousness?

a subjective understanding that does not correspond with the objective facts of one's situation

One reason why official crime statistics are of questionable validity is that

they exclude unreported crimes and undetected criminals

What do we call norm violations that are codified into law?

crimes

Provide at least three examples of murder by neglect.

deaths that result from corporate neglect should be considered"murder by neglect"

What has happened to the crime rate over the last 20 years?

decline

What is a race?

describes a race as a group of people who share similar physical (genetic) characteristics.

What are the two primary classes according to Marx?

dominant class or the bourgeoisie

According to Marx, social class is based upon:

ownership of the means of production.

In the early nineteenth century, Native Americans survived clashes with the U.S. Army, but were forcibly removed to reservations. This is an example of

population transfer.

Describe the two components of wealth: Income and Assets.

"the amount of money a person or household earns in a given period of time (usually a year)." The gap between rich and poor is also very unequal and it is increasing. ;financial wealth such as bank accounts, stocks, bonds, life insurance savings, mutual fund shares and unincorporated business; consumer durables like cares and major appliances; and the value of pension rights

Although they make very little money, priests, ministers, rabbis, imams, and clergy are often prestigious members of their communities. Which social theorist first suggested that this is an important element of class status?

Max Weber

What is a caste system?

A caste system is a rigid system of inequality. Caste position is strictly defined. There is no social mobility from one caste to another. Caste relationships are relatively conflict free. The lack of conflict can be explained, in part, because of the powerful position on the upper caste and, in part, by an ideology that justifies caste position. There is little deviance on the part of the lower castes because of fear of harsh punishment.

What is a minority group?

A minority is a category of people who lack power, privilege, and prestige in social, political or economic spheres.

What is an ethnic group?

An ethic group shares similar cultural characteristics and culture is learned. Characteristics that might define an ethnic group would include a common language, religion, national origin, dietary practices, etc. An ethnic group may be distinguished from another group by a high level of social interaction. Ethnic groups perceive themselves as a cultural unit.

What is assimilation

Assimilation is the process of being absorbed into the mainstream of the dominate culture. The assimilation model demands that other groups conform to the dominant culture. New comers are to be socialized into the dominant culture that is already present.

Describe the syntheses between the functionalist and conflict perspectives on class.

Basic Resources-The basic resources needed for the maintenance of society are allocated in much the same way that the functionalists argue. This is efficient. He contends that all societies do this to one degree or another. Surplus wealth-Surplus wealth is allocated in much the same way that the conflict theory predicts (i.e., through exploitation and class struggle).

Discuss colonialism as the primary cause of racism.

Colonialism (or conquest) is the primary cause of racism;A conquest occurs when one group conquers another culture. The conquered are immediately placed at the lower end of society. To justify the degraded position of the conquered, the conquerors learn to despise the conquered.

Describe Stratification from a conflict perspective.

Conflict theory argues that the basis of social stratification is found in conflict over some kind of scare resources. Conflict theory contends that stratification is not necessary, but is maintained to safeguard the ruling class's privileges. Those who find social class beneficial are those who have "made it" in the system.

How can crime rates decline while numbers of crimes increase?

Crime numbers increase while rates fall because of population increase. There are more people are people in 1985 compared to 1976. The crime rate declines because the numbers of crimes experienced by every 100,000 people declines. Individuals are committing fewer crimes in 1985 than in 1976.

What are some problems with the term "victimless crime'?

Crime without victims," refers to the fact that there are no victims to press charges.Those who engage in the activity regard the law as inappropriate, not themselves. Another issue regarding victimless crimes is that they consume an enormous amount of police effort.

What are three structural components of crime?

Demographic Change-One component is demographic change associated with changes in the age structure of the population. Rapid Shifts in Population-There are other components that cause variation in crime rates. Rapidly growing cities have trouble keeping their police forces large enough to cope with the expanding population. One should not forget the problems associated with the "transitional neighborhood" as a cause of deviance. The Condition of the Economy-There are also links to economic performance. As the economy fluctuates, so does the crime rate. It makes sense that when the economy falters. Crime rates increase as those removed from the legitimate economy seek less-legitimate avenues in the informal or shadow economy in order to survive.

What is deterrence theory. What are it's three components of deterrence theory?

Deterrence theory contends that if the public knows the consequences of deviance, many individuals will not commit a crime. "Through punishment, corrections serve to deter the offender from deviating again and it scares others who might be tempted into crime" (Robertson, 1989:129). There are three aspects of deterrence theory. In order for deterrence to be successful each aspect should be true. 1.The individual has to know what the law states. Without clear knowledge of the law, the individual cannot know he/she is in the process of violating the law. 2.The potential offender must know what the punishment is. How tough will the punishment be? It makes a difference to a potential bank robber when planning a holdup whether the penalty is 1 year or 20 years in prison. Likewise, is a white-collar criminal is relatively sure that they will get a light punishment, they might be more inclined to embezzle from a bank or to use substandard building material. 3.Will an offender receive punishment? If punishment is certain, then the philosophy of deterrence comes closer to achieving its goals. If, on the other hand, one is relatively sure that they will not be punished, deterrence is not achieved. 4.Critique of Deterrence Theory: The current system of criminal justice demonstrates none of these characteristics. The law is too complex, the severity of punishment depends on the jurisdiction (city, state, federal), and it depends on social class.

Is there a relationship between murder rates and the use of the death penalty?

Do states that have the death penalty have lowered homicide rates? NO! There is no difference between the states that execute and those that do not.

Describe stratification from a functionalist view. Give three points

Functionalist see the class structure is beneficial to American society. Furthermore, class structure is necessary. Functionalist concern themselves with how a society can encourage the most qualified people to do the most important jobs. Class structure facilitates this end. Class structure provides a competitive arena-A class structure allows the best rise to the top of the social strata. Class structure provides a motivating force -Fluid class structure provides motivation and an arena for individual achievement. It offers prizes that challenge people to work hard. Class structure provides opportunity-Americans believe that through hard work, all people have a crack at getting to the top. The wealth of the few is the goal of every American. Of course, there is poverty. Poverty, however, is simply the result of individuals not trying hard enough.

Endogamy

In a caste society, people have to marry within their own caste.

Ritual pollution

In caste societies many members guard against ritual pollution. Contact between members of the upper caste and the lower caste is inappropriate. Such contact is seen by the members of the upper caste as unclean. In the Indian caste system upper caste individuals avoid even the shadow of an untouchable. The shadow of an untouchable's house is polluting to members of the upper castes.

How is institutional discrimination different from individual discrimination?

Institutional discrimination is more systematic and widespread.

Discuss the three kinds of social mobility. Intergenerational Exchange Structural

Intergenerational Mobility -Intergenerational mobility refers to movement (up or down) the social hierarchy by family members. An example here would be a family where the father is a trucker and the sibling becomes a doctor. Exchange Mobility-Exchange mobility is where individuals change places with one another in the stratification system Structural Mobility -Structural mobility occurs when the economic status of people changes as a result of structural changes in the economy.

Under the topic 'selecting the criminal,' discuss selecting by judges.

Judges also take part in the selection procedure points out that judges perceive higher class offenders (white-collar criminals) as having suffered enough through damage to their reputation and perhaps loss of employment.

What are Life Chances?

Life chances refer to one's access to resources. Life chances can refer to one's ability to get food and shelter. It also refers to access to social institutions such as health care, education, the government, and the law (to mention a few).

Why do minorities continue in society? (List four reasons)

Minorities Lack Power Resources People in Society Benefit Culture and Structure are Generally Accepted Changing the Status Quo Is Costly Ideology Perpetuates Minority Position

What are two goals of white collar crime?

Money is not the only motive for engaging in white-collar crime. Often political power is the goal. In the 1950s and 1960s, when the FBI illegally broke into offices of left-wing political organizations, enhancing power was the objective, not money (see Coleman and Cressey, 1984:416). The entire Watergate affair was oriented toward enhancing power.

Distinguish between three methods for determining social class: Objective Subjective Reputational

Objective Measures-There are objective measures of social class. Henslin (1999:253) suggests that researches can assign people to various social classes based on objective criteria involving wealth, power, and prestige. Some objective indicators can include occupation, educational level, number of dependents, type of residence, infant mortality, and life expectancy rates. Subjective Measures-There are also subjective measures. Typically, determining class from a subjective point of view involves asking someone how they perceive their class position. Reputational Measures-Finally, class can be determined using the reputational method (Henslin, 1999:253). People identify an individual's social class based on their expert knowledge of their individual's circumstances.

What is the difference between organizational crime and occupational crime?

Occupational crime occurs when crimes are committed to promote personal interests. organizational crime- A much more costly type of white collar crime occurs when corporate executives commit criminal acts to benefit their company.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation involves teaching inmates skills and trades that will, hopefully, give them a chance to become law-abiding productive citizens once they are released from prison.

Greg J. Duncan and a team of researchers analyzed the effect of parental income on the academic achievement of children. What do you think Duncan found given what you have read about socioeconomic status and life chances?

Parental income is strongly correlated with academic achievement, especially in low-income families.

What is a social class? What is a classless society?

People who occupy the same layer of the socioeconomic hierarchy are known as a social class;In a classless society there are no economically based strata.

What is power?

Power is the ability to see that one's will is acted upon

What is the relationship between prejudice and discrimination? There are four possible combinations. List them and explain them.

Prejudice (an attitude) and discrimination (a behavior) are related concepts but one does not automatically mean that the other is present. Some argue that prejudice occurs as a justification for discrimination. They argue, citing the slave trade, that people cannot brutalize their peers. On the other hand, masters had to brutalize their slaves. In order to rationalize inhuman behavior toward humans, the master would believe an ideology which suggested that the slave was inferior and, therefore, domination was justified. Robert Merton developed a typology which compared prejudice to discrimination. He suggested that there were four possible combinations.

How is prejudice different from discrimination?

Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is an action.

What is prestige?

Prestige refers to the power to impress or influence. It differs from power in that it is based less on political position. Prestige correlates with charisma. A prestigious person has a reputation based on brilliance, achievements, or on character.

Discuss race as a social creation.

Racial categories are human creations. As a biological concept, the term race is almost meaningless. The intense sociological interest in race is due to the fact that people attack meaning and values, either real or imaginary, to physical differences between groups of people.

What is recidivism?

Recidivism refers to ex-offenders who are arrested for another criminal offense once they have been released from jail.

What is a scapegoat?

Scapegoating occurs when one blames one's troubles on someone else who is relatively powerless. This may occur when one group feels threatened, but are themselves powerless to act against the actual source of the threat.

Under the topic 'selecting the criminal,' discuss selecting by the attorneys

Selecting occurs as well in the court system. Court officials encouraged poor people to plea-bargain, who cannot afford attorneys, in 90 percent of the cases. They would plead guilty to lesser offenses.

What is social stratification?

Social stratification refers to the division of a society into layers (or strata) whose occupants have unequal access to social opportunities and rewards. People in the top strata enjoy power, prosperity, and prestige that are not available to other members of society; people in the bottom strata endure penalties that other members of society escape.

What is the structural-functionalist view of stratification?

Society works better when people compete for desirable positions.

Which statement best describes the relationship between homicide rates and the use of the death penalty?

The existence of the death penalty has little impact on homicide rates.

Why don't white-collar criminals go to jail? List three reasons.

The Best Lawyers Favorable Laws Individual Perception Little Police Effort Difficult to Assign Blame

In the 1900s, there was a strong prejudice against Irish immigrants and their descendants. What does this tell you about the history of the Irish in the United States?

The Irish were once considered to be a separate race.

What is the UCR and what are some problems with it?

The UCR includes crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson; The UCR is criticized sometimes because of the information it does not report. It, for example, includes only offenses that are known to the police and as many as two out of three crimes are not reported to the police. UCR is also criticized because it tends to focus on crimes committed by the poor.

What is amalgamation

The amalgamation model [melting-pot theory] sees the dominant culture as a conglomeration of all groups in society. Each group actively desires to be a part of the dominant culture and makes an important contribution to the whole. Each group mixes freely with the other groups.

Under the topic 'selecting the criminal,' discuss selecting in the political process.

The definition of which behavior is considered as criminal begins in political bodies such as city councils, state legislatures, or Congress. These political bodies pass laws against certain kinds of behavior. Legislative bodies decide penalties for violating the laws they pass.

How is the poverty line determined?

The poverty line, the official measure of poverty in the United States, is set at three times a low-cost food budget. Henslin (2006:201) argues that in the 1960s, when the poverty line was determined, poor people spent roughly a third of their income on food. In the U.S., families who earn less than three times the cost of food are considered "officially poor." This status could influence the distribution of social welfare dollars from Washington.

Discuss the assets that are controlled by the rich.

The upper classes control a much greater percentage of valuable assets than income. Robertson (1989:180) points out that in 1973 the bottom fifth of Americans controlled only 0.2% of all assets while the top fifth control 76% of all assets.

What do most Americans claim about their class status?

They are middle class.

Incapacitation

This philosophy seeks to prevent the offender from committing further crimes. Some criminals are seen as not being responsible for their actions. None-the-less ordinary citizens do not want them on the streets. Mental illness is sometimes seen as an explanation for criminal behavior. Often mentally ill are not sent to prison, but are still "incapacitated" in hospitals or similar institutions.

Under the topic 'selecting the criminal,' discuss selecting by the victim. What two criteria decide whether a victim will report a crime to the police?

Two out of three crimes are never reported to the police. The victim makes a decision whether to report. contends there are two factors which determine whether or not a given offender moves to the next stage. The seriousness of the offense. The status of the offender - With reference to the seriousness of the offense, petty crimes and white-collar crimes seldom come to the attention of the police. The social status of the offender has great impact on who the police arrest and who ultimately goes to jail. Most Juveniles in the arrest statistics are lower-class males. This does not mean that lower-class males commit the most crimes. They are simply the ones arrested.

Which industrialized country has the highest incarceration rate?

United States

How are women different than other minorities? (Provide three points)

Women generally have higher levels education than racial and ethnic minorities, yet in what women are able to achieve, they experience economic discrimination similar to that experienced by racial and ethnic minorities. In fact, when education is held equal, women in general suffer more economic inequality than racial and ethnic minorities. Women are actually a numerical majority (in the U.S.) which gives them resources that other minorities do not have. Women can vote collectively. Yet, women face the same problems of organization and unity that other minorities face. Women are physically integrated into society.

How are women like other minorities? (Provide three points)

Women lack power relative to men. They do not hold high position and have fewer resources. Women lack privilege relative to men Women lack prestige Women are also developing a consciousness of themselves as a separate category of people with common interests. They are beginning to work together to achieve common goals.

Texas has never had a Hispanic governor and the percentage of Hispanic Americans in Texas state government is low. However, many Hispanic Americans live in Texas. In 2012, they made up nearly 40 percent of the state's population. Would a sociologist in Texas call Hispanic Americans a minority group?

Yes, because they are denied access to power and resources.

According to the FBI, who are the criminals? Give four characteristics.

Young - People under 25 years old commit nearly half of all crimes. Male -Men were four times as likely to commit crimes as females. Urban-People arrested were much more likely to be from cities as opposed to small towns Black -29% of those arrested were black (they make up only 12% of the total population.)

What is a social class from the perspective of Karl Marx?

a class consists of all the people who share a common relationship to the means of production

How do sociologists define a minority group?

a group whose members are denied access to power and resources

How do sociologists define ethnicity?

a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage

How do sociologists define race?

a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

Which of the following is a "victimless crime"?

all of the listed crimes vagrancy prohibited sexual acts between consenting adults illicit use of marijuana

Most working-class people earn:

an hourly wage rather than a salary.

What is class consciousness?

an objective awareness of the lower stratum's common plights and interests as an oppressed group.

In a caste system, one's place in the stratification system is a(n) ________ status.

ascribed

What is it called when a minority group is absorbed into the dominant group?

assimilation

Shiva, a Hindu boy, was born an untouchable. Being a citizen of India where people's social positions are ascribed, there is little possibility that he will climb the social ladder. This is an example of a:

caste system.

The 2000 Census was the first time that Americans were allowed to ________ when identifying their race.

check more than one box

Retribution

contends that one reason for putting people in prison is to punish the offender. The state is placed in the position of "applying revenge on behalf of the victim." This is the "eye for an eye" philosophy.

A group of women work long hours for low wages in a sweat shop sewing baby clothes. When a trade union representative attempts to organize them into a union, the women refuse. Each believes she has a good chance to become a manager, which joining a union would destroy. Karl Marx would say that these workers demonstrate:

false consciousness.

The deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, or national group is called

genocide.

What is pluralism (salad-bowl theory)

in a pluralist society unique groups coexist side by side. The uniqueness of each group is considered a trait worth having in the dominant culture. Note our fascination with unique cultures; The consequence of living in a pluralist society is recognition and tolerance of cultural and ethnic diversity.

Many people today argue that convicted sex offenders should be chemically castrated or held in protective custody beyond their original sentences. What is the logic of these punishments?

incapacitation

When customers have low credit scores, banks often offer them subprime loans that have higher than normal interest rates. If a bank gives three times as many subprime loans to black Americans than to white Americans, even when they have the same credit scores, the bank is guilty of

institutional discrimination.

What is it an example of when the children of working-class parents manage to attend college and get a job in a professional field?

intergenerational mobility

White privilege is the idea that one group in society enjoys certain unearned privileges and that group members are

largely unaware of the unequal benefits they possess.

The probabilities concerning the fate an individual may expect in life are called:

life chances

What is an authoritarian personality and how does it develop?

many prejudiced people have a distinct set of personality traits centered on conformity, intolerance, and insecurity. The authoritarian personality is submissive to authority. They tend to be anti-intellectual and anti-scientific. They are disturbed by ambiguities in sexual or religious matters. They see the world in very rigid and stereotypical terms.

What is racism?

refers to attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors that favor one group over another. Racism involves an ideology (a belief structure) that explains racist beliefs. The minority group might be seen as biologically inferior and, therefore, practices involving their domination and exploitation are reasonable. Others may justify racist beliefs by citing scientific evidence. Regardless, a pervasive ideology (belief structure) exists to validate the unequal expectations held by the majority.

The warden argued that by teaching the inmates skills and trades in demand in the larger society instead of license plate making, the inmates could more easily return to a normal, law-abiding existence. The warden's recommendation was for the purpose of __________.

rehabilitation

A child grows up in a rich family, yet lives under impoverished conditions as an adult. This is an example of:

social mobility.

Many people are optimistic that the many lost jobs in the United States in the recession of the late 2000s will be replaced with others. However, even if the optimists are right, the shift in the economy may permanently alter the class status of many. This is due to the fact that the jobs being lost are largely in manufacturing and new jobs are often in information technology. This suggests that the newly unemployed will have trouble competing for newly created jobs. If this is the case, what is it called?

structural mobility

Who often goes to prison when attorneys "select the criminal" through plea bargains?

the poor

Stratification refers to:

the ranking of people according to their economic and social resources.

In the early 1900s, native-born Americans, usually Protestants, did NOT consider Irish, Italian, or Jewish immigrants to be white. What does this illustrate?

the social construction of race

In terms of economic costs, __________ crimes are considerably higher than __________ crimes.

white-collar; street