Sociology

Social Stratification

categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, social status, occupation and power.

Survey Research

collection of data by having people answer a series of questions

Structured Inequality (n/a)

condition where one category of people are attributed an unequal status in relation to other categories of people. This relationship is perpetuated and reinforced by a confluence of unequal relations in roles, functions, decisions, rights, and opportunities. Residential segregation, healthcare, education discrimination

Conforming Behavior

doing what society expects you to do even though you don't feel for it

Primary Deviance

engaging in the initial act of deviance. This is very common throughout society, as everyone takes part in basic form violation.does not result in a person internalizing a deviant identity, so one does not alter

Social Capital (n/a)

expected collective or economic benefits derived from the preferential treatment and cooperation between individuals and groups.

Social Dynamics

focuses on how society changes over time

Convergence

functionalist-societies become increasingly industrialized, they begin to resemble other industrialized societies. That is, they converge towards other forms of social organization.

Social Location, race, class, gender

has to do with a person's place in society. It has to do with a person's race, gender, sexuality. It also is a key element in understanding who a person is.

Spectacle relief

instant success, false sense, shoves out all thinking and provides phony pleasure., comes from consumption of goods.

Content Analysis

is the analysis of texts of various types including writing, images, recordings and cultural artifacts. Content analysis includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Taking the role of the other

it involves "participation in the other"--"the appearance of the other in the self". taking the role of the other means putting yourself in another person's place to think/reflect about yourself

Habitus (n/a)

lifestyle, values, dispositions and expectations of particular social groups that are acquired through the activities and experiences of everyday life. In other words, the habitus could be understood as you as a person and your upbringing.

Questionnaires

means of getting information such as race, age group, etc. from anonymous subjects of study

Poverty threshold

minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. Poverty line higher in developed countries than developing.

Social Mobility (n/a)

movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to others' social location within a given society. middle class to upper class.

World systems theory

multidisciplinary, macro-scale approach to world history and social change, emphasizes the world-system as the primary unit of social analysis. Core countries focus on high skill capital intensive. Others focus on low skill, labor intensive.

Cultural Capital

non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means. Examples can include education, intellect, style of speech, dress, or physical appearance.

Cultural relativism

not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms

Secondary Deviance

one internalizes a deviant identity by integrating it into their self-concept.When someone commits an offense of a more serious nature, then one is likely to be labeled.

symbolic culture

people attach meanings and then use to communicate with others. Ex:Currency, only exists as long as people use it.

Role Engulfment

person's identity becomes based on a role the person assumes, superseding other roles.

Problem of Complicity(n/a)

reasonable people will accept those faith-assumptions and the conclusions that flow from them. In fact, reasonable people who work from different moral premises reach different moral conclusions.

Social Class defined

refers to a group of people with similar levels of wealth, influence, and status. Lower-class,working class,middle class, upper class. The objective method measures and analyzes "hard" facts. The subjective method asks people what they think of themselves. The reputational method asks what people think of others.

Tracking

separating students by academic ability into groups for all subjects or certain classes and curriculum

significant others/ generalized others

significant others-significant others would be family members, opinions matter most. generalized others-all other people in our lives.

Functionalist theory of stratification

social inequality plays vital role in operation of society. Davis-Moore- stratification benefits society. Jobs based on rewards, someone with brain surgery over someone mowing a lawn. Can't be paid equally.

Negative Sanctions

socially constructed expression of disapproval

sociological imagination

society located in broad stream of events. Each society has specific characteristics. (Proper role of sexes) We are brought up by external instincts.

"Concerted Cultivation"

style of parenting, marked by parent's attempt to foster child's talents by having them join orgs. Better in social prowess. Linked to financial and academic success.

Culture

the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects tht are passed from one generation to the next

Material culture

the material objects that distinguish a group of people, such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and jewelry

Labeling Theory

the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping.

Values

the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly

Sociology of Knowledge

the study of the relationship between human thought and the social context within which it arises, and of the effects prevailing ideas have on societies

Ethnocentrism

the use of one's own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors

Racial Formation (n/a)

used to look at race as a socially constructed identity, where the content and importance of racial categories are determined by social, economic and political forces.

value contradiction

values that contradict one another; to follow the one means to come into conflict with the other. Ex: pro-life but also pro-death penalty.

cultural lag

(Ogburn)- material culture changing faster than non-material culture. Ex. technology keeping someone alive, who has the right to let the person die?

Non-material culture

(also called symbolic culture) a group's ways of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing (its common patterns of behavior, including language and other forms of interaction)

Hidden Curriculum

-Obedience to authority -Conforming to rules and cultural norms -Perpetuates social inequalities

Ethics in Sociological Research

-Voluntary Participation -Informed Consent -No harm to Participants -Anonymity -Confidentiality

three stages of development

1)-Theological Stage-study of concepts of God and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired:fetishism-inanimate objects have spirits,polytheism-forces controlled by many gods, monotheism-believing in one god. 2)-Metaphysical Stage-explanation through impersonal abstract concepts. 3)-Positive Stage-scientific stage, refers to scientific explanation based on observation, experiment, and comparison.

Research Model-8 steps

1-select topic 2-define problem 3-review literature 4-formulate hypothesis 5-choose research method 6-collect data 7-analyze results 8-share results

Subculture

A subculture is a culture within a broader mainstream culture, with its own separate values, practices, and beliefs. In sociology, the concept of subculture explains the behavior of some social groups

Brown v Board of Education

Brought about education universalism, a notion that public schooling should be apportioned equally to all citizens

Techniques of neutralization

Denial of responsibility- Denial of injury-action was not wrong, stealing car is borrowing Denial of victim-deserved it Condemnation of the Condemners-who are you to judge me Appeal to higher loyalties-i had to help my friend.

Conflict theory of stratification

Disagree that stratification is functional for society. Argue that it benefits some at expense of others. 2 classes of people Bourgeoisie-owner and Proletariat-worker. Workers are exploited.

Discreditable/ Discredited Stigmas

Discreditable (passing)-stigma yet to be revealed, but may be revealed in or out of control. Discredited (revealing)-stigma has been revealed, affects behavior of individual and of others.

Functionalist Perspective on Education

Education is a social institution that provides beneficial functions for society

Conflict Theorist Perspective on Education

Education system is a tool by those in the controlling sector of society to maintain their dominance

Differential Association Theory

Edwin Sutherland-interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior.-deviance.

stigma Management

Even when an individual is deviant, he or she often has normal concerns about it.• Individual employs normal strategies in attempting to conceal it.• e.g. Someone likes to sleep naked, doesnt tell friends, wears pjs during sleepovers

Agents of Socialization

Family-major impact, determine wealth, social status, beliefs may change but will never go away. School-treated as group over individual. Learn both curriculum and hidden curriculum such as norms and values, conform, reward, punishment Peers-people that are the same age as you, understand how others like you must act. Influence how we dress, music, and food. Media- magazines, news, and tv. Influences political views, and what we see as beauty.

Social Statics

Focuses on how society is maintained

Functionalism Theory

Framework of society viewed as various parts(social institutions) in which we all function to survuve Social change is dysfunctional.

Gender Identity/Expression (n/a)

Gender Identity- One's internal, personal sense of being a man or a woman (or a boy or a girl). Gender Expression- External manifestation of one's gender identity, usually expressed through "masculine," "feminine" or gender-variant behavior, clothing, haircut, voice or body characteristics.

Cultural exploitation

Hawaii, gaining capital off the use of culture to make profit

Looking Glass Self

How you see yourself and how others see you.

I, Me, Generalized other

I-'the response of the individual to the attitude of the community'. Me- is what is learned in interaction with others and (more generally) with the environment. Generalized other is the norm of a group.

Ideal Culture/real culture

Ideal culture is what society claims they do and believe in, but real culture is what society actually does. Four examples of ideal culture versus real culture would be: 1.In ideal culture most people talk about how important an education is, and how you must graduate but in real culture most of the people in this country have never graduated and don't plan on it. Those who do graduate from high school, and want to attend a college can't afford it.

Controlling Images/Opposition Projects

Images that solidify gender and sexes, consume class based images.

Internal Colonialism and Colonialism

Internal Colonialism-structural political and economic inequalities between regions within a nation state. Colonialism-acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

Strength of Weak Ties

Interpersonal ties - (strong, weak, absent. Weak ties, more information. Granovetter-how social networking lands jobs. Jobs found through weak acquaintances. Ex: how weak hydrogen bonds hold large water molecules together.

Target Marketing

Making specialized information and entertainment products that appeal to a narrow group of consumers, usually affluent people

Race as a symbolic category

Marks differences between grouped people or things.This includes ideas, meaning-making, and language. Actively created and recreated, not a pre-given. Man made.

The relationship between merit and inheritance (n/a)

Merit is something that someone has worked for and earns such as a medal/trophy Inheritance-something that is handed down to someone

Power, property, prestige

Multi-dimensional approach to social stratification. Property(wealth)- property such a farms, factories-economic situation. Prestige-respect with which a person or status position is regarded by others-status situation. Power-ability of people or groups to achieve goals despite opposition from others-parties-has many forms.

Norms/mores/folkways

Norms-cultural expectations for how to behave in a given situation. Mores-strict norms control moral and ethical behavior. Mores based on definitions of right and wrong. Unlike folkways, mores are morally significant. Folkways- "customs",socially approved but not morally significant

Deviance/cultural relativity

Odd or unacceptable behavior, violates norms. -traffic violation to murder.

Pluralistic Societies (N/A)

Pluralistic societies are those that contain a diverse group of religious cultures and traditions. Pluralistic societies exist around the world, including the United States. Pluralism typically contains four components, which at the simplest level are diversity, tolerance, commitment and communication.

Paradoxes of the Culture of Fear (n/a)

Poverty, for example, correlates strongly with child abuse, crime, and drug abuse. Income inequality is also associated with adverse outcomes for society as a whole. The larger the gap between rich and poor in a society, the higher its overall death rates from heart disease, cancer, and murder. some in society incite fear in the general public to achieve political goals.

Transformation Thesis

Replacement of traditional social hierarchy with educational ones is progress towards modernity

Sex/ gender /Sex category (n/a)

Sex-socially agreed upon criteria for being male or female, usually based on and individual's genitalia. Gender-Gender is the degree to which an actor is masculine or feminine, in light of societal expectations about what is appropriate for one's sex category. Sex Category-assumed sex of the actor, regardless of the actor's actual sex, based on his or her body and behaviors.

Social constructionist perspectives on gender (n/a)

Social constructivists propose that there is no inherent truth to gender; it is constructed by social expectations and gender performance.

Symbolic Interactionist

Society is viewed as symbols used to establish meaning

Achieved Statuses

Statuses or positions that people earn (i.e: high school graduate, etc.)

Ascribed Statuses

Statuses people are born with (i.e: gender, etc.)

Media Segmentation

The fragmenting of the audience on which the media builds their fortunes

Socialization

The means by which social and cultural capital are attained

Credentialism

The over-emphasis on certificates and degrees as evidence of an individual's qualifications to perform a certain job or attaining social status

Cultural Industry

Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer- producing standardized cultural goods — films, radio programmes, magazines, etc. — that are used to manipulate mass society into passivity. Consumption of the easy pleasures of popular culture, made available by the mass communications media, renders people docile and conten

Conflict Theory

Theoretical framework in which society is viewed of groups competing for scarce resources

Correspondence Principal

There is a close relationship between social standing and the educational system

Norms

Things accepted by society

Norm Violations

Urinating in public, standing while eating in a fancy restaruant, an adult talking loudly during a church sermon, anything that we would be looked at differently by the rest of the community.

Reproduction thesis

Variations in educational attainment reflect class inequalities

Doing Gender

West and Zimmerman- Western culture, gender, rather than being an innate quality of individuals, is a psychologically ingrained social construct that actively surfaces in everyday human interaction.

stigma

a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

Master Status

a status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life. master status affects how the individual behaves and how others behave with respect to them. Ex- mother over being a woman

Positivism [objective knowledge] [August Comte]

a strain within sociology that believes the social world can be described and predicted by certain describable relationships (akin to a social physics).