CHS Sociology Ch. 10 (Social Institutions) Review

Monarchy

A political system ruled by a king or queen, with the succession of rulers kept within the family. Subdivisions include absolute and constitutional monarchies.

Social Media and Politics

An increasing number of Americans get their political and campaign news online, including social networking sites. Social media sites have contributed to the rise in "fake news" because fraudulent news stories can spread quickly online.

Religion

Any institutionalized system of shared beliefs and rituals that identify a relationship between the sacred and the profane. Sacred vs. Profane.

Define: 1. Authoritarianism, 2. Dictatorship, 3. Totalitarianism

Authoritarianism: a political system that denies ordinary citizens representation by and control over their own government. Dictatorship: a political system in which power is concentrated in the hands of a few elites who control military and economic resources. Totalitarianism: a political system in which the government seeks to control every aspect of citizens' lives, public and private.

Define: 1. Monotheistic Religions and 2. Liberation Theology

Monotheistic religions: religions that worship a single divine figure. Liberation theology: a movement within the Catholic Church to understand Christianity from the perspective of the poor and oppressed, with a focus on fighting injustice.

Edu. and the Reproduction of Society (+ Tracking)

Beyond the transmission of knowledge, education reproduces society by transmitting values, norms, and social stratification. Tracking: identifying particular students as "gifted" or in need of remedial or vocational education, and placing them in corresponding courses at school.

Define: 1. Charter Schools, 2. School Vouchers, 3. Homeschooling, and 4. Unschooling

Charter schools: public schools run by private entities. School vouchers: payments from the government to parents whose children attend failing public schools; the money helps parents pay private school tuition. Homeschooling: the education of school-age children under their parents' supervision outside of a conventional school campus. Unschooling: An alternative to traditional education and homeschooling; parents are in charge of their children's learning, but unlike homeschooling, they reject traditional curriculums and teaching methods.

Conflict Theory: Power Elite

Conflict theorists argue that power in the United States is held by a small group of power elites. Power elite: a relatively small group of influential individuals occupying the top positions within the major economic, political, and military institutions of the country. There is also the idea that social change comes only when it is to the advantage of the power elite.

Democracy and Its Implications

Democracy: a political system in which all citizens have a right to participate. Educated citizens should participate in the election of officials who then represent their interests in lawmaking, law enforcement, resource allocation, and international affairs. Note: Not all citizens are equally represented by a democratic government.

Define: 1. Disenfranchised, and 2. Gerrymandering

Disenfranchised: barred from voting, either temporarily or permanently. Examples: felons (depending on state, while incarcerated, on parole, on probation, or permanently). Gerrymandering: the practice of redrawing the boundary lines of state voting districts in order to advantage one political party over another.

Education

Education: the central means by which a society transmits its knowledge, values, and expectations to its members. Education can be either formal or informal and is commonly tied to the school system.

Fundamentalism and Evangelical

Fundamentalism: the practice of emphasizing literal interpretation of texts and a "return" to a time of greater religious purity. This approach to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam has gained popularity in response to the complex social changes of the 1960s and 1970s. Evangelical: a term describing conservative Christians who emphasize converting others to their faith.

Define: 1. Government, 2. Power, 3. Authority

Government: a formal, organized agency that exercises power and control in modern society. Power: the ability to get others to do one's bidding, as defined by Max Weber. Authority: the legitimate, noncoercive exercise of power.

The Hidden Curriculum

Hidden curriculum: the lessons that students learn indirectly through their school experience, but that are an implicit part of their socialization in the school environment. The hidden curriculum reinforces and reproduces conditions of social equality by presenting and reinforcing what is considered "normal," "right," or "good."

US Voting

Many variables affect voter participation, including age and race. Even external factors such as geographic location and the weather can influence voter turnout in a particular election. Not all individuals eligible to do; in the past three elections, approximately 60% of those eligible voted.

Politics

Methods and tactics of managing a political entity such as a nation or state, as well as the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.

Pluralist Model (Pluralism)

Pluralist Model: Power is held by a variety of organizations and institutions, each with its own resources. Structural functionalists maintain that the United States is a pluralist system with checks and balances.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Political action committee (PAC): organizations that raise money to support the interests of a select group or organization.

Representation in Media (+ Soundbites and Spin Doctors)

Political candidates are constantly visible across a range of visual media platforms with the pressure to look fresh, energetic, and put-together. News has been condensed into just a few seconds' worth of information. Soundbites: short audio or visual snippets taken from press releases, press conferences, photo opportunities, and so forth. Spin doctors manipulate rhetoric for politicians to be compelling while not necessarily delivering substance.

Campaigns and Elections (+ Opinion Leaders)

Politics also shapes our perspectives of the media; politicians must be media-savvy. Much political coverage comes via pundits, media personalities who offer political commentary. Opinion leaders: high-profile people who interpret political information for us.

Religiosity (Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic)

Religiosity: the consistent and regular practice of religious beliefs that is gauged in terms of the frequency of attendance at worship services and the importance of religious beliefs to an individual. Extrinsic religiosity: a person's public display of commitment, e.g., attendance at religious services or other related functions. Intrinsic religiosity: a person's inner religious life or personal relationship to the divine.

Secular

Secular: nonreligious; a secular society separates church and state and does not endorse any religion.

Social Institutions

Systems and structures within society that shape the activities of groups and individuals.

Edu. and Inequality

Social status also affects access to education. Educational achievements improve life chances. Those with higher educational attainment have higher median incomes and lower unemployment rates. Females, nonwhite ethnic groups, the poor, and the disabled face individual and institutional discrimination in schooling.

Sociology and Religion

Sociology study: The ways in which religions shape and are shaped by cultural institutions and processes. The ways in which religions influence and are influenced by individuals' behavior.

Present and Future of Edu.

Some people fear that Americans will no longer be able to compete on a global level due to U.S. public schools' lack of sufficient funding, crumbling infrastructure, low pay for teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and high crime rates on campus. Poverty remains one of the biggest predictors of academic achievement and educational attainment.

Special Interest Groups

Special interest groups: organizations formed expressly to raise and spend money in order to influence elected officials and public opinion.

Media and the Political Process

The media play a key role in the political process. The founders probably envisioned the media as a means of informing and educating the public while checking and balancing the government's power.

Micro-Macro Link

The section on linking microsociology and macrosociology in politics reviews how government agencies like the Department of Education shape students' everyday lives. Individuals influence the democratic process by signing petitions, voting, and participating in demonstrations.

Patriotism and Protest

We are often called unpatriotic when we criticize the policies or actions of the government. Some argue that such criticism is the most patriotic act of all and citizens should make every effort to correct society's flaws. Dissent and its tolerance are crucial elements of an open society.