Sociology 110: Exam 3 FINAL
How does Garrett Hardin define the tragedy of the commons?
"The tragedy of the commons is that each person is locked into a system that compels him or her to increase his herd without limit, in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in the commons brings ruin to all."
What are some examples of other sociological contributions to the study of crime and deviance?
1.) Chicago School and Social Disorganization = causes of crime are in the larger social structures of an area rather than the characteristics of individuals 2.) Travis Hirschi's Social Bond Theory = why don't people commit crime? (attachment, commitment, involvement, belif) 3.) Feminist Theory = why has crime been historically a male activity, particularly in the realm of violent crimes? does the definition of a behavior as deviant change if it is conducted by a male or a female?
What is the intellectual lineage of anomie and functionalism?
1.) Durkheim ideas of collective conscience and structural strain - egoism and anomie 2.) Merton further develops "structural strain and anomie"; widely adapted in the student of crime and deviance 3.) Merton, as well as other sociologists such as Robert Nisbet, Kingsley David, and Talcot Parsons develop functionalism
How can the label from certain deviant behaviors stigmatize individuals? Are there certain stigmas that can never be removed?
1.) Symbolic interactionism = developed by Geroge Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley, and Herbert Blumer 2.) Howard Becker and his study Becoming a Marijuana User 3.) Edwin Lemert's concepts of primary deviance and secondary deviance and William Chambliss labeling of youth
Referring to socially constructing the racial category of Jew, what occurred on January 20, 1942?
15 German officials attended a conference at Wannsee on the outskirts of Berlin; the Germans were losing the war on the Eastern front in Russia and the Americans had just joined the war on the Western front; in broadening the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, these officials redefined the "racial" category of Jew (discriminated against them)
What is institutional discrimination?
A denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that results from the normal operation of society
What is environmental sociology?
A field of study within the realm of sociology that examines the relationship between the environment and society; holds the view that environmental issues must be understood not only in their physical and biological aspects, but also as being closely tied to the complex working of the societies in which they occur
What is prejudice?
A negative and persistent judgment based on scant or incorrect information about people in a group; prejudice involves beliefs and attitudes
Referring to the types of stratification systems, what is class?
A true class system is supposed to turn on achieved rather than ascribed characteristics; it is thought that the best people work their own way into the highest ranks
Referring to life chances, how are public schools funded?
About 7% federal funding About 45% state funding: income tax, sales tax, motor vehicle tax, corporate tax, tobacco/alcohol tax, lottery proceeds, interests, dividends About 48% local funding: property taxes, optional sales taxes, school fees, occupational taxes
What is cultural capital?
According to Bourdieu, cultural capital consists of the ability to interact in a manner that is customary to the more privileged members in society; there are remarkable differences in the ways in which lower-class, middle-class, and upper-class members of society view/interact with the world: food/beverage preferences, hobbies/sports, use of language, acquisition of knowledge, and tastes in film, art, music, and dance 1.) "Embodied State" 2.) "Objectified State" 3.) "Institutionalized State"
What is social capital?
According to Bourdieu, it comprises networks of relationships that can be mobilized for economic gain Example: At many prestigious universities/colleges, legacies (applicants parents attended the university) are given preferential consideration in the application process.
Referring to the types of stratification systems, what is slavery?
An extreme form of inequality in which certain people are owned as property by others; no form of nobility (moving up or down)
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is assimilation?
Assimilation represents the attempt to "eliminate" the minority by absorbing it into the mainstream culture
Describe two specific ways in which Anthony Walter's master status impacted his life.
Being a young black boy, white kids would push his books in mud and tell his white friends threats because black boys shouldn't read or be friends with any other color than black. Also, a black woman got angry that she thought he was wed to a white woman because she thought that meant he thought black women weren't good enough.
What is intra-generational mobility?
Change in position in stratification system by an individual within their lifetime
What is inter-generational mobility?
Change in position in stratification system by different generations of family members, can be upward or downward
Reflecting on potential goals of minority groups, what is militancy?
Convinced of its own superiority, the minority group desires a total reversal in status and seeks to dominate the society
What is crime?
Crime is a violation of a norm that has been written into law; crime, therefore, is a specific type of deviance
Reflecting on potential goals of minority groups, what is secession?
Desiring both cultural and political independence, the minority group seeks to separate itself nationally
Ritzer identifies four dimensions of McDonaldization (the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American Society as well as the rest of the world). Explain one of these four dimensions.
Efficiency = As a single mother who works two jobs, McDonald's is just the easiest route to go regarding dinner but it is also efficient in similar respect. It's fast and available just about every 15 miles. Plus, it takes less time to drive there than it does to make a home cooked meal, but that's another dimension. McDonald's is almost made for the single mother/father or overworked parent.
Reflecting on potential goals of minority groups, what is assimilation?
Focusing on the culture they share with the dominant group and desiring to participate in society fully, members of the minority prefer to be absorbed into the larger society and to be treated simply as individuals rather than as members of a special group
What connects values and deviance?
From a sociological perspective, there are no behaviors that are inherently or naturally wrong; the study of deviance focuses on the societal reaction to behavior - the level of social control exerted on the behavior; there is tremendous cross-cultural and historical variation in societal reactions to behavior; it is the sociologists job to understand what has been labeled as deviant behavior, NOT to define what is or is not deviant behavior
What is race?
From a sociological standpoint, racial differences are understood as physical variations singled out by the members of a community/society as socially significant.
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is genocide?
Hatred of a minority group or the desire to appropriate its resources sometimes leads the dominant group to turn to a policy of extermination, or genocide
How is language for race and ethnicity also constructed similarly to that of the classifications?
Hispanic is the preferred term in the southwest and much of Texas; Hispanic and Latino are both used in New York City
What questions can be comprised regarding stratification using the functionalism paradigm?
If stratification exists in all countries and in all cultures, what are the functions of stratification or social inequality?
What is the tragedy of the commons?
In an environment of UNLIMITED resources, we can each use the commons to our benefit and the cost is shared among all parties equally. This is fine as long as the commons is a renewable resource that cannot be exhausted; however, most common areas are a limited resource and can only take so much use
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is population transfer?
In direct population transfer, the minority is forced to leave Indirect population transfer means making life so unbearable for members of a minority that they "choose" to leave
What are the limitations of addressing crime from a personal trouble perspective?
Individual explanations of crime cannot address macro-level variation in crime; the dependent variable, crime, is not a stable construct; crime is a social construct that varies overtime, across cultures/states/nations, and within the context of action
What is the primary significance of social class?
It determines life chances
What is the "institutionalized state" of cultural capital?
It is the ability to exhibit the appropriate credentials (having fizzy water instead of wine) Example: college degree from a liberal arts college
What is the "objectified state" of cultural capital?
It is the ability to express appreciation and knowledge of high culture items such as writings, paintings, plays, and other items deemed "appropriate" by upper classes (what you like/navigating within this) Example: how you dress, know what you are ordering off of a menu
What is the "embodied state" of cultural capital?
It is the most fundamental state, that which is linked to the body, aspects of culture are transmitted through vocabulary and accent, manners, posture, and poise (acting with manners/how you carry yourself) Example: use of slang, eye contact
What is economic capital?
It is what we are most familiar with in terms of differentiating the social classes; it comprises existing monetary assets (cash savings, stock, bonds, retirement plans) and tangible possessions that can be converted to cash or traded for cash value
What is ethnicity?
It refers to cultural practices and outlooks of a given community that have emerged historically and tend to set people apart; the ties that bind people together into ethnic groups may be varied and frequently include religion, language, dress, music, and food preference
What is a minority group?
Members of a minority group are disadvantaged as compared with the dominant group (a group processing more wealth, power, and prestige) and have some sense of group solidarity/of belonging together
Describe Robert Merton's involvement with social structure and anomie using the typology of individual adaptation.
Mode of Adaptation|Cultural Goals|Institutionalized Means Conformity|acceptance|acceptance = the usual Innovation|acceptance|elimination = theft Ritualism|elimination|acceptance = give up goal ONLY Retreatism|elimination|elimination = give up EVERYTHING Rebellion|both|both = reject and want to change the American Dream
What is horizontal mobility?
Move from one occupation in a stratum to another of the same stratum
What is vertical mobility?
Movement up or down in the stratification's system
Were the "Saints" really saintly in their behavior? Explain. (from "The Saints and Roughnecks" by William J. Chambliss)
No, the "Saints" were just as delinquent as those known as the "Roughnecks." They were seen as more saintly because for one, they adventured to the outskirts of town or out of town to cause trouble, so no one really saw them being delinquent. Secondly, they came from richer, higher class families so if they ever got arrested, their parents could easily stand up against authorities and say it was a one time deal. They were not saintly, just with the right circumstances seen as less delinquent.
Referring to the types of stratification systems, what is caste?
One's rank is determined at birth and is based on ascribed characteristics, and contact is not allowed between castes; no form of nobility (moving up or down)
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is permissible assimilation?
Permits the minority to adopt the dominant group's patterns in its own way and at its own speed
Is race an ascribed or achieved social status?
Physical characteristics are ascribed but we as a society also create these groups so it is both.
What is relative poverty?
Poverty defined according to the living standards of the majority in any given society
What is the hypo-decent rule?
Racially mixed persons are assigned the status of the subordinate group
Referring to the types of stratification systems, what is estate?
Rank is also determined at birth, but contact is permitted between different estates
What connects conflict theory and deviance?
Recall that conflict theorists place POWER and SOCIAL INEQUALITY at the center of analysis; those in powerful positions use law and the criminal justice system to protect and maintain their power and privilege; law is an instrument of oppression by the capitalist class
What is socio-economic status?
Refers to a measurement of a person's social ranking including the person's occupational prestige, the income, education level, and wealth
What is social mobility?
Refers to the movement of individuals and groups between different class positions; can be horizontal, vertical, inter-generational, intra-generational
What is deviance?
Simply stated, deviance is the violation of any norm; can be the violation of something simple such as skipping a class or as serious as murder
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is pluralism?
Some dominant groups permit or even encourage cultural variation, or pluralism Example: policy of pluralism in Switzerland, where the cultural differences of the French, Italian, and German Swiss, who have kept their own languages, are overridden by their political and economic unity; LIVING PEACEFULLY TOGETHER, NO LONGER ARE ANY OF THEM MINORITIES
What are some examples of the hypo-decent rule?
Some states used the one-drop rule in which one drop of black ancestry made a person legally defined as black; Mississippi, Missouri, and five other states historically had the criterion of 1/8 or more black ancestry = black; today's census is self definition
In George Ritzer's "The Credit Card: Private Troubles and Public Issues," the author examines the question, "Who is to blame for America's high rate of credit card debt?" Beside individual consumers, identify and explain one other group or organization that should also be considered in more fully understanding credit card debt.
The actual credit card companies are also to blame. They advertise to college students, most recently, and almost make it look like something fun. But really, they just want your money. They're now also advertising to high-schoolers. When you're that young, you're naive and the credit companies know this. They emphasize that they don't force anyone to get a credit card but they've made it so that in today's society, you almost need to have one.
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is forced assimilation?
The dominant group refuses to allow the minority to practice its religion, speak its language, or follow its customs
What is absolute poverty?
The minimal requirements necessary to sustain a healthy existence; people in absolute poverty are undernourished and, in situations of famine, may actually starve to death
What is individual discrimination?
The practice of one individual/small group of individuals discriminating against another individual or group
What are life chances?
The probability concerning the fate we can expect in life, or the likelihood of acquiring and maintaining the material and non-material rewards of life, such as housing, education, good health, and food Example: in an industrial or post-industrial society, the more money you have the more control you have over the choice in your life, and the more likely you are to find life pleasant
What is social stratification?
The ranking of people into a hierarchy in which the resources considered valuable by society are unequally distributed
How do the lives of sociologists from working-class backgrounds help to illustrate the importance of cultural capital?
They had to apply to colleges on their own.
Reflecting on potential goals of dominant groups, what is continued subjugation?
This occurs when the dominant groups want to keep the minority "in its place," that is, subservient and exploitable
Referring to the types of stratification systems and class, what is meritocracy?
Those who are smartest, most talented, and hardest working can rise to the top of the class system; social structure based on earnings Example: monopoly, game of luck, inheriting money
What is discrimination?
Unfavorable treatment of people based on their membership in some perceived ill-favored group; can be individual discrimination or institutional discrimination
An environmental condition is not a "problem" and a natural substance is not a natural "resource" until when?
Until society defines them as such
What questions can be comprised regarding stratification using the symbolic interactionism paradigm?
What are the status symbols used to distinguish social class groups? How does physical beauty affect life chances?
What are types of questions raised by environmental sociologists?
What environmental impact does the expansion of automobile ownership among developing nations have for world natural resources? Is advanced technology, such as nuclear power, beneficial or harmful to the environment and to the quality of social life?
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1960?
White, Black, American Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Part-Hawaiian, Aleut, and Eskimo
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1950?
White, Black, American Indian, Chinese, and Japanese
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1900?
White, Black, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1890?
White, Black, Mulatto, Quadroon, Octoroon, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1870?
White, Black, Mulatto, Quadroon, Octoroon, and Indian
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 2000?
White, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Other Asian, Native Hawaiian, Guamanian/Chamorro, Samoan, Other Pacific Islander, and some other race; Hispanic Ethnicity
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1980?
White, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1990?
White, Black/Negro, American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, Asian Pacific Islander, and other race; Hispanic Ethnicity
What were the U.S. census race classifications of 1930?
White, Black/Negro, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, Korean, and Mexican
What questions can be comprised regarding stratification using the conflict theory paradigm?
Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? What are the forces that maintain existing social inequality?
What questions can be comprised regarding stratification using the feminism paradigm?
Why is poverty more heavily concentrated among women than men? In what ways do divorce laws make it more likely that divorced women with children will have a lower standard of living than their ex-husbands?
Reflecting on potential goals of minority groups, what is pluralism?
With pride in their own distinctiveness and toleration for differences in others, they desire to live peacefully side by side with the dominant group
