Sociology Exam 2
sex
Sex is typically used to describe socially accepted, perceived biological differences that distinguish males from females.
examples on why sociologists argue gender is socially constructed
Social constructs also change across cultures. Some cultures see women as strong matriarchs, others see that they have no place to speak even in their own homes. These differences demonstrate differences in how gender is socially constructed
understand well of gender
gender is socially constructed
Michel Foucault
homosexuality use to be considered a mental disorder
what do sociologists mean when they say race is a social construct
it is a social construction because it is a set of stories we tell ourselves in order to make sense of the world. Race is not a scientific concept because. "Race" is not real scientifically because it is a social construct by changing over time and across different concepts.
one-drop rule
the belief that "one drop" of black blood makes a person black, a concept that evolved from U.S. laws forbidding miscegenation
Social Class (Karl Marx)
the capitalists who own the means of production, and the much larger proletariat (or 'working class') who must sell their own labour power (See also: wage labour).
example of why race is social construct
the changing meanings and definitions of "whiteness" over time
Sexuality
the complex range of desires, beliefs, and behaviors that are related to erotic physical contact and the cultural arena within which people debate about what kinds of physical desires and behaviors are right, appropriate, and natural
Racialization
the formation of a new racial identity by drawing ideological boundaries of difference around a formerly unnoticed group of people
vertical social mobility
the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility
horizontal social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view on inequality
the only natural inequality among men is the inequality that results from differences in physical strength, for this is the only sort of inequality that exists in the state of nature.
Scientific Racism
the use of scientific theories to support or validate racist attitudes or worldviews; also, to support classification of human beings into distinct biological races
post 1970s changes of family forms
In the post-World War II era in the U.S, the nuclear family- the idealized model of a male breadwinner, a female homemaker, and their dependent children- emerged as the dominant, normative, and mythical model for domestic life.
Marriage go round
Andrew Cherlin, the idealized conception of marriage is currently helping delay age at the first marriage and otherwise shape contemporary American martial patterns.
equality of opportunity
a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential
example of racialization
all arabs are muslim after 9/11
immigrant families
1. Arriving mostly from Latin America and Asia. 2. Immigrants tend to start families regardless of their educational attainment or income, with the poor marrying and having children at a similar rate compared to their peers with the higher socioeconomic status. 3. Current immigration policy favors family-based reunification rather than education level or labor market skills.
native Americans
1. Columbus called all the people he met Indians, despite their clear cultural differences, because he thought he was in India. 2. Native Americans are plagued by the lowest average socioeconomic status in the U. S 3. They rank among the worst in terms of high school dropout rates and unemployment, which go hand in hand with poor health outcomes such as alcoholism, suicide, and premature death.
Latinx
1. Hispanics are often called an "in between" racial group because of their intermediate status, sandwiched between white and African Americans. 2. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans all have diverse phenotypical traits that make racial distinctions of a unified Latinx type nearly impossible. 3. Most Cubans consider themselves Hispanic Whites, although their immigration status has changed drastically in recent years
Three Views of Social inequality (reading worksheet 6)
1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view 2. The Scottish Enlightenment and Thomas Malthus. 3. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
flat broken families
1. Single mothers rely on a combination of welfare, family, lovers, luck, and creativity to make ends meet. 2. When poor single mothers are faced with the choice between welfare and work. 3. Edin and Lein found that mothers on welfare could cover about three-fifths of their expenses.
blended families
1. The dynamics involved in maintaining a family, both as a whole and in terms of the individual relationships within it, are complicated. 2. A family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships. 3. A blended family or stepfamily forms when you and your partner make a life together with the children from one or both of your previous relationships. The process of forming a new, blended family can be both a rewarding and challenging experience
glass ceiling
A metaphor alluding to the invisible barriers that prevent minorities and women from being promoted to top corporate positions.
nuclear family
A nuclear family is familial form consisting of a father, a mother, and their children.
Stratification
A structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society.
Social Class (max weber)
Being composed of those who hold similar life chances, determined not just by income but also by marketable abilities (work experience and qualifications), access to consumer goods and services, and ability to generate investment income.
equality of condition
Equality in all aspects of life, such as wealth, standards of living, medical care, and working conditions.
The Scottish Enlightenment and Thomas Malthus view on inequality
Equality of condition is the idea that the starting point should be equal for everyone. Malthus fought against this idea because he believed in a "survival of the fittest economy" in which those who were able to achieve success were the ones that deserved it.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel view on inequality
For Hegel, the inequality inherent to modern capitalism is a direct result of this social model. A society made up of discrete economic units, each committed to the maximization of its own interests, is bound to generate great wealth, but also great poverty.
gender
Gender denotes a social position namely, the set of social arrangements that are built around normative sex categories
gender
Gender denotes a social position namely, the set of social arrangements that are built around normative sex categories.
conflict between population and resources
If the population of a country is too big in relation to its natural resources, then the country is said to be over-populated. Over population means that the existing capital and natural resources are shared by more human being than they actually can be based on the normative availability.
how is the idealized concept of marriage is changing American martial patterns
Marriage rates since the 1960s have declined and many adults are postponing marriage until later in life.
social mobility
Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another
difference between race and ethnicity
Race = social fact based on physical difference Ethnicity = Culturally constructed differences
race
Race refers to the concept of dividing people into groups based on various sets of physical characteristics and the process of ascribing social meaning to those groups
examples of black feminists and major contribution
Sojourner Truth, one of the most famous abolitionist and women's rights speeches in American history, "Ain't I a Woman?" She continued to speak out for the rights of African Americans and women during and after the Civil War
equality of outcome
The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved.
Malthus' Basic Theory
The point of crisis is when the population's expenditure of resources outstrips resources available
difference between income and wealth
Wealth is the value of assets you own, like money and property.Income is the amount you make in a certain period, like your salary.
status hierarchy system
a system of stratification based on social prestige
Intersex
a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes
social class
a group of people with similar backgrounds, incomes, and ways of living
estate system
a politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility
Caste System
a set of rigid social categories that determined not only a person's occupation and economic potential, but also his or her position in society
black feminism
a strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women
social stratification
a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy
sexuality understanding
socially constructed
eugenics
study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve those qualities
glass escalator
the accelerated promotion of men to the top of a work organization, especially in feminized jobs