Sociology Exam #3

Effect of a split labor market

openly racist gov. policies and individual racist attitudes were the driving forces behind the black class creation

patriarchy

"rule of the father" male domination over society

Minority group

people who are recognized as belonging to a social category and who suffer from unequal treatment as a result of that status.

cultural assimilation

members learn the cultural practices of the dominant group

Men's rights movement

members believe that feminism promotes discrimination against men

Crisis of masculinity

men came together and addressed their concerns

Intergenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next. ex: when a child eventually moves into a different social classes from their parents

Institutional discrimination

occurs when institutions (schools, banks) practice discriminatory policies that affect whole groups of individuals.

How are boys and girls treated in school and socialized in to gender roles?

-boys are more aggressive and name call others-gain pressure through athletics -girls gain pressure through social position and physical attractiveness

How are sex roles portrayed in the media?

-girls should be beautiful, caring and sensitive -boys should be assertive, strong and analytic

Basic Principles of social stratification?

1)Its a characteristic of a society rather than a reflection of individual differences 2)it persists over generations Ex: the child will not only inherit race but wealth as well. 3) diff societies use different criteria for ranking them (some use gender or wealth) 4) its maintained through beliefs that are widely shared be members of society

Gan's Functions of poverty?

1. Societies "dirty work" will be done at a low cost 2. poverty creates jobs for occupations that serve the poor 3. Creates both legal & illegal employment 4. Punishment of the poor as deviants uphold social norms 5. The poor serve as a measuring stick 6. The poor absorb the cost of social change

Characteristic of the three waves of feminism:

1st: earliest period- women won the right to vote 2nd: associated w/ the issues of women's equal access to employment & education 3rd: most recent- focuses on diversity

Racism

A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group; used to justify inequality.

Symbolic ethnicity

An ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life. Ex. Cinco de mayo

Individual discrimination

Discrimination carried out by one person against another treat others unfairly because of their race or ethnicity

Why are there differences in life expectancies for people of different races?

Disparities in access too health care may help explain the life expectancy rates

Feminization of poverty

Economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty - because of game in wages, increasing costs of child care

Beginning of gender role socialization

From a very young age, we learn and internalize gendered behaviors from our parents and siblings.

How has the welfare Reform Act of 1996 changed the life of the poor?

Gave the poor the responsibility to work themselves out of poverty.

what school of thought insists that all social structures, including systems of social stratification, are built out of everyday interactions?

Interactionists

Prejudice

Known as "prejudgement". An inflexible attitude about a certain group of people and is rooted in generalizations or stereotypes. Ex All black people can jump

Comparison of marx and Weber on social class?

Marx believed that economic relationships are becoming the only social relationships that mattered Ex: born a noble man always one Weber believed that power wealth and prestige show an individuals social status

Absolute deprivation

People are unable to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing and health care.

Findings of Duncan's study?

People change their minds based on opinions of their friends.

The fact that so many people are asked "what are you" in reference to their race is evidence of what?

Race is not identifiable even in face to face interactions

what is status inconsistency?

Situation in which there are serious differences between the different elements of an individuals socioeconomic status

What system of Stratification is commonly used in capitalist societies?

Social Class

criteria used in a social class system?

Social class is not based on race, ethnicity, gender or age, but there is often an overlap between class and those other variables.

Social construction of race

Socially defined category based on biological differences; if you were not white you were restricted on where to live and work, this discrimination forced immigrants to cluster in Ghettos.

Human Sexual dimorphism

The belief that anatomy defines men and women (transsexuals, transgender)

Genocide

The extermination of a racial, ethnic, national or cultural group. Ex: Holocaust

Vertical social mobility

The movement between different class statuses, often called upward or downward mobility movement up or down the social ladder

what has modern science determined about racial categories?

There are no "pure" races there is no such thing as a "superior" race

What do most Americans claim about their social class?

They claim that they belong somewhere in the middle class even when their life experiences and backgrounds would suggest differently.

Why don't lower class members exercise more often?

They do not have the money, higher class people find it as a luxury

What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender and age in the U.S today?

They overlap eachother/ Social class is not based on those things in today's society

Essentialists

They see gender as immutable and biological cannot be changed.

Goal of affirmative action

To make people listen and make a change

Characteristics of the various social classes in America?

Upper class - makes up about 1% of the U.S 250,00 ^ Upper-middle class - 14% of the U.S 89,00 - 150,00 year high skilled jobs middle class - 30% 55-88,000 (2-4 year degree) working class - 30% 23-54,000 (high-school degrees) working poor - 20% 10-22,000 (some HS) underclass - 5% less that 7,500 (some HS)

Relationship between the American Dream and the system of social class through which the U.S is stratified?

We all want bigger , newer things , but our statuses limit us. Ex: whites are more likely to achieve upward mobility then blacks

what do functionalists generally be true of gender?

Women do the reproducing of labor force without receiving any direct compensation, and men are the capitalists

closed system of stratification?

a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

Meritocracy

a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit

Identity Challenges

accusations that one it not "really" black or not black enough. they are usually made when postings reveal opinions that dont fit into a certain set of approved boundaries

Discrimination

action or behavior that results in the unequal treatment of individuals because of their membership in a certain racial or ethnic group.

situational ethnicity

an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation

Just-world hypothesis

argues that people have a deep need to see the work as orderly, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving their fates.

class consciousness

awareness of our own and others' social status

According to conflict theory, what is the real source of racism?

capitalist hierarchies

Structural mobility

changes in the social status or large numbers of people due to structural changes in society.

why are interracial relationships still relatively uncommon?

cultural stereotypes and media images provide serious obstacles for interracial relationships. when dating different race your own race almost frowns on you.

According to Karl Marx, what social relations matter in a capitalist society?

economic relationships

Horizontal social mobility

fairly common refers to the changing of jobs within a class

expressive roles

family member who provides emotional support

instrumental roles

family member who provides family support- often authority figure

Homophobia

fear or discrimination toward homosexuals

Racial assimilation

having children with the dominant group until the different races are completely mixed.

Factors that might affect dropping out of high school?

if you are from an economically disadvantaged and non-english speaking backgrounds.

The double standard

in the work place a male who is aggressive could be called a "go getter" while a women would be a "*****"

Social Learning

is the process of learning behavior and meanings through social interaction.

Pluralism

it encourages people to embrace diversity

what sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system?

little to none; members must marry within their group and their caste ranking is passed on to their children.

Intragenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individuals lifetime. ex. measure of a status an individual was born into and a status they achieve

Assimilation

pattern of relations between ethnic or racial groups the minority group is absorbed into the mainstream (dominant group) making society more homogenous

"hooking up"

sociologists did a study about how young people meet and mate and examined their experience

Feminism

the belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes and the social movements organized around that belief

population transfer

the forcible removal of a group of people from the territory they have occupied.

segregation

the formal and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity. Ex: black water fountain , White water fountain

social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchal system of social classes ex: welder to a knight

what is true of the upper class in the U.S today?

they are about 1% of the U.S population and posses most of the wealth of the country.

How do law enforcement policies make the poor less visible?

they tend to shun the poor from the rest of society by putting them in segregated neighborhoods and since poor people don't care about politics they are not involved.

How do sociologists differentiate between sex and gender?

they view "sex" as biological but "gender" as social or cultural

The "second shift"

unpaid work (cooking, cleaning, child care) that must be done at home after a day's paid labor is complete

Zoning rules effect on residential segregation?

when institutions make it harder for those in poverty to get loans

Redlining

where banks and mortgage lenders identify high risk areas (poor areas) and either refuse mortgages to applicants or offer loans at high rates it keeps the poor from acquiring assets (real estate)

according to conflict theory, why are women's contributions to family life devalued?

because they are classified as "unskilled" when really it takes a lot to be the women role and raise the family.

who is most likely to be mocked by their peers for violating gender norms?

children especially boys

cultural capital

children inherit tastes, habits and expectations from their parents and this cultural capital either helps or hinders them as they become adults. Ex: having educated parents who can help their child with homework. more likely for the kid to succeed in school.

Homogamy

choosing romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, and other social group membership.

Racial passing

living as if one is a member of a different racial category involves manufacturing or maintaining a new identity that is more beneficial than one's real identity.

What is the relation between language and culture?

looking at language we can see how certain words reflect cultural values and norms

Relative deprivation

people are considered poor if their standard of living is less than that of other members of society. Ex: bus driver v surgeon

How do sociologists define race and ethnicity?

race is a social category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people Ethnicity is also a social category that is applied to a group with a shared ancestry or cultural heritage.

internal colonialism

the economic and political domination of the minority group by the controlling group within a nation.

constructionist perspective

they see gender as a social construction and knowledge the possibility that the male - female categories aren't the only way to classify people.

Why are poor women less likely to marry?

they see marriages as having few benefits they feel the men will not offer advantages to them (trust, financial stability)

Symbolic interactionists view of family?

they thought family were the people who help eachother out and care for each other aere considered family legal or not.