Sociology - Midterm

manifest functions or dysfunctions

consequences of social structures that are intended or recognized

latent functions or dysfunctions

consequences of social structures that are neither intended nor recognized

Deviance is relative to what factors

o Historical setting o The place o The type of individual o And the audience

What are roles?

- Behaviors and values expected of anyone occupying a specific social position

· What is impression management?

- Consists of actions and statements made to control how others view us. Most times it is used to gain social approval from others - Supporting each other's norms and values - A change in one institution will result in a change in the others

· What is institutional interdependence?

- Each institution affects the other and is affected by them

Common Impression Management Strategies

- Excuses- acknowledging that a behavior is wrong; but stating that it was out of your control § I was suffering from mental illness and didn't understand that what I did was wrong - Justifications-arguing that although a behavior might have seemed wrong, it was justified because of a higher moral good § Murder is generally wrong, but I am a true patriot, and those people needed to be killed for the sake of the nation

· 5 social institutions and their functions

- Family-to care for dependents and raise children - Economy- to produce and distribute goods - Government- to provide community coordination, services and defense - Education- to teach new generations - Religion- to supply answers about the unknown/ unknowable

induction

the process of moving from data to theory

Ethnocentrism

· the tendency to judge other cultures according to the beliefs and practices of one's own culture. o Believing that one's own culture is superior

Culture

· the total way of life shared by members of a community. o It includes not only language, values, and symbolic meanings, but also technology and material objects.

· Role strain

- Role strain occurs when incompatible role demands develop within a single status and * Tension between roles in 1 status

What vital functions does our social network serve?

- Improve overall health - Increase life expectancy - Decrease risk of depression - Decrease risk of suicide -Increase political participation - Strong ties-relationships characterized by intimacy, emotional intensity and sharing. § If your car breaks down you will call on a strong tie for help - Weak ties-relationships characterized by low intensity and lack of intimacy § Distant-cousins/ in-laws

· What are 2 Reasons for small group conformity

- Likely to adopt group views when they don't trust their own knowledge - Individuals adopt group views when they fear group ridicule or rejection

When does resocialization take place?

- Occurs when we abandon our self-concept and way of life for a radically different one; the process of re-learning the expectations for a very different way of life or identity - When your sense of identity changes in drastic ways

· Be able to identify the 3 groups by their main function and quality of relationships

- Primary-group characterized by intimate, face-to-face interaction. Typically informal, small and personal usually form to serve expressive needs- provide individuals with emotional support and a sense of belonging. It also serves instrumental needs- if you are in a jam and need help you are likely to turn to a member of your primary group [family, friendship, coworkers] - Secondary-groups that are formal, large and impersonal. Usually form to serve instrumental needs - accomplishing a specific task. - Reference - is a group that individuals compare themselves to regularly. These groups are typically similar to oneself. They are chosen because they aspire to belong to that group [fraternities

Role Conflict

- Role conflict occurs when individuals hold statuses that place incompatible demands on them * Tension between roles in 2+ statues

Why is the family the most important agent of socialization?

- The self-concept we develop in our families last a lifetime - They are our first teachers - We learn some of the most basic social skills with our family - The opportunities and resources that their social class, religion, race and ethnicity offer is -affect our whole lives

Ascribed Status

- one that is fixed by birth or inheritance and is assumed to be unalterable [sex , parents social class, & race]

Deviance

- refers to norm violations that typically result in disapproval, or even punishment, when encountered in a given community

Different Types of Norms

-Folkways -Mores - Laws

outcomes of good cultural competence

....

correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

A social network includes: A. all the relationships we have. B. only relationships that are important to the individual. C. only secondary groups, like our co-workers. D. only primary groups that provide social support, like our family and friends.

A. all the relationships we have.

Young people are more likely to be deviant than older people because they: A. do not have as much to lose, such as a career or a credit rating, by being deviant. B. have more energy. C. don't know any better. D. are growing up in a more complex society than the older generation did.

A. do not have as much to lose, such as a career or a credit rating, by being deviant.

Intimate, face-to-face interactions are typical of: A. primary groups. B. tertiary groups. C. secondary groups. D. bureaucracies.

A. primary groups.

The country with the highest rate of imprisonment is: A. the United States. B. China. C. Japan. D. Russia.

A. the United States.

The major function of secondary groups is to: A. act as agents of social control. B. accomplish instrumental tasks. C. provide us with financial assistance. D. provide us with a social network to call on for social activities.

B. accomplish instrumental tasks.

Which of these is the best example of an ascribed status A. father B. child C. teacher D. wife

B. child

Norm violations that exceed society's level of tolerance and result in negative sanctions are: A. eccentric. B. deviance. C. rule violations. D. fun.

B. deviance.

The general term that refers to different strategies we use to affect how other people view us is called: A. excuses B. impression management C. explanations D. gaining credit

B. impression management

William feels out of shape, but when he compares himself to other men his age, he realizes he is in better shape than most. William is making use of a ________ in order to evaluate himself. A. secondary group B. reference group C. category D. primary group

B. reference group

A ____ is a recurrent pattern of relationships found at all levels of society. A. interaction B. social structure C. status D. role

B. social structure

What statement is true about conflict? A. conflict produces solidarity between the competing groups. B. the goal is to neutralize or destroy the opposition C. it is guided by shared rules D. conflict is between individuals, not groups

B. the goal is to neutralize or destroy the opposition

The expectation that people will return favors and strive to maintain a balance of obligation in social relationships is called: A. cooperation. B. the norm of reciprocity. C. the norm of unending service. D. tenure.

B. the norm of reciprocity.

When sociologists stress that deviance is relative, they mean that: A. it runs in the family, among relatives. B. whether an act is regarded as deviant or not often depends on the time, place, or individual. C. relative to criminal acts, deviance is a minor form of nonconformity. D. deviance is related to more serious criminal offenses.

B. whether an act is regarded as deviant or not often depends on the time, place, or individual.

Persons arrested for criminal acts are disproportionate: A. young adult white males. B. young adult males from minority groups. C. older, lower-class white males. D. young females from minority groups.

B. young adult males from minority groups.

In a small group, members go along with the norms and expectations of the group because: A. they fear rejection or ridicule. B. they are uncertain of their own knowledge or views. C. All of these are reasons that members of small groups conform to the group norms. D. they are in agreement with them.

C. All of these are reasons that members of small groups conform to the group norms.

In order to sustain their self-esteem, some homeless teens refer to their caseworkers as aunts, and talk about friends in nearby cots at the shelter as if they live in the same neighborhood. These are examples of which type of strategy for managing identity? A. fighting back B. rejecting status C. Fitting in D. making excuses

C. Fitting in

A position in a social structure that a person can obtain during a lifetime is: A. an ascirbed status B. am identity C. an achieved status D. a distribution of power

C. an achieved status

Which of the 5 basic institutions is responsible for transmitting knowledge from one generation to the next? A. family B. government C. education D. economy

C. education

Males commit more crimes than females because: A. boys have a biological predisposition toward aggression. B. boys are given less freedom so are more apt to rebel. C. girls are supervised more closely than boys. D. boys are bigger in physical size.

C. girls are supervised more closely than boys.

Susan is a wife and mother. She is also employed as an emergency room physician. Being a wife, mother, daughter, and doctor is her: A. role. B. master status. C. status set. D. status.

C. status set.

The basic building blocks of society are: A. values B. norms C. statuses D. cultures

C. statuses

The basic building blocks of society are: A. values. B. norms. C. statuses. D. cultures.

C. statuses

Which of these is an example of role conflict? A. A student disagrees with a teacher about her grade. B. A student feels that she may have to drop out of school because she feels she is not "college material" C. A student is tempted to cheat on an exam. D. A student has trouble completing homework because things have been so hectic at work.

D. A student has trouble completing homework because things have been so hectic at work.

The way of behaving and thinking associated with status is called: A. a status set. B. an institution. C. a status network. D. a role

D. a role

An enduring social structure that meets a basic human need is: A. a social group. B. a role. C. a value. D. a social institution.

D. a social institution.

Which of the following is the best example of a status? A. talking to your mother on the telephone B. studying hard to achieve good grades as a student C. typing a paper D. being a student

D. being a student

Strong ties in a social network lead to all of the following EXCEPT: A. better health. B. lower risks of suicide and depression. C. increased participation in civic and political issues. D. bigger family units.

D. bigger family units.

The degree of attachment and dependency that members feel to the group is referred to as: A. cooperation. B. the circle pattern. C. social control. D. cohesion.

D. cohesion.

Exchange, cooperation, and competition are all examples of: A. social processes. B. norms of reciprocity. C. voluntary associations. D. conflict resolution.

D. conflict resolution.

Which of the following is the best example of an achieved status? A. child B. Native American C. female D. convict

D. convict

Deviant acts that are subject to legal or civil penalties are defined as: A. social deviance. B. eccentric. C. deviance. D. crimes.

D. crimes.

The idea that each institution affects and is affected by the norms and values of other institutions is known as: A. cultural fusion. B. cultural interdependence. C. institutional fusion. D. institutional interdependence.

D. institutional interdependence.

In regards to who commits crime in the U.S., the text suggests that: A. the crimes of people in the upper class are higher yield, but also higher risk. B. the crimes committed by those in the lower class are the most costly to society. C. people in lower classes commit the most crime. D. people of different statuses have different opportunities to commit crime.

D. people of different statuses have different opportunities to commit crime.

Two or more people in a supermarket could be considered a group. True False

FALSE

When engaging in the same criminal behavior, minorities are more likely to be cited, arrested, prosecuted, and convicted than whites. True False

TRUE

multiculturalism

belief that the different cultural strands within a culture should be valued and nourished

A status is:

a social positition relative to others

operational definition

a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.

hypothesis

a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

sociology

a systematic study of human society, social groups, and social interactions

an example of primary socialization is: a. Genie Wiley, in her first 13 years of life b. Sean, a 14 year old high school student with a part time job, learning to balance, home, school, social and work responsibilities c. Tasha, a 24 year old MA student at SPSON

a. Genie Wiley, in her first 13 years of life

an example of cultural norm is: a. arrived to your job well groomed b. a good job c. eating turkey on Thanksgiving d. taboo against incestuous behavior

a. arrived to your job well groomed

what does conflict theory focus on? a. competition between groups; inequality; social change b. the meaning of behaviors c. how parts of society work together in harmony; if the parts of society work well or are dysfunctional.

a. competition between groups; inequality; social change

socialization is the ____ for our culture a. process of learning the norms, values and practices b. types of enjoyable social activities c. the ability to make friends

a. process of learning the norms, values and practices

what is the term for when you have to re-learn the expected rules, norms and values because your sense of identity changes in a drastic way? a. re-socialization b. anticipatory socialization c. assimilation

a. re-socialization

____ is the process of learning how others important to us see the world and gradually adopting their perspectives. a. role taking b. conformity c. anticipatory socialization d. the looking-glass self

a. role taking

the family may be considered the most important agent of socialization because: [select all that apply] a. the self-concept we develop in our families last a lifetime b. they are our first teachers c. we learn some of the most basic social skills with our family d. the opportunities and resources that their social class, religion, race and ethnicity offer is- affects our whole lives.

a. the self-concept we develop in our families last a lifetime b. they are our first teachers c. we learn some of the most basic social skills with our family d. the opportunities and resources that their social class, religion, race and ethnicity offer is- affects our whole lives.

according to research, adolescents remain concerned about their parents' opinions in addition to those of their peers. a. true b. false

a. true even though peers become more important as children grow older, parents' opinion remains important to most teens

according to the looking-glass theory, we develop our self-concept by: [check 3 that apply] a. we imagine how others judge us based on how they see us b. we reject or accept these perceptions and judgements c. we imagine how others see us d. we imagine how we see others

a. we imagine how others judge us based on how they see us b. we reject or accept these perceptions and judgements c. we imagine how others see us

children who were raised in poor quality orphanages with very little social interaction: [select all that apply] a. withdraw from the world b. have problems developing relationships c. have problems learning d. may be aggressive towards self/others

a. withdraw from the world b. have problems developing relationships c. have problems learning d. may be aggressive towards self/others Deprivation is a state of lacking in something. Social deprivation is lacking in social interaction. All of these behaviors are possible with severe social deprivation.

Conflict Theory

addresses the points of stress and conflict in society and the ways in which they contribute to social change competing interests, each seeking to secure its own end •Basis of Interaction - Constraint, power, and competition •Major Questions - Who benefits? How are these benefits maintained? •Level of Analysis - Social Structure

Structural-Functional Theory

addresses the question of social organisation (structure) and how it works (functions). examines how a society's interdependent parts work together to ensure its survival § Basis of Interaction - Consensus and shared values § Major Questions - What are social structures? Do they contribute to social stability? § Level of Analysis - Social Structure

Symbolic Interaction Theory

addresses the subjective meanings of human acts and the processes through which people come to develop and communicate shared meanings interacting individuals and groups - Basis of Interaction - Shared symbolic meanings - Major Questions - How do social structures relate to individual subjective experiences? - Level of Analysis - Interpersonal Interaction

Society

an enduring community, nation, or other large grouping that shares territory; economic, cultural, and political ties; and social expectations

theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

functions

are consequences of social structures that increase social stability

dysfunctions

are consequences of social structures that reduce social stability

an example of anticipatory socialization is: a. Genie Wiley, in her first 13 years of life b. Sean, a 14 year old high school student with a part time job, learning to balance, home, school, social and work responsibilities c. Tasha, a 24 year old MA student at SPSON

b. Sean, a 14 year old high school student with a part time job, learning to balance, home, school, social and work responsibilities

an example of cultural value is: a. arrived to your job well groomed b. a good job c. eating turkey on Thanksgiving d. taboo against incestuous behavior

b. a good job

in order to fit in, when Juan Carlos moves to Berlin, he has to learn the language, norms, values and practices of the dominant German culture. This is called: a. socialization b. assimilation c. ethnocentrism

b. assimilation

according to you textbook, the two main goals of sociological research are: [select 2] a. prediction b. explanation c. control d. description

b. explanation d. description

most sociologists agree that for a healthy development, it is MORE important to meet physical needs than to provide nurturing a. true b. false

b. false Both are equally important for healthy development. Meeting physical needs refers to : eating, drinking, clothing, bathing, toileting and housing Nurturing refers to: providing love, interacting/speaking to others, providing comfort and support

agents of socialization are ________ responsible for teaching you society's norms, values and practices [check 6 that apply] a. organizations b. family c. community d. schools e. social clubs f. mass media g. religion h. hospitals i. peers

b. family c. community d. schools f. mass media g. religion i. peers family, peers, schools, community, religion, and mass media are the 6 agents of socialization discussed in the textbook

ethnocentrism is when we ____ other cultures by ____ a. reject; any standard b. judge; the standards of OUR OWN c. respect; THEIR own standards

b. judge; the standards of OUR OWN

the scientific study of human society, social interactions and social group is called a. sociological imagination b. sociology c. symbolic interaction d. culture

b. sociology

what does symbolic interaction focus on? a. competition between groups; inequality; social change b. the meaning of behaviors c. how parts of society work together in harmony; if the parts of society work well or are dysfunctional.

b. the meaning of behaviors

socialization takes place: a. in the first few years of life b. throughout your entire life c. up to adulthood

b. throughout your entire life Socialization is a lifelong process

which of the following is an example of a significant other? a. your professor b. your mother c. your employer d. your neighbor

b. your mother

an example of professional socialization is: a. Genie Wiley, in her first 13 years of life b. Sean, a 14 year old high school student with a part time job, learning to balance, home, school, social and work responsibilities c. Tasha, a 24 year old MA student at SPSON

c. Tasha, a 24 year old MA student at SPSON

an example of cultural folkway is: a. arrived to your job well groomed b. a good job c. eating turkey on Thanksgiving d. taboo against incestuous behavior

c. eating turkey on Thanksgiving

from who do we usually develop our self-concept? a. school b. peers c. family

c. family

what does functionalism focus on? a. competition between groups; inequality; social change b. the meaning of behaviors c. how parts of society work together in harmony; if the parts of society work well or are dysfunctional.

c. how parts of society work together in harmony; if the parts of society work well or are dysfunctional.

our self-concept is: a. how we see others b. how others see us c. how we see ourselves d. how we feel about ourselves

c. how we see ourselves

the most important mass medium for socialization is: a. the internet b. commercials and products c. television d. movies and Hollywood

c. television because it reaches the greatest audience

social control

consists of the forces and processes that encourages conformity, including self-control, informal control, and formal control

why does Venkatesh use a participant-observation to study life in the projects for poor Black people? a. it doesn't take as long as an experiment b. it tests cause and effect c. it was cheap d. it allows you to get a detailed description of human relationships

d. it allows you to get a detailed description of human relationships

which is the proper order of scientific steps? a. generating theories, setting the stage, stating the problem, gathering data and analyzing problems b. gathering data, stating the problem, analyzing patterns, setting the stage and generating theories c. setting the stage, stating the problem, generating theories, gathering data and analyzing patterns d. stating the problem, setting the stage, gathering the data, analyzing patterns, generating theories

d. stating the problem, setting the stage, gathering the data, analyzing patterns, generating theories

an example of cultural more is: a. arrived to your job well groomed b. a good job c. eating turkey on Thanksgiving d. taboo against incestuous behavior

d. taboo against incestuous behavior

Deterrence Theory

deviance takes place when rewards are high or costs or low

Strain Theory

deviance that happens when people who want to pursue goals, but lack access to acceptable means to achieve them

ancedotal evidence

evidence obtained haphazardly and based on a small number of people or events

variables

factors that can change in an experiment

Sanction

fines, expulsion or imprisonment

countercultures

groups that reject and oppose society's widely accepted cultural patterns

Labeling Theory

how the word deviant becomes attached to people or actions

Achieved Status

is optional- one that a person can obtain during a lifetime [father & convict]

language

is the ability to communicate in symbols-speaking, writing, or hand signs

Mores

norms associated with fairly strong ideas of right or wrong; they carry a moral connotation

Folkways

norms that are the customary, normal, habitual ways a group does things

· The 3 ways that globalization impacts society

o Cultural Impact - global spread of culture (movies, TV shows, music, literature, and other arts) are distributed and enjoyed around the world. § Cultural values are transmitted § Global exposure to cultural alternatives o Economic - activity takes place between people who live in different nations as goods and services are produced and sold internationally § Some scholars view international economic enterprises as a path to better quality of living globally; others see it as a path that exploits poorer nations. o Political - powerful transnational corporations (Coca Cola, United Fruit Company) now dwarf many national governments § Proliferation of international organizations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and United Nation's International Criminal Court, as examples)

· What we learned from the orphanage studies about social deprivation and its effects

o In the orphanages the children were raised in conditions that met their basic needs, but they received very little nurturing. Many of the children were devastated by the experience; some withdrew from the social world, neither crying nor showing interest in anything around them. Even if they were later adopted into loving homes, they were more likely than other adoptees to have trouble thinking and learning. o They were also more likely to experience problems in social relationships - either engaging in indiscriminate friendliness or withdrawing into autistic or near autistic behaviors. o In conclusions, children need nurturing from family, in order to learn how to effectively socialize throughout their lifetime. Socialization is learned.

What are the 3 carriers of culture?

o Language o Values o Norms

How does crime differ among the social classes?

o Lower class people are significantly more likely to commit and be arrested for the types of crimes reported in the Uniform Crime Report [UCR] due to blocked avenues to achievement which explains why crimes typically rise with unemployment.

What is a variable?

o Measured characteristics that vary from one individual, situation, or group to the next.

· What is a participant-observation study and what is it good for?

o Refers to research conducted in the field by researchers who participate in their subject's daily life, observe daily life, or interview people in depth about their lives. o The three major techniques used in this type of study are, interviewing, participating, and observing. § Advantages: places behaviors and attitudes in context. Shows what people do rather than what they say they do. § Disadvantages: limited to small, non-representative samples. Relies on interpretation by a single researcher.

Steps of the Scientific Method

o State the Problem o Setting the Stage o Gathering Data o Finding Patterns o Generating Theories

Norm of Reciprocity

o The expectation that people will return favors and strive to maintain a balance of obligation in social relationships

Difference between norms and values

o Values are shared ideas about desirable goals; typically couched in terms of whether a thing is good or bad, desirable or undesirable VS o Norms refers to the rules of conduct that are widely shared within a given culture; specify what people ought to or ought not to do

Social Class

o a category of people who share roughly the same class, status and power and who have a sense of identification with each other

socioeconomic status

o a measure of social class that ranks individuals on income, education, occupation or some combination of these

Stratification

o an institutionalized pattern of inequality in which social statuses are ranked on the basis of their access to scarce resources

Social Control

o the forces and processes that encourage conformity

social mobility

o the process of changing one's social class whether upward or downward

Looking Glass Theory

person's sense of self is actually derived from the perception of others as we perceive ourselves on how other people think of us

dysfunctional norms

refer to norms that work against the interests of society

cultural capital

refers to having the attitudes and acknowledge that characterize that upper social classes

Culture Shock

refers to the discomfort that arises from exposure to a different culture

operationalizing

refers to the process of deciding exactly how to measure a given variable

social structure

refers to the recurring patterns of group relationships that form a given society

Role-Playing

refers to ways of behaving and thinking that are expected of anyone who occupies a specific social position [mother]. Each position has established expectations for appropriate gestures, things to say and ways to interact with others.

cultural relativity

requires that each cultural trait be evaluated in the context of its own culture

empirical research

research based on systematic unbiased examination of evidence

sanctions

rewards for conformity and punishments for nonconformity

Norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

Laws

rules that are enforced and sanctioned by the authority of government. They may or may not be norms.

random sampling

samples chosen through random selection, so that each individual in a given population has an equal chance of being selected

value-free

sociology concerns itself with establishing what is, not what ought to be

subcultures

subgroups within the larger, or national, culture with unique values, ideas, and attitudes

What is sociological imagination?

the ability to recognize how apparently personal issues at least partly reflect broader social structures. - when thousands of people are out of work it becomes a public issue; rather than a personal trouble

sociological imagination

the ability to see the link between society and self ex: when thousands of people are out of work it is a societal issue; rather than a personal problem

Independent Variable:

the cause in a cause-and-effect relationship

Dependent Variable:

the effect in a cause-and-effect relationship. It is dependent on the actions of the independent variable.

Control Group:

the group that remains unaffected by the independent variable.

Values

the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is important that help guide the way you live

Role-Taking

the process of learning how others important to us see the world and gradually adopting their perspectives. This begins in childhood when we learn the rights and obligations associated with being a child in our particular family. We must learn to see ourselves from our parents perspective and to evaluate our behavior from their point of view.

deduction

the process of moving from theory to data

sampling

the process of systematically selecting representative cases from the larger population

sociobiology

the study of the biological basis of human behavior

social-desirability bias

the tendency of people to color the truth so that they sound more desirable and socially acceptable than they really are

Differential Association Theory

when you associate with people who prefer deviance to conformity

6 Agents of Socialization

§ Family - most important socialization agent § Peers - individuals who share a similar age, and social status § School - transmits society's central values § Mass Media - forms of communication designed to teach broad audiences § Religion - source of individual direction § Community - people who share a common space or sense of common identity.

Steps in Looking Glass Theory

§ We imagine how we appear to others § We imagine how others judge us based on those appearances § We ponder, internalize, or reject these judgments

Socialization

· the process of learning the rues, practices, and values needed to participate in a given culture and society.

Assimilation

· the process through which individuals learn and adopt the values and social practices of the dominant group, more or less giving up their own values in the process.