Sociology Midterm 1

What is socialization?

-Becoming Social -the interactive processes with others in society through which individuals learn the ways of behaving, thinking, and feeling that are essential for effective participation within the society, and lead to the acquisition of the Self.

How does socialization make us like all other members of society, but distinctive in other ways?

-Shared language -Socialization makes us all like other members in a society through the internalization of society. This is where the norms, culture and mores are embedded in each individual living in a society. This is done through socialization where we adapt and accept symbols as we communicate. Further, we become distinctive in other ways from one another through the development of our personalities. Our personalities help us determine which symbols, norms, patterns in behaviors are acceptable or not as we are exposed to them via socialization. Therefore, although we share similar cultures, norms and symbols, we share different values and beliefs

What is stigma? What are the reactions to stigma?

-Stigma is a characteristic widely viewed as an insurmountable handicap that prevents competent or morally trustworthy behavior. 1. feel discomfort interacting with stigmatized persons. 2. fear that association with a stigmatized person may discredit their identity. 3. avoid eye contact, avoid expressing their true feeling of with and about the stigmatized persons. The stigmatized person may also feel uncomfortable and not know how to act around Normals.

What are the main theoretical perspectives in sociology?

1. Behavioral perspectives 2. Cognitive perspectives 3. Evolutionary Perspective 4. Symbolic Interaction Perspective 5. Social Structural Perspective 6. Group Processes

Be able to apply each perspective to an example

1. Behavioral= If an older sibling received a punishment for not doing homework, the younger sibling will not do the same thing so they won't get punished as well. 2. Cognitive= Our schema for "law student" might be a set of traits thought to be characteristic of such persons: intelligent, analytic, logical, etc.New friend joins group → instant judgment, doesn't like them already maybe because they remind you of someone you don't like or because they are unfamiliar 3. Evolutionary= Social behavior, including altruism, aggression, mate selection, sexual behavior, etc. 4. Symbolic Interaction= Parents still treat their adult son like a child so it's very difficult to portray what the identity is. 5. Social Structural= Girls are shy while boys are more outgoing.

Describe the two forms of bias that can intrude into social psychological studies.

1. Demand characteristics subject/response effects Error associated with the person from whom information is being collected. 2. Experimenter/Interviewer Effects Error associated with the person collecting the information.

List and describe the four agents of childhood socialization

1. Family: nfants need a secure attachment (warm, close relationship with an adult that produces a sense of security and stimulation) 2. Peers:The peer group differs from family on several dimensions, which influences the types of interactions and thus, the kinds of socialization and impact on the development of identity: 3. School: School is formal agency intentionally designed to socialize children in particular skills and values. First experience with public evaluation of performance 4. Mass media: Shapes perception of people, places, and events, and child's image of self

Describe Cooley's looking glass self

1. Imagination of our appearance to others 2. Imagination of their judgement of that appearance 3. Self-feeling of pride/mortification based on that imagined judgement Self: The capacity to engage in reflexive action Significant others: Significant to the self

List and briefly describe Mead's three stages in the development of the self.

1. Preliminary stage: Pre-symbolic communication, imitation without role taking 2. Play stage: Symbolic communication, taking the role of the other one at a time 3. Game stage: Taking the role of several others simultaneously Generalized other (=me) Thought = conversation of "I" and "me"

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three theoretical perspectives

1.Behavioral:Strengths= Everyone can learn by watching what happens to that person → Reward or punishment.Weaknesses= People can act a certain way for many different reasons. 2. Cognitive:Strengths= To make sense of complex information about people, groups, or situations, actors rely on cognitive structures & schemas → stereotypesAllows us to make rapid decisions regarding how to interact with peopleWeaknesses= Cognitive processes are not directly observable and cognitive perspectives simplify (& sometimes oversimplify) how people process information 3. Evolutionary:Strengths=Evolutionary social psychologists extend evolutionary ideas to explain social behaviorWeaknesses= Based on circular reasoning- explanations constructed after-the-fact & difficulty in judging explanations against competing arguments. 4. Symbolic Interaction:Strengths= Symbols allow a unique consciousness of "Self" as a social object & its meaning is developed & negotiated in interaction.Weaknesses= overemphasizes rational, self-conscious thought and de-emphasizes unconscious or emotional states 5. Social Structural:Strengths= People's action can be understood in terms of the different expectations society imposes on members in patterned locations or social statuses and rolesWeaknesses= has difficulty explaining deviant behavior or any behavior that violates the norms defining a given role does not and cannot explain how role expectations originate or how they change

What are some of the techniques used to socialize children in schools?

Activities revolving around play, such as role play in school plays, games involving role taking, and how information is presented to them.

Define and be able to provide examples for anticipatory socialization and reverse socialization.

Anticipatory: -Prior to or in preparation for taking on a new role -Activities that provide people with knowledge about, skills for, and values of a role they have no assumed. -Ex: law school students learning how to behave like lawyers, older people preparing for retirement, and Mormon boys getting ready to become missionaries. Reverse: -The object of socialization becomes the agent of socialization -Ex:the younger generation transfers knowledge to the older generation. This occurs mostly in industrial societies where the pace of technological change is very rapid, a good example is children teaching their parents how to use computers.

What are some of the similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood socialization?

Associated with role transitions that are a normative part of life course development

How do aligning actions help us to save face?

Attempts to define apparently questionable behavior as actually in line 1. Disclaimers - preventive facework: a verbal assertion intended to ward off any negative implications of impending actions by defining these actions as irrelevant to one's established identity 2. Accounts - corrective facework: explanations we offer to make to mitigate responsibility after having performed acts that threaten their social identities (excuses, justifications, concessions, refusals)

Be able to list the early theorists in sociology and briefly describe their work

Auguste Comte: Positivism, applied scientific method to social affairs Harriet Martineau: Wrote about slavery and women's rights Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism, helped rationalize behavior like colonization Durkheim: Demonstrated the effectiveness of the scientific method to study social reality Talcott Parsons: Described the roles that structures might play in society. Robert Merton: Identified both manifest (obvious) and latent (Less obvious) functions of structures Marx: Conflict between social groups is central to the workings of society and serves as agent of social change; Capitalism creates two classes: owners of the means of production (bourgeoisie) and workers (proletariat) W.E.B. DuBois: Focused on racial and ethnic inequalities; looked at the effects of prejudice and discrimination Weber: Argued that modern society was characterized by efficient goal oriented rule-governed bureaucracies Mead: Human development and the meanings we assign to everyday objects (symbols) are a fundamental social process; Language is crucial for development of self and society and language itself is the product of social interaction Goffman: The self is created in interaction and constantly changing depending on the social context; Dramaturgy is the strategic presentation of the self; Ethnomethodology is an everyday analysis of interaction

What are the three types of impression management? Which would you use in different situations?

Authentic: Self-presentation is creating an image consistent with our self view Ideal: Self-presentation is our most appropriate public image of our ideal self Tactical: Self-presentation is a public image the is positive/favorable regardless of whether it is authentic or ideal

What are the components of culture?

Beliefs: Ideas that people in a society share about what exists, what is true Values: Ideas that people in a society share about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, appropriate or inappropriate Norms: Standards/rules and expectations that people in a society share about how they are supposed to act, think, or feel in particular situations which are enforced by positive and negative sanctions. Role: set of normative requirements/expectations that apply to the activities of a specific category of people in a particular situation. Social role: the activities or expectations of individuals in a specific social status Social status: a recognized position or location within a larger system of social positions Master status: a status which permeates all other statuses in a status set. Ex: Age, gender, ethnicity, SES Social groups: relatively small systems of status positions -Primary - small, frequent interaction, intimate relationships-Secondary - larger, impersonal interaction, segmented relationships Social institutions: general patterns of social organization or social systems that develop around or focus on accomplishing goals related to basic human and or/social needs. -Basic social institutions involve basic needs - Family, Education, Religion, Economics, Polity/Government, Health/Medicine, Mass Media.

What is cultural variability? How do cultures change?

Cultural differences resulting from social change -alterations occur over time -stable and enduring patterns make up society -generation gap

What is role strain? How do people resolve it?

Difficulty (problems, stress) experienced by an individual in meeting the requirements of a role/status -Inter-role conflict: behavior required in one role is contrary to behavior expected in a different role. -Intra-role conflict: expectations within a role contain incompatible inconsistencies. Resolutions: -Role abandonment -Role prioritization -Role compartmentalization

Distinguish between dominant culture, subcultures, and countercultures. Be able to provide examples of each.

Dominant: the culture of the group whose values, norms, traditions, and perspectives are imposed on society as a whole. Subculture: a subgroup in society whose perspectives and lifestyles differ from the dominant culture. Counterculture: a subgroup in society whose beliefs, norms, and values are often incompatible with mainstream culture.

How do the agents of socialization reinforce traditional gender roles?

Family: Parents will paint a boy's room blue and a girl's room pink. Also dress them in blue and pink according to gender roles. Barbie dolls and teddy bears for girls, action figures and cars for boys. Peers: girls playing with dolls and playing jumprope together, boys playing sports together. Schools: Boys and girls restrooms. Girls are not picked on as often in class compared to boys. Mass Media: extremely powerful due to high levels of exposure. Shapes certain views for gender. TV shows that portray men as having to be super masculine and girls as pretty and not as smart as boys.

What is the definition of the situation?

For a situation to be successful, people must share a common view of the situation. -People need to agree on a Frame, or the type of social occasion in which they are participating. -People need to agree on the identities they will grant one another: Situated Identities■Different situations require different identities.-People need to agree on the roles they will enact: Enacted Roles.

What is the difference between front and back regions? Provide examples.

Front region: settings accessible to outsiders where one acts in line with normative expectations. -Ex: Front clerk Back region: settings inaccessible to outsiders where one violates front region performances. -Ex: Break room

Discuss the similarities and differences between functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interaction theories.

Functionalism: in social sciences, theory based on the premise that all aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc. —serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long-term survival of the society. For example, the government provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. Conflict:first purported by Karl Marx, is a theory that society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources. Conflict theory holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than by consensus and conformity. Example: Race and Black Lives Matter Symbolic interaction:a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. Communication—the exchange of meaning through language and symbols—is believed to be the way in which people make sense of their social worlds. Example: American Flag. The American flag to some is a symbol of freedom, hope, and pride.

How can harm to participants of social psychological studies be reduced or prevented?

Institutional Safeguards Common Rule, 45 Code of Federal Regulations 46 A Investigators & institutions are responsible for minimizing the risks to participants in research Encourages no more than "minimal risk"- meaning risk ordinarily encountered in daily life or routine physical/psychological exams Requires federally funded institutions to establish an institutional review board (IRB) which conducts a risk-benefit analysis Weighs risks to participants against benefits, if any, as well as the importance of the knowledge that may result from the research. The IRB will not approve research involving risk to participants unless it is deemed 'reasonable' in relation to the benefits. The common rule requires that investigators obtain informed consent from all research participants (orgs, individuals, groups)6 essential elements to informed consent: Potential respondents receive an explanation of the purpose of the research, & a description of the procedures. Acknowledgement of any foreseeable risks of participation Description of any benefits to the participants or othersList of available medical or psychological resources available in the case of adverse effects. Researchers should offer to answer questions about the study when possible Disclosure of the participant's rights to terminate their participation at any time

What are the objectives and characteristics of scientific research?

Key objectives of research: describing reality; identifying correlations between variables; testing causal hypotheses & theories Characteristics of Science: based on empirical objective observation (witness & verify); used an explicit, formal methodology; involves the accumulation of facts & generalizations into a body of theory; Accepted theories are the best known answers to questions, So far, always subject to future evidence

Be able to distinguish between micro and macro sociology

Microsociology: The level of analysis that studies face to face and small-group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and structure of society Ex: college students in one particular dorm interact with each other when playing video games. Macrosociology: The level of analysis that examines large scale social structures to determine how it affects the lives of groups and individuals Ex: analyzing the study habits of college students who play video games.

How did Freud view personality and the self? (pleasure principle/reality principle, three personality processes)

Personality: -Character traits and dispositions within an individual that influence how one interacts with their environment and is perceived by others -Mechanisms for coping with the outside world -Product of both nature and nurture Self: -Emphasized the conflict between the individual and society in terms of the internalization of cultural ideas that direct human action -Ego mediates the impulsive demands of the Id and the ideal rules of the superego Id: biological demands of the organism Ego: Learned behaviors which seek to satisfy the demands of the id Superego: Demands of society beliefs, values, norms, conscience

Discuss the ethical issues in social psychological research.

Research participants have certain rights that must be respected. Protecting those rights may, at times, require investigators to limit or modify their research practices.Researchers must consider:Potential Sources of HarmPhysical HarmUncommon in social psychological researchIf physical harm is a risk, researchers may include preliminary screening to exclude participants with a relevant medical conditionPsychological HarmMore common riskManipulations may include providing false negative feedback to participants (ex: participants might be told they did poorly on a test) → May cause stress or harm, at least temporarilyResearchers may try to reduce long term harm by providing a thorough debrief immediately following participationBreach of ConfidentialityParticularly important in surveys & observational research Precautions vary based on methodology Invasion of personal privacy Institutional SafeguardsRisk-benefit analysis, informed consent Potential Benefits Usually, participants do not benefit directly from participation Some exceptions: Field trials of new forms of treatment for physical or psychological problems may directly benefit participants if the treatment proves effective. Participants in some studies may gain insight into themselves & others Ex.- A longitudinal study of couples in premarital relationships included measures of how men & women were affected. Many participants reported that they paid more attention to evaluating their relationship, & those who reported paying more attention reported more satisfaction with their relationship at the end of the yearlong study. Other IssuesInherent tension between informed consent & demand characteristics Respect for vulnerable populations Researchers also have ethical obligations toward their colleagues & the scientific community not to misrepresent their results.

What is the main concern of sociology?

Social psychologists investigate human behavior, of course, but their primary concern is human behavior in a social context. There are 5 core concerns, or major themes, within social psychology: 1. the impact of one individual on another's behavior & beliefs; 2. the impact of a group on a member's behavior & beliefs; 3. the impact of member on the groups' activities & structure; 4. the impact of one group on another group's activities & structure; 5. the impact of social context and social structure on groups & individuals

What is the purpose of sociological theories?

The purpose is to obtain accurate knowledge about social behavior by applying the methods of science. That is, by making systematic observations of behavior & formulating theories that are subject to testing, we can attain a valid & comprehensive understanding of human social relations. Also, to create a framework for understanding human behavior, thought, and development; so that we can have an understanding on how and why we act a certain way.

Describe the sociological imagination

The sociological imagination is a way of looking at the world that lets us consider how we are shaped, where we live, our social networks, and our personal characteristics (and many other factors). Coined by C. Wright Mills. It Encourages us to consider how personal problems are actually social issues. Examples: • Student loan debts • Frustration developing romantic relationships • Loss of strong social ties in early adulthood

What is cultural diffusion? Describe isomorphism and cultural imperialism.

The spread of the beliefs and social activities of one culture to different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, etc. An example of cultural diffusion is the tradition of the German Christmas pickle becoming popular in the United States, or the McDonalds Isomorphism: when distinct cultures become increasing similar. Example: -The two music genres of EDM and pop have become increasingly similar over time recently Cultural imperialism: the imposition of one culture's beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products rather than military force -For example, stories can be hidden within song lyrics and rhythms from their traditional music are merged with the new dominant forms as a means of maintaining parts of their culture

What is culture?

The system of symbols people in a society use to create, store, and organize their affairs; Beliefs, values, norms, language, patterns of action, and physical objects; Transmitted across generations

What is a spoiled identity?

To refer to an identity that causes a person to experience stigma. For Goffman, "stigma" describes the experience of moving through life with an attribute that is deeply discrediting. Stigma is a characteristic widely viewed as an insurmountable handicap that prevents competent or morally trustworthy behavior.

Be able to explain which methods provide a better fit to which kinds of issues. Contrast internal and external validity.

Week 2 Lecture 4 graph chart

Discuss how each of the research methods covered in class might be used to gather information/data about a social issue.

Week 2 Lecture 4 graph chart

What is the norm of reciprocity in self-disclosure?

When we speak as sharing our identity (s) with another we are speaking about self-disclosure, revealing personal information to others. Self-disclosure is usually bilateral or reciprocal.

How is society internalized?

an individual's acceptance of a set of norms and values (established by others) through socialisation. the process by which we incorporate within our personality/self the norms that are prevalent within our society.

Describe tactical self-presentation

the use of deliberate, conscious strategies calculated to manipulate the impressions formed by others. -Usually involves some ulterior motive -People giving off fake impressions usually have something to gain by the deception. -Tip offs regarding deception include eye pupil dilation, blinking, and self-directed gestures (touching/motioning towards oneself).

What is the tactic of ingratiation?

use of deception to increase the other's liking for us because they control a desired resource.