Intro to socy midterm
What is meant by the term rape culture? (frats)
Rape culture is a culture that encourages rape or condones rape even if this isn't its initial purpose.
Explain why survey results are dependent on the form, wording and context of a question. (Sense and Nonsense)
Some questions can lead respondents to a specific answer, or cause respondents to think of a topic in a specific light depending on the wording used.
Think of a norm that is different across time or place. What values may be different that give rise to the different norms?
Standards of beauty in the US vary from other countries because we put value on different aspects than these other cultures do.
What are manifest and latent functions? Under what theory are they explained?
Structural Functionalism *Manifest function:* intended consequence of any social structure or pattern (you want it to happen *Latent function:* unintended, and is often unrecognized or unforeseen (don't know they're there until it becomes known)
Why is there such emphasis on the body? (Body Rituals)
The "ideal" body shape is used to emphasize products and as a result becomes a focus and what everyone "should" look like.
Why do the authors think that field research is the most appropriate research methods for studying armed robbery? (Studying Active Armed Robbers)
The authors wanted to do field work as opposed to work in a prison because they wanted to interview offenders that did not get caught or might be caught for other crimes. Studying only criminals in jails means that the criminals who are successful at being armed robbers and their tactics are not studied. This way they study the full spectrum of armed robbers not just the subset that got caught for armed robbery
What is social solidarity? What are hallmarks of communities that have it?
The degree to which group members share beliefs and values and the intensity and frequency of their interaction
What factors led to guards dehumanizing inmates? (Cucumber in vinegar)
The fact that prisoners were stripped of their identities and names, so they were only known as numbers which made them less than human. It was also the position of power that the guards were in which made it go to their heads.
The article states that the rise of the market system results in the loss of community. How is this so? (Development as Poison)
The rise of market systems also brings maximization of self-interest, it organizes the production of people and forms individuals, not communities - building houses (not together), insurance
What is the dramaturgical approach? (Newman 57-82)
The study of social interaction as if it is a theater where the people are actors who project images/"play roles" in front of others/"an audience". *For Example:* when a clerk is pretending to look busier than they really are just because a supervisor is watching.
How does this encourage violence? (Killing us softly)
-Because they present women as objects, it puts out an idea that they are less than human, which makes them easy to manipulate and do whatever you want with since there is separation. - dominance and violence are portrayed are normal and makes it okay
What might a conflict theorist say about the role of prisons in the United States?
-Example of how the privileged people in society keep their high status while low members of society struggle to increase theirs -by relying on prison, we ignore the failings of the system that lead to the conditions of inequality and poverty which lead to crime.
What is Lovaglia asserting about experiments and their importance to sociological inquiry, think of the experiments cited in the article, Stanford Prison experiment and the camp experiment in particular? (Summer Camps to Glass)
-These experiments show human behavior under certain circumstances that sociologists can generalize and use when studying behavior as a whole within a society.
What norms and practices are generated from individualism, rationality, and consumerism? (cultural ideologies)
-create importance and worth in people and material objects, emphasis on self-interest, using the most efficient methods to achieve goals, and tendency to define oneself in terms of the goods they've purchased. -rationality: application of the most efficient means to achieve given goals (fast food- obesity, undesirable jobs, deforestation; insurance reduces community) -consumerism: defining ourselves in terms of goods purchased (glorification of personal wealth) - They constrain who we can become
Give some examples of how culture both constrains and liberates us.
-culture provides us with opportunities to exercise our freedom, but existing culture limits what we think we can do so it also constrains us ex: role of university: so many classes/clubs, but not for everything
What are social structures?
-framework of society-social institutions, organizations, groups, statuses, roles, cultural beliefs, and institutionalized norms- which adds order and predictability to out private lives -stable patterns of social relations
Explain why probability sampling and representativeness is important for survey research (Newman 25-42)
-in order to make generalizations your sample must approximate those of the entire population -They offer equal opportunity for all subjects.
How can social forces explain personal characteristics, like weight, or beauty?
Other people can influence what we see, feel, think and do - Weight and beauty can be influenced by outside forces like norms in the media - Can also be affected by direct or indirect influences from family and peers - Our societal expectations influence what we consider beautiful
How are values and norms tied together?
Our values shape our norms through society.
What is the difference between primary and secondary socialization?
Primary socialization: acquiring basic skills needed to function in society during childhood Secondary socialization: socialization outside the family after childhood
Why might freshmen adopt many identities in their first year (more so than juniors or seniors)? (College freshman identities)
They take the form of various roles in attempt to become aware themselves through interaction and socialization to find who they truly are - resocialization - low social solidarity
What does this article suggest college campuses/administrators focus on to eliminate the rape culture on their campuses? (frats)
This article suggests that there should be casual space provided for men and women to interact because the fraternities were currently the only space provided for that and it ended up in a lack of good interactions.
What is wrong with saying that social problems are caused by bad apples? (Cucumber in vinegar)
This discredits how someone who is considered normal, or a "good apple," still has a tendency to do horrible things depending on the circumstances and people they are pressured by.
How do young men earn respect in this cultural context? (Code of street)
Through honoring the codes of the street -for example by owning thing they have to defending and by guarding their honor from minor slights
How can we separate our identities from social situations?
We can't—our identity does not exist outside of the social world. Our understanding of ourselves would not be relevant outside of the social world, and therefore it would not be meaningful.
Does cultural relativism mean that we cannot define something in another culture as "wrong"? Why or why not?
cultural relativism is just the idea that all cultures must be understood and interpreted from the perspective of that culture and none are better or worse than others. you don't have to support it, you just have to understand
define and give examples of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism?
cultural relativism is just the idea that all cultures must be understood and interpreted from the perspective of that culture and none are better or worse than others. you don't have to support it, you just have to understand Ethnocentrism- the tendency to judge other cultures exclusively by the standards of one's own.
Explain the Hawthorne Effect (Summer Camps to Glass)
individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behaviour in response to their awareness of being observed.
What is the importance of the connection of language and conceptualization with the Sapir Whorf theory?
it suggests that language shapes thought ex: when you say nerd, mental image pops into head
What does Anderson claim the code of the street has developed in response of? Explain how so. (Code of street)
Developed in response to lack of faith in the judicial system and police, police are seen as protecting the white communities and don't care about the inner city community
Describe how development may be viewed as "cultural imperialism" (coercive impositions of Western standards on non-Western societies). (Development as Poison)
countries which are more developed feel the need to spread their influence and culture to other countries, whether they want/need it or not, extending their own power through diplomacy.
How does a sense of danger effect the personal choices of people living in these neighborhoods? (Code of street)
"Learned the first lesson of the streets: survival itself, let alone respect, cannot be taken for granted; you have to fight for your place in the world" (page 4)
Anderson refers to a sort of cycle of violence that is experienced by individuals living in the inner-city. Explain that cycle (How does violence originate on the street? How do children learn to become violent? Etc.) (Code of street)
(Economic Conditions) + (Cultural Conditions) = (Cycle of Violence) Economic conditions include low employment; and cultural conditions include poor education, and distrust in the police/criminal justice system. Even the kids that have "decent" parents learn to become violent from secondary sources such as the kids in schools.
Describe and give an example for each of the three types of suicide Durkheim identified: altruistic, egoistic, and anomic.
*Egotistic:* occurs in a society where there is excessive individualism (low social integration) -committed by people who are not strongly supported by membership in a cohesive social group *Altruistic:* occurs when norms tightly govern behavior and there is a high level of social solidarity so individual actions are in the best interest of the group -believe their death will bring about a benefit to society (Japanese soldiers suicide example) *Anomic:* occurs when norms governing our behavior are vaguely defined -survivor of Hurricane Katrina has their home destroyed in hurricane, commits suicide several years later high social solidarity= high levels of alteristic low social solidarity= high levels of egoistic and anomic
What are the strengths and weaknesses of experiments in sociology? How about survey research? What about field research?
*Experiments:* + random assignment along (eliminated possible influences) with significant control over the setting and the treatment make establishing cause and effect much easier - concerns over validity and generalizability *Surveys:* + large sample size, questions can't be tailored, inexpensive, strong generalizability - people lie, may give 'right' response, questionable validity *Field Research:* + can collect much deeper information, observing natural setting - researchers presence can bias participant behavior, time consuming
What were some of the characteristics of high risk fraternities versus low risk fraternities versus bars? (frats)
*High risk fraternity:* louder music so people can't have meaningful conversation, men and women are usually segregated and don't interact much unless it is sexual, and the ratios of men to women are skewed one way or another *Low risk fraternities:* more respectful atmospheres in which co-ed groups interact, people have nice conversations, and the number of men and women is about equal.
Which of the sociological perspectives (Conflict Theory, Structural Functionalism, Rational Choice, Feminist and Symbolic Interactionist) operate on a more "macro" level, "micro" level? Explain.
*Micro:* way of examining human life that focuses on immediate everyday experiences of individuals - rational choice, symbolic interactionist *Macro:* way of examining human life that focuses on the broad social forces and structural feathers of society that exists about level of individuals - structural functionalism, conflict theory, feminist theory
Describe the differences between and the respective goals of both qualitative and quantitative empirical research (Newman 25-42)
*Qualitative:* nonnumeric info (text, words) that describe ppl, actions, events in social life -goal: identify pattern - focus groups, interviews, observations, ethnography *Quantitative research:* numeric data that uses precise statistical analysis -goal: design and choose questions beforehand and ask in a consistent way for a large group of people -surveys, polls, secondary data
What is the difference between a status and a role?
*Status:* any named position that people can occupy *Role:* set of expectations like rights, obligations, behaviors, duties associated with a particular status
What is in a cultural survival kit?
*abstraction:* create ideas or ways of thinking that are not linked to particular instances (hiking, pet - we all know what we mean) *cooperation:* establishing generally accepted ways of doing things (work together; we can ask for pen but not $100) *production:* making and using tools and techniques that improve our ability to take what we want from nature (education)
whats the difference between ascribed and achieved statuses?
*ascribed status:* social position we are born into or enter involuntarily later in life - sex, race, ethnicity, identity - we don't choose to occupy these positions *achieved status:* social position we take on voluntarily or acquire through our own effort or accomplishments - being a student
Give an example of folkways, mores and taboos as well as the sanctions that might be used to control people who violate these norms.
*folkway:* unimportant norms that are okay to break without punishment, such as shaking hands when meeting someone, what side you walk on, chew with mouth closed, etc. *mores:* norms that people believe are essential for the survival of society, such as not abusing drugs (laws) *taboo's:* the strongest norms which are hardly even spoken of, such as incest. Sanction is STRICT punishment
What is the difference between sub and counter cultures? Give an example of each.
*subculture:*social world with distinct way of life (norms, values) and exists in harmony ex: greek life, hippie, goth, hip hop, school *counterculture:* does not exist in harmonyand attempt to bring social change ex: rock and roll, KKK
Describe validity & generalizability and how they relate to sociological experiments.
*validity:* are you measuring what you think you're measuring? (Bobo doll isn't same as real life -how correct are measurements and data *generalizability:* would your findings extend to different subjects or populations? -how relevant are findings
What language and terminology might make a culture seem exotic? (Body Rituals)
- Calling large buildings temples - Calling toothbrushes boar bristles - Calling tiles broken pottery
How can a community with high social solidarity still have elevated rates of suicide?
- Even though the community has high solidarity, many members can still be considered outcasts. The higher the solidarity, the more impactful being an outcast becomes -When solidarity is extremely high individuals will believe their death will benefit society (anomic)
List and describe the three parts of the self, according to Freud.
- Id: self that demands immediate gratification - Superego: personal conscience - Ego: balances Id and Superego
What are independent and dependent variables? What is their importance in sociology? Can you make up a few research questions and identify the independent and dependent variables?
- The independent variable influences the dependent variable, - This is the mechanism of X-->Y and answers only empirical questions such as "What causes poverty?" - poverty is the dependent variable and the causes are the independent variable(s).
How would a sociologist working from a conflict theory perspective attempt to explain income equality? (Newman 25-42)
- There are small elite members of society who hold the wealth and because of this excess of resources they are able to put in place policies and structures that allow them to keep and gain more resources that better benefit them than others. - The structure of society is a source of inequality, which benefits some groups at the expense of others
why are ascribed and achieved statuses difficult to distinguish sometimes? whats the relationship between them? How do they affect each other?
- because many people fail to see what they accomplished and what has been assigned to them - certain ascribed statuses can affect access and opportunities to achieves statuses some people believe becoming college student is all due to effort not family background as well
describe structural functionalism perspective
- behavior is shaped by social structures and institutions - show how institution maintain or undermine social stability (latent and manifest functions) Durkheim, harmony, social cohesión
What does it mean when we refer to sociology as a way of thinking and a way of looking?
- focuses on how many groups, social structures and institutions influence individual and group behavior - tools to systematically study humans behavior in social context
feminist theory
- focuses on patriarchy (advantages for men) - Holds that male domination and female subordination are determined by power and social convention - examines the operation of patriarchy in micro- and macro- level settings
describe conflict theory
- focuses on relationships b/w economic classes - members of privileged groups maintain advantages while subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs - eliminating privilege and inequality will lower conflict and increase total human welfare Karl Marx: a persons class is determined by the source of their income - the bourgeoisie own the means of production - the proletariat do physical labor - conflict of interest between classes
rational choice theories (rational actor)
- framework for understanding social and economic behavior - based on the assumption that individuals weigh the cost and benefits of potential actions to arrive at decisions which maximize their personal advantage
How can the idea of resocialization help us understand Vanderkamp's behavior in the "College Freshman Cycles Rapidly Through Identities" reading? (Newman 57-82)
- he was leaving his old role and entering a new roles which requires adopting new norms, values, and expectations -In order to take on his new personas, Kurt must resocialize himself by learning the new values and norms of whatever role he is fulfilling.
How does this article demonstrate the looking-glass self? (College freshman identities)
- his peers are convinced he will continue to go through identities so he will and they will be extreme (Kurt takes on these different facades and reads how people react to him in order to form an interpretation of himself through their eyes, judge himself by how they judge him)
symbolic interactionism perspective
- individuals sense of self is formed through interactions - people help create their social circumstances, they aren't just reacting to them - labels and meaning
whats the sociological imagination? how does it change the way you view a situation
- its the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individuals life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces - ability to see connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history - unemployment is not a personal failure, its a social problem with roots in politics and economics
What are assumptions of the west? (Development as Poison)
- our culture is best because we have technology - to use our technology they must adopt our culture - that we believe one kind of knowledge is superior above others. - society is a collection of individuals with no normative significance -moral authority has been worn out by wars of religion, making relationship to God personal and a basis for social identity.
what are individualistic explanations and why are they problematic?
- problems/success come from the individuals achievements and failures - this overlooks broader societal forces because external forces beyond our control exert more influence on circumstances than 'internal' qualities
What is the White Man's Burden? Why is it problematic? (Development as Poison)
- the feeling that the West is doing the rest of the world a favor by spreading their influence of technology and innovation, cultural imperialism - It is problematic because it shows confidence in superiority as a guise of denying other cultures.
Once treatment is administered to the independent variable, how do we assess the influence of the treatment in our experiment?
- there is a control group that did not receive any treatment so we can compare it to that
What standards are set for women by advertising? (Killing us softly)
- women must be thin, sexy, innocent, quiet, subordinate, beautiful, have nice clothes, etc. -Contradictory. They must be sexual yet childish. Skinny yet big breasted. Present but silent and out of the way. Weak and timid.
What aspects of the culture that Anderson describes are consistent with aspects of mainstream culture (though perhaps manifested differently)? Which are unique? (Code of street)
-More recently, disdain for police is a common aspect of the two cultures. -Monetary value is respected in both cultures, but fear is not respected in mainstream culture like it is on the street
What might a structural functionalist say about the role of prisons in the United States?
-Prisons exist because they have the function of keeping "unsafe" individuals off the streets and help maintain social stability - necessary in survival of society
How does sociology draw upon the scientific method? How does sociology's adjustment of the scientific method differ from other disciplines, answer with relation to probabilistic findings.
-Sociological research has its own version of the scientific method known as the research cycle. -This cycle differs because some steps may or may not be necessary depending on the method of research (they don't all need to be followed to reach a conclusion)
What is rationalization? Give an example of a process or activity that has developed from the perspective of rationality. What are the unintended consequences?
-the application of the most efficient means to achieve given goals and the unintended, negative consequences of doing so -consequences include constraint on aspects contemporary culture and individuals. ex: fast food to cut on price and time, but leads to obesity, undesirable jobs, deforestation ex: insurance companies reduce community (house) -one of the most constraining aspects of contemporary culture
How can suicide be understood as a social behavior?
-they feel they are not meeting the standards of society or they are not able to keep up with their peers (socioeconomic success, etc.) - for greater good
What are the four stages of role taking? How does this process influence the development of a sense of self?
1. children learn to use language and other symbols by imitating important people in their lives 2. children pretend to be other people 3. around age 7, games involve taking the role of another (pretending) 4. taking role of generalized other (understanding cuss words are bad in front of all adults not just parents)
Identify the three main purposes of sociological research.
1. describe a phenomenon 2. explain or predict a phenomenon 3. understand a phenomenon (why whats causing it)
Discuss some of the reasons adult socialization is necessary
Adult roles discontinue, largely invisible, unpredictable, change as we mature, we are socialized until we die
Who are the Nacirema? (Body Rituals)
Americans but it is spelled backwards
What is anticipatory socialization, and how does it relate to roles?
Anticipatory socialization: take on norms and behaviors of a role to which one aspires but doesn't yet occupy (dress us, driving, drinking, jobs)
What does this video have to do with socialization? (Killing us softly)
Attitudes like this infect the real world and how men treat women in public and in relationships.
What makes families either "street" or "decent?" (Code of street)
Based on what values they teach their children -"Decent" families value education, value hard work, value parenting, and have a respect for/value authority. Decent families are also hopeful for the future of their children. In "street" families, violence is normalized, there is an understanding of addiction, and parenting norms are less enforced/valued.
What are roles and what do they dictate?
Behavior expected of a person occupying a particular status
If a single study cannot establish a scientific fact, how can scientific knowledge be advanced? (Summer Camps to Glass)
By performing similar experiments, slightly changing the input, and observing the difference in the output. -Experiments often pose or leave open questions for future experiments
Explain the concepts of dispositional attributions and situational attributions. According to Zimbardo, what types of people are more likely to use each of these types of attributions? (Cucumber in vinegar)
Dispositional attribution infers that peoples' behavior is due to their traits, abilities, and feelings. Situational attribution infer that a person's behavior is dictated by their current situation or context. Zimbardo would say that situational attribution is more likely.
What are some agents of socialization?
Family, schools, peers, media
What did they learn in the study that would have been difficult to learn using any other method? (Studying Active Armed Robbers)
Field research allowed the researchers to study the areas in which crime occurs because it is not equal in all areas. They can observe the urban landscape in which robbery occurs and the factors that may play into why crime occurs in these areas, such as the neighborhoods being poor with high rates of unemployment.
Come up with your own example of the process by which something might go from being a product of nature to an artifact of material culture.
Food is a product of nature, plants and animals, necessary for human survival. Because of it being necessary and desired, it has social meaning; different kinds of food, how expensive, how healthy it is, etc.
Explain Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment. What was he trying to research? What were the treatments and conditions of the experiment? What were the results? What were the implications of the study? Why are these results important to us, as sociologists? (Cucumber in vinegar)
He randomly chose "good" and "average" college students to take roles of prisoners and guards to see if guards would show abusive behavior purely by their role and not their personality. He stripped prisoners of their identities and monitored the experiment without being directly involved. The results were exactly what he expected, guards became abusive despite their good reputations. This implies that a person's behavior is more influenced by their situation than their personality. This is important because it may apply to other social situations.
According the Dramaturgical Model, what could be the reason for Vanderkamp's identity changes? (College freshman identities)
His varying identities could depend on the people he was seeing that day and how he wanted to appear to them.
Why is it different from the types of ads in which men are sexualized? (Killing us softly)
In ads where men are sexualized, they are put into positions of power and doing things. Working, being active. When women are sexualized, they are presented as mindless objects.
How can social structures influence the future trajectory of an individual?
Individuals make decisions within structures at impact their trajectories.
What are some institutions of socialization? (Newman 57-82)
Institutions exert considerable influence on our self-concept, our values, and our perspectives. Some social institutions include education, religion, and mass meda.
What is the looking glass mirror? Give an example of it from your own experience?
Interaction prompts reactions We imagine how we appear to them We judge how others evaluate us Use these judgements to develop a self concept
Why is it important to properly understand the context surrounding survey questions, give an example from the article? (Sense and Nonsense)
It is crucial to understand the population being surveyed because the sample being surveyed can elicit certain responses based on race, class, gender, etc. *Example in text:* Asking Americans if the United States should forbid public speeches against democracy vs. if the United States should allow public speeches against democracy.
How does this article adequately address ethnocentrism? (Body Rituals)
It represents American culture as barbaric and backwards, this allows the reader,once they realize that this is about Americans, to understand that any culture could be discussed as barbaric or backwards and that they should be wary of any writing that looks down on a different culture
Identify aspects of material and non-material culture that Kurt used to express his new identities. (College freshman identities)
Kurt utilizes clothing styles, accessories, drugs, the subjects he would talk about, skills to adapt, and people he hung out with to portray his different personas.
What are some examples of material and non-material culture from Anderson's article? (Code of street)
Material culture would be the style of clothing and the personal accessories they wear. Non-material culture would be what would be considered slights against someone's honor.
How can identities be spoiled? (Newman 57-82)
When impression management is unsuccessful, meaning one has mishandled themselves around the wrong people or made mistakes that destroyed their credibility, there is an extended devaluation of their identity. One must overcome their embarrassment by making an account (verbal statement) or a disclaimer (verbal assertion) to explain themselves and forestall complaints.
Society is a complex system composed of various parts, often compared with a living organism. Discuss how the structural-functionalist uses this analysis to explain society.
just as the lungs, brain, heart and liver work together to keep a person or animal alive, all the elements of a society structure work to keep society alive - The whole thing about functionalism is that each "thing" serves a PURPOSE, otherwise it would not exist/be needed
Are fraternities considered subcultures or a countercultures? Use the definitions presented in class to answer this question. (frats)
subculture
Define "culture", and give examples of material and non-material culture
the sum of practices, languages, symbols, beliefs, values, ideologies, and material objects that people create to deal with real-life problems or issues *material:* art, tools and utensils, machines and weapons, clothes, food *non-material:* symbols, norms, knowledge, customers -The codes of the streets is an example of nonmaterial culture - an example of material culture could be a religious temple or church.
Describe some of the ways individuals may experience resocialization when they become incarcerated.
they are separated from society and forced to live with supervision, conformity is mandatory, new roles and expectations, new clothes