Sociology Chapter 12
Today, about __________ of U.S. undergraduates are educated in community colleges.
50 percent
__________ is the belief that plants, animals, or other elements of the natural world are endowed with spirits or life forces that have an impact on events in society.
Animism
The famous quote stating that religion is an "opiate of the masses" comes from the work of __________.
Karl Marx
Ethnic and class differences are significant in dropout rates. For example, with a dropout rate of 13 percent, __________ have the highest dropout rate of any racial/ethnic group in U.S. schools.
Latinos/as (Hispanics)
A large bureaucratic organization that seeks accommodation with the larger society and also attempts to influence it is termed __________.
a church
Schools for __________ are more likely to emphasize engaging in creative activities, building analytical and critical thinking skills, and applying one's own ideas to solve problems.
affluent students
Although many factors, including intelligence, motivation, and previous achievement, are important in determining how much education a person will attain, __________ argue that access to quality education is largely determined by social class.
conflict theorists
From the perspective of __________, religious ideologies serve to support the status quo and inhibit social change.
conflict theory
Students may learn information in school that contradicts beliefs held by their parents or their religion. Debates over the content of textbooks and library books typically center on information that parents deem unacceptable for their children. This illustrates the latent function of education known as __________.
creation of generation gap
__________ is a process in which academic qualifications are necessary in order to attain class advantage and higher social status.
credentialism
Many see lagging test scores as a sign that problems exist in the nation's educational system. From a __________ perspective, improved teacher training and more stringent academic requirements for students are the best way to address these problems
functionalist
Both religion and education___________________________.
impart values, beliefs, and knowledge considered to the social reproduction of society and the individual
Symbolic interactionists are most likely to view grades, written comments on assignments, and evaluations of behavior in classes as contributing to __________.
labeling individual students
According to the functionalist perspective, all social institutions, including education, have functions that are hidden, unstated, and sometimes unintended consequences of their activities. These are termed __________.
latent functions
Anthropologists believe that human groups have had some form of religion for some __________ years
100,000
July Fourth (Independence Day), Memorial Day, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Pledge of Allegiance would all be considered examples that correspond to __________.
American civil religion
__________ is associated with early hunting and gathering societies and with many Native American societies, in which everyday life was not separated from the elements of the natural world.
Animism
socially approved dress and manners, and knowledge about books, art, music, and other forms of high and popular culture; some people have more of these attitudes and knowledge than others.
Cultural capital
__________, one of the first sociologists to emphasize that religion is essential to the maintenance of society, suggested that religion is a cultural universal found in all societies because it meets basic human needs and serves important societal functions.
Emile Durkheim
The work of __________ demonstrated that religion could be a catalyst for social change.
Karl Marx
Which of these statements illustrates the symbolic interactionist perspective on religion?
Religion provides reference groups that help individuals to define their own identity.
__________ is the process by which religious beliefs, practices, and institutions lose their significance within different sectors of society and culture.
Secularization
__________ refers to a decline in the importance of religious ideas, practices, and institutions in everyday life
Secularization
__________ are most likely to view grades, written comments on assignments, and evaluations of behavior in classes as contributing to labeling.
Symbolic interactionists
__________ focuses on principles such as truth, justice, affirmation of life, and tolerance for others, and its adherents seek an elevated state of consciousness in which they can fulfill their true potential.
Transcendent idealism
Early in the twentieth century, all states passed mandatory education laws that require children to_______________________________.
attend school until they reach a certain age or complete a minimum level of education
The informal relationship between religion and the state that takes the form of rituals and beliefs that create a feeling of sacredness around society or a nation is termed __________.
civil religion
Durkheim suggested that religious beliefs and rituals are __________ that express or represent something important about the group itself.
collective representations
Tracking or ability grouping is based on the assumption that it is easier to teach a group whose members have similar abilities. __________ theorists are critics of the practice of tracking, arguing that it negatively affects learning and achievement for many students.
conflict
Schools with more low income students have curricula that emphasize __________.
decision making and choice
Critics of tracking or ability grouping are often in favor of __________, wherein students are deliberately placed in mixed ability classes.
detracking
Some argue that U.S. education is not promoting the high level skills in reading, writing, science, and mathematics that are needed in the workplace and the global economy. From the functionalist perspective this is considered a __________.
dysfunction
Early sociologist __________ saw the responsibility of education as teaching a commitment to a shared social morality. In this way, education is crucial for promoting solidarity and stability in society.
emile Durkheim
__________ emphasizes the way that religious beliefs and rituals work to bind people together in society.
functionalism
In addition to teaching subject content and skills, school routines and regulations train students to respect cultural value; routines and regulations also and shape attitudes and values such as conformity and obedience to authority. Sociologists term this the __________.
hidden curriculum
The term __________ refers to a social system in which status is assumed to be acquired through individual ability and effort.
meritocracy
Studies reveal that nearly __________ of U.S. students admit to bullying others with some frequency.
one-fifth
The term __________ refers to the everyday, secular, or "worldly" aspects of life. Secular beliefs have their foundation in scientific knowledge or everyday explanations.
profane
According to functionalists, religion_____________________.
promotes social cohesion and a sense of belonging
Sociologists use the term __________ for a system of sacred or supernatural beliefs, symbols, and rituals that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and unites believers into a community.
religion
Across cultures and in different eras, many things have been considered __________, including invisible gods, spirits, specific animals or trees, altars, crosses, holy books, and special words or songs that only the initiated could speak or sing
sacred
Emile Durkheim used the term __________ to refer to things that inspire reverence and a deep sense of awe and respect that beyond the ordinary.
sacred
The __________ perspective focuses on how classroom communication and educational practices affect students' self concept and aspirations.
symbolic interactionist
The term __________ refers to an unsubstantiated belief or prediction resulting in behavior that makes the originally false belief come true.
self-fulfilling prophecy
In very simple preindustrial societies, religions often take the form of __________, which is the belief in impersonal supernatural forces affect people's lives either positively or negatively.
simple supernaturalism
Schools help to identify the most qualified people to fill available positions in society by channeling students into programs based on their ability and academic achievement. This is the manifest function of education termed __________.
social placement
From kindergarten through college, schools teach students the student role as well as other important information about society. This is one of the manifest functions of education: __________.
socialization
In the absence of a constitutional amendment, issues relating to the separation of church and state, including religious instruction in public schools, are ultimately constitutional issues that are decided by __________.
the U.S. Supreme Court
Although character education has been suggested for reducing bullying, an alternative approach is to focus on __________.
the social environment of the school
A category of religion, __________ refers to a belief in a god or gods.
theism
With regard to gender in education,_____________________________.
women today are enrolling in and graduating from college in higher numbers than men
A religious organization that is well integrated in society and has all members of society as its members is termed __________.
an ecclesia
Education keeps students off the street and out of the full time job market for a number of years, keeping levels of unemployment within reasonable bounds. This is an example of a latent function of education the text terms __________.
restricting some activities
__________ descent is used in the United States for the purpose of determining kinship and inheritance rights; however, children typically take the father's last name.
Bilateral
In many areas of the United States, schools remain racially segregated or have become resegregated after earlier attempts at integration failed. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in __________ that "separate but equal" segregated schools are unconstitutional because they are inherently unequal.
Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
spiritual forces, such as sacred principles of thought and conduct, rather than a god or gods.
Transcendent idealism
New religious movement is the term that refers to groups that were formerly termed __________.
a cult
Luis has a bad day and scores poorly on an exam. The teacher views him as lazy and unintelligent and pays only negative attention to him, if any. Luis loses interest in school and stops reading and doing homework. He ultimately fails. Symbolic interactionists would term this situation __________.
a self-fulfilling prophecy
Clifford Geertz notes that religion is___________________________.
a set of cultural symbols that elicit powerful moods and motivations and that give meaning to people's behavior
Over time, new educational programs are introduced to meet societal needs. Programs such as sex education, drug education, and multicultural studies have been implemented to teach students about pressing social issues. These examples illustrate the manifest function of education called __________.
change and innovation
__________ theorists do not believe that public schools reduce social inequality in society; rather, they believe that schools perpetuate class, racial/ethnic, and gender inequalities by reinforcing the privileged position of some at the expense of others.
conflict
According to some critics, the standardized tests that are used to group students by ability often measure students' __________ rather than their "natural" intelligence or aptitude.
cultural capital
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu used the term __________ to refer to a person's social assets, including knowledge of how to dress, language competency, and knowledge of art and music.
cultural capital
__________ theorists believe that education is an important part of society because it contributes to social stability and provides people with an opportunity for selfenhancement and upward social mobility
functionalist
__________ are people of whatever religious faith who are most fearful about secularization and who believe that sacred traditions must be revitalized in the face of modernity.
fundamentalists
Through the __________, schools make working class and poverty-level students aware that they will be expected to take orders from others, arrive at work punctually, follow bureaucratic rules, and experience high levels of boredom without complaining.
hidden curriculum
According to the text, __________societies were among the first to practice monotheism, the belief in a single, supreme being or god who is responsible for significant events such as the creation of the world.
horticultural
A classic form of labeling and the self fulfilling prophecy occurs through the use of __________ tests, which claim to measure a person's inherent intelligence, apart from any family or school influences on the individual.
intelligence
Education is the social institution responsible for the systematic transmission of __________ within a formally organized structure.
knowledge, skills, and cultural values
Sherona is very good at standardized tests and frequently scores very high. She has poor work habits and often turns in her assignments late. Teachers overlook her late assignments because they view her as a "good" student. This is an example of __________.
labeling
__________ is the process whereby a person is identified by others as possessing a specific characteristic or exhibiting a certain pattern of behavior (such as being deviant).
labeling
Religions give moral direction and teach the principles of right and wrong. This is a way that religion fulfills the function of __________.
maintaining social control and support for the government
A(n) __________ function in education includes teaching specific subjects, such as science, mathematics, reading, history, and English.
manifest
Some functions of education are ___________, which are open, stated, and intended goals or consequences of activities within an organization or institution.
manifest functions
Because schools bring together people of similar ages, social class, and race/ethnicity, young people often meet future marriage partners. This latent function of education results in __________.
matchmaking and the production of social networks
According to conflict theorists, credentialism, the hidden curriculum, and a belief in __________ ensure that the best education and job opportunities will go to members of the middle and upper classes.
meritocracy
In regards to unequal funding as a source of unequal education, the text notes that____________________.
most educational funds are derived from state and local taxes
According to sociologist __________, students from diverse class backgrounds come to school with different amounts of cultural capital, which refers to social assets that include values, beliefs, attitudes, and competencies in language and culture.
pierre Bourdieu
In the United States, a great many different religious organizations that appeal to a wide variety of different people coexist together. This is termed religious __________.
pluralism
The term for the belief in more than one god is __________.
polytheism
Rational choice theory of religion suggests that_______________________.
religion is a competitive marketplace in which people shop around for the best fit for them
Muslim periodic prayer while bowing toward Mecca and the Christian celebration of communion are examples of events that Geertz and others would term __________.
rituals
Over the five year period from 2007 to 2012, the number of people who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated in the United States_______________.
rose to about 20 percent
__________ does not acknowledge specific gods or supernatural spirits but focuses instead on impersonal forces that may exist in people or natural objects.
simple supernaturalism
An important function of education is __________, which involves teaching students values such as discipline, respect, obedience, and punctuality.
social control
According to the text's discussion of civil religion,_____________________.
the United States flag is a sacred object within the nation's civil religion
Based on the results of an IQ test, a teacher believes that some students of color are less capable of learning and treats them accordingly. This may contribute to __________.
the labeling process
Status dropout rates are a measure of __________.
the percentage of people in an age group who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school degree or its equivalent
According to symbolic interactionists, the process of labeling is directly related to_______________.
the relative power and status of those who do the labeling and those being labeled
__________ refers to the practice of assigning students to specific curriculum groups and courses on the basis of their test scores, previous grades, or other criteria.
tracking
Schools play an active part in the process of assimilation, whereby recent immigrants learn dominant values, attitudes, and behavior of society. This is an aspect of the manifest function of education referred to as __________.
transmission of culture
Education serves five major manifest functions in society, including __________.
transmitting culuture
