Sociology exam 2
manifest intentions
(intended consequences): To educate, personal development, proper socialization, and employment.
latent intentions
(unintended consequences): Public babysitter, controls the entry and timing entrance into labor force, establish and protect social networks. Educational system has taken over functions of other institutions, particularly the family
child abuse
15 times more likely to occur when spousal abuse occurs. 3 times more likely to be abused by their fathers than their mothers. 33 times more likely to be abused by non-biological caregiver vs a biological parent Children with disabilities are significantly more likely to suffer from abuse and neglect
Other Potential Issues with Charter Schools
15% of Charter schools close in any given year 42% financial reasons, 24% mismanagement, 19% academic performance In low population areas charter schools can draw enough students from public that neither have enough funds to operate effectively Outcomes, on average, do not differ much when comparing high performing charters with high performing publics Most follow the same sort of high-stakes testing, college entrance focus as public schools Not required to recognize teachers' unions Positive or negative?
Historical "Crises" of Education
1970s: inequalities of opportunity; allegedly authoritarian nature of schools 1980s and 1990s: decline of standards and authority Today: preoccupation with accountability; achievement gaps Some sociologists contend that the crisis in public education is manufactured by politicians, educational experts, and business leaders. Does not address the real problems facing our schools - social and economic inequalities.
conflict perspective on media
5 companies control 90% of media content (2017) 1983: 50 companies accounted for the same percentage The media can only be understood by focusing on who controls it Media organizations are part of larger conglomerates where profit making is the most important goal. The news divisions are motivated to work for the interest of their parent companies and their advertisers rather than the public interest One of the most corrosive influences of consolidation is the impact on journalism The 4th Estate Journalism has traditionally been an independent institutional source of political and social power that monitors the actions of other powerful institutions such as politics, economics, and religion. Level of impartiality has always been debated
Public Arenas Model
Analyzes the rise and fall in public attention to different social problems Assumes public attention is limited and sees media as the primary arena for communication of social problems
Grandparents as Parents
As of 2012, 5.4 million children lived in households where a grandparent is the primary householder, about 918,000 children lived with their grandparents alone. Large increase in this arrangement in past 10-15 years Can be both a positive and a negative for the grandparents
feminist perspective on media
Attempts to understand how the media represents and devalue women and minorities. Media either utilize stereotypes disparaging women and minorities or completely exclude them from media images. Television is a significant source of gendered messages. But as a source of socialization can also promote normalization of formally deviant identities Homosexuality in television during the 1990's
changes in media
Cable channels, especially 24-hour cable news networks, have increased in number. Must fill a large newshole daily Much of the media now target particular audiences (audience segmentation). Has a direct impact on how the information is presented The Internet has an unlimited carrying capacity for claims. The large volume of claims on the Internet can make it hard to sift and sort claims. Anyone can make claims online, but the most visited websites are all controlled by major media companies
Does Having a Choice Improve Education?
Charter schools, magnet schools and school vouchers are designed to provide choice The research remains mixed and divided on the effectiveness of these choice options Research shows that students from poorer/less educated families are less likely to apply to or participate in public choice programs than those from middle-class families Public/Charter comparisons are highly problematic due to wide variation in both types Avg. per student expenditure nationally is $11,392 10 top spending school districts is $38,468, Bottom 10 avg. $10,250
emotional transfer
Commercials and other multimedia experiences operate primarily at an emotional level and are usually designed to transfer the emotion from one symbol or lifestyle onto another. Digital marketing has monetized your emotional state
the media and social problems
Constructionist Approach Highlights the process by which issues become recognized as social problems How are some issues selected from a vast pool of candidate issues to become social problems? Disproportionate coverage of crime and violence in the news media affects its readers and viewers. Cultivation Theory and the Mean World Syndrome Public Arenas Model Analyzes the rise and fall in public attention to different social problems Assumes public attention is limited and sees media as the primary arena for communication of social problems
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001
Controversial elements include: Annual testing of students in reading and math, in order to establish academic benchmarks Teaching for the test vs educating Public school choice and charter schools. Parents have the option to move their children to another school if their school is not improving. Critics say that school choice provisions will only work if there are schools to choose from within a district and if there is room in these schools.
the problems of time and money
Economic realities make it difficult for working-class parents to balance work and family. Lower income families deal with basic problems on a daily basis Managing the safety, health, and education of their children while staying employed. Structural changes in the economy undermine the quality of life among working-class families Economic hardship can reduce the chance that a couple will marry or stay married Taxes a family's resilience, the ability not just to bounce back from change or troubles Struggles of the Middle Class
functionalist perspective on media
Examines the structural relationship between the media and the other social institutions. The media serve as a link between individuals, communities, and nations Acts as an agent of socialization One source of the shared norms and beliefs in a society Media has been accused of creating serious dysfunctions and social problems in society. Media and Violence Popular media culture undermines the educational system Excess viewing and poor health Media Echo Chamber
interaction perpective on media
Focuses on the symbols and messages of the media and how it defines our "reality.
Affirmative Action vs Reverse Discrimination
Harvard being sued by Asian students Does it remedy past discrimination or just change the groups being discriminated against?
the media
Has been accused of being a problem itself. Content-images that include violence, racism, and sexism Highly controlled process of dissemination Creates an unequal advantage for some social groups Coverage of crime Amount of coverage of crime not connected to crime rate Journalists' professional routines are key to understanding high level of crime/drug coverage
Constructionist Approach
Highlights the process by which issues become recognized as social problems How are some issues selected from a vast pool of candidate issues to become social problems?
changing social roles of women
In 2007, U.S. Census data revealed that for the first time more American women were living without a husband than with one. Reasons for the larger number of single women include: Delaying marriage for women Increases with educational attainment and availability of economic opportunities Women living longer as widows, or after a divorce Women being more likely than men to delay remarriage
the problems of time and money
In a survey, 79% reported that a work schedule that enabled them to spend time with their family was a top priority, and nearly everyone reported feeling pressed for more time in their lives. Mothers spend an average of 13 hours per week with their children compared with 7 hours per week for fathers. Mothers do most of the routine care of children, whereas fathers spend their time with children doing interactive activities (enrichment activities such as talking or reading to them)
violence and harassment in schools
In recent years there were fewer school-associated violent death events, but were more deaths per event Singular incidents between students have been replaced by mass shootings Many suggestions as to how to reduce these events All have drawbacks in the view of certain groups Target hardening, increase police presence, mental health care, gun control Based on 2013 YRBSS survey, about 7.1% of students missed more than 1 day of school because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to/from school. Think about which social groups are most likely to feel unsafe b/t school and home?
Intimate Partner Violence
In the U.S. nearly 25% of surveyed women and 8% of surveyed men reported that they were raped or physically assaulted by a current or former intimate partner. Research has linked the following to family violence: low socioeconomic status, social and structural stress, and social isolation. Feminist researchers argue domestic violence is rooted in gender and represents men's attempts to maintain dominance and control over women. Cultural differences of domestic violence have not been fully recognized. Research has largely focused on White and poor women
The Problem of Basic Literacy
In the U.S., 43% of all Americans demonstrate "basic" literacy skills or below Implications of low literacy skills: 75% of prison inmates are functionally illiterate Inability to find and retain jobs Support their children's education Participate in communities. U.S. spends more on education than other high-income countries, but our literacy scores are average in a world comparison.
Individual meanings
Individuals construct their own meaning of media Media provides the information people use to construct their understanding of the world
Educate America Act of 1994
Introduced "standards-based reform" at state and community levels. Established performance and content standards in math, English, science, and social studies.Provided the grounds for sweeping reform at all levels and from all angles
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001
Major provisions include New standardized reading and math assessments More flexibility for states and local school officials for budget spending and program development. The creation of a teaching quality program
agenda setting
Mass media defines what is newsworthy. Mass media play helps shape public agendas by influencing what people think about, and what is considered as a social problem.
commercial motives
Media are commercial and business interests Ask: What are the commercial motives behind this media? Who or what paid for this media and why? Who or what owns this media product?
Construction of reality
Media construct our culture, which involves trade-offs. Ask yourself: Who produced this media? What kind of reality does this media create? How accurate is this "reality"? What stories are NOT being told and why?
value messages
Media contain ideological and value messages
production techniques
Media use identifiable production techniques (camera angles, editing, sound effects, colors and symbols, etc.) Journalistic norms
cultural capital
Middle & Upper class children have more giving them advantage over lower class children in the educational system
Social Media, Online Harassment and School Attendance
Much of the negative interaction between student now occurs online, especially through social media Older generations often do not understand the significance of social media because they had no equivalent Women are several times more likely to skip school when experiencing online bullying/harassment Men are more likely to get into physical confrontations 2011 National School Climate Survey results for LGBT students showed 63.5% reported feeling unsafe because of their orientation 18.3% were physically assaulted for the same reason Nearly 82% reported being verbally assaulted in school the past year
news and the claimsmaking process
News work locates and presents the news Constrained by economic factors, deadlines, and cultural limitations (such as professionalism). Seeks claims with an entertainment value ("brand-new" stories, easily filmed events, or claims that have compelling typifying stories). News work follows professional standards/norms Feel obligated to balance coverage by reporting views from "both sides" News workers pay attention to rivals and the stories they decide to cover. Ultimately, the news is a social construction produced by news workers.
myths of the family
Nuclear family is the ideal - a father, a mother, and biological or adopted children living together Several changes in family composition occurred between 1970 and 2010. Families composed of married couples with children declined from 40.3% to 21% Only increase in family groups came in category of "other family households" (single parents, grand-families, other relatives or non-relatives) There has been an increase in the percentage of non-family households, individuals living alone or with nonrelatives in adulthood.j
Cohabilitation
Number of unmarried-partner households more than doubled in the last 20 years Today a majority of adults' report having cohabitated at some point Was argued that this produced lower quality marriages But later found to be ignoring other factors (like religiosity, cultural norms) Unmarried partners more likely to: be young have lower levels of education and income be less religious have been divorced or to have divorced parents have lived without a father in the home
moral panic
Occurs when fear about a social problem is disproportionate to the danger Media either promote the panic serve as a channel for stories that fuel the panic
decline of the family
Part of broader culture wars 1960s brought cohabitation In response, marriage movement advocates traditional marriage Debates around "family values" What counts as a family Gay marriage Divorce
marriage death
People less likely to be living in matrimony than in the past Percentage of U.S. adults 18+ who are married dropped over the last half century Percentage who are divorced has tripled Percentage of never marrieds has doubled "Supply" Factors Pool of eligible partners Supply of potential marriageable partners Marriage gradient Women tend to marry slightly older men The older a woman is, the less likely she is to find a potential husband
Do you trust the media
Positive public attitudes about the press have been declining for about 20 years. The public believes that news organizations are working primarily for profit and that journalists are motivated by professional ambition. People are increasingly distrustful of large multinational corporations which own and control most of the news media. More than 70% of the public feels that news organizations are influenced by powerful people and organizations rather than being independent.
the media and social problems
Privacy has become a major issue Websites track your personal information and online activities. Social media companies have been scrutinized for their use of user information.
ethnicity/race and education
Race/Ethnicity often predicts educational success Poverty influences this pattern, but race is still influential even when controlling for SES Persistent academic achievement gaps remain between Black, Hispanic, and Native American students and their White and Asian peers The educational attainment of the Hispanic population, ages 25 and over, is lower than for other ethnic/racial groups
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Reformers argue that school choice, standardized testing, and school vouchers are improving our educational system. Critics argue this threatens to erode an already weak public-school structure. Comparisons between public and charter school are often not apples to apples A deepening chasm between what the public deems as important (safety, skills, discipline) and the goals of the reform movement (access, standardization, multiculturalism) Often driven by media coverage of dramatic events Serves to undermine large scale educational goals by parents concerned exclusively with their own children
Mean World Syndrome
Research has shown that people who watch more television tend to view the world as a more dangerous place than it objectively is Assume crime more common than it is Think their risk of victimization is higher than data supports This is especially true of people who watch more crime-based programing CSI Effect A documented effect where people who watch a lot of forensic investigation shows expect to see that type of evidence when called to jury duty Has caused problems for prosecutions as this sort of evidence is much rarer than TV protrays
feminist perspective on education
Research shows the replication of gender relations in schools by the privileging of males. Boys received more praise, corrections, feedback and active teaching Girls are invisible and treated as "second-class educational citizens" in the classroom. Structural factors and interpersonal dynamics contribute to gender inequality on college and university campuses. College women are subjected to male domination through peer relations, in the classroom, and in romantic involvements.
Antiviolence and Antibullying Programs in Schools
Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP). is a research-based K-12 school program in social and emotional learning. Aggression and violent behavior is learned and therefore can be reduced through education. Students in RCCP were more pro-social, perceived their world in a less hostile way, saw violence as unacceptable, chose nonviolent ways to resolve conflict, had higher reading and math scores, and were more able to focus on academics when there was less conflict with peers.
Credentialism
Rise in credentials result of status competition among groups battling over scarce cultural, political, and economic rewards Educational credentials increased in excess of an increase in occupational skills
media echo chamber
Situation in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by repetition inside a closed system. An "echo chamber", reinforces people's existing views, potentially as an unconscious exercise of confirmation bias
interactionalist perspective on family
Social interaction helps create and maintain our definition of a family. Within families, interactions through words, symbols, and meanings define our expectation of what the family should be like. Social problems arise when there is conflict about how the family is defined. (macro) Problems may also occur when partners' expectations of family or marriage do not match their real life. (micro)
claims making in the ra of social media
Social media has fundamentally altered the way information is distributed Has reduced barriers for regular people to participate in process But has also significantly reduced the accuracy of information being promoted Social media are becoming increasingly significant claims-making arenas "Fake news" sites used Facebook to generate millions of views during the 2016 election President Trump's use of Twitter Considerably less oversight of the accuracy of claims
news versus entertainment
Social problems appear in popular culture as well as on the news The way TV shows, books, and other entertainment media construct social problems are also affected by constraints. Time limits and the need for dramatization (to keep it entertaining) Have a large impact on the development of unconscious stereotypes Infotainment The mixing of information providing media with entertainment media Ex: Fox News Opinion shows, Liberal Nighttime talk-shows
Inequality in EducationalAccess and Achievement
Socioeconomic status is the most powerful predictor of student achievement. The likelihood of dropping out of high school is five times higher among students from lower-income families 15% of public-school children live in homes where food security is a problem Poor children begin school less prepared and struggle to keep up with their classmates.
Symbolic rhetoric/techniques of persuasion
Symbolic rhetoric/techniques of persuasion Symbols, flattery, repetition, fear, humor, words, and sexual images are common and effective techniques of media persuasion
pacing
TV runs at 30 frames per second; movies at 24 frames per second. The conscious mind can process about 8 frames per second; hence, television and movies tend to keep us from conscious analysis and reflection about individual messages and larger industry contexts.
education as a commodity
Textbooks 2 largest markets for High School textbooks are Texas and California Most publishers cater to the demands of these states and let other states pick between the 2 orientations "Pricing out" certain aspects of knowledge Creates differences in the "cultural common knowledge" of our history/culture Leads to different groups in society talking past one another and using different "facts" Able to manipulate "knowledge" to serve other purposes Turning education into a commodity makes $ a more important driver than validity/accuracy of ideas
media
The "different technological processes that facilitate communication between the sender of the message and the receiver of that message" The media has been blamed for directing, creating and promoting social problems. Media shapes what we define as social problems Call attention to some issues Example: "road rage" Neglect others Example: Availability of illegal guns on the street
media literacy
The ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us. An educational approach that seeks to give media users greater freedom and choice by teaching them how to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media.
conflict perspective on education
The educational system can also perpetuate racial and economic inequalities. Middle & Upper class children have more "cultural capital" , giving them advantage over lower class children in the educational system
Functionalist Perspective
The family is the most vital social institution. Family confers social status and class. Family provides for the essential needs of the child: affection, socialization, and protection. Dysfunctions The Over-Protected Child Helicopter Parents, Lawn-Mower Parents Family helps define who we are and how we find our place in society.
medium
The form of communication that transmits messages and the differences in constraints between types
Infotainment
The mixing of information providing media with entertainment media Ex: Fox News Opinion shows, Liberal Nighttime talk-shows
postmodern family condition
The nuclear family is giving way to family structures that include single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, grandparent, and same-sex partner households. 2 prominent structures
the new education standard
The role of education in society has changed several times in US history Apprenticing in Trades High School Diploma College Degree But even the purpose of college has changed Bachelor's degree is becoming the education standard in the U.S. In 2013 88.2% of adults completed at least a high school degree. More than 31% of all adults had attained at least a bachelor's degree. Educational attainment level of adults will continue to rise, as younger, more-educated age groups replace older, less-educated ones
teen pregnancies
U.S. has the highest teen birthrate in the developed world. Birthrates for Black and Hispanic teens remain higher than for any other ethnic/racial group. Teen mothers likely to be poorer and less educated, less likely to be married, and more likely come from families with lower income. Children often lag behind in early development, are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive stimulation, and are at greater risk of social behavioral problems and lower academic achievement.
divorce
Was rare until the 1970s. When compared with European Union countries, the United States has the higher divorce rate. Rising divorce rates are attributed to: no-fault divorce laws. economic independence of women. transition from extended to nuclear families. increasing geographic and occupational mobility. As societal and cultural norms surrounding have changed the stigma has decreased.
Socially Constructed Beliefs (myths) of Family
We tend to believe that families of the past were better and happier than today. We believe that families should be safe havens, protecting their members from harm and danger. We assume that the family and its failings lead to many of our social problems. There is a persistent belief that nontraditional families, such as divorced, fatherless, or working-mother families, threaten and erode the integrity of the family as an institution.
segregation in education
Who has access to education and what quality/options they have access too. Consistent statistical difference between majority white and minority schools in ALL measures of academic performance Much of this originated during Jim Crow era, but persists today Changing school district boundaries to exclude particular groups or classes
Mentoring, Supportingand Valuing Networks
Women and Girls Studies indicate that most women learn best in cooperative, rather than competitive learning activities. LGBT Students LGBT students are about 5-6% of the total student population and have been a driving force behind creating change in their schools and communities.
family
a construct of meaning and relationships both emotional and economic. A social unit based on kinship relations, not only relations based on blood, but also those created by choice, marriage, partnership, or adoption. Holds very different interpretations between different cultures
neglect
a failure to provide for a child's basic needs. Can be... Physical Educational Emotional Neglect often goes unnoticed
house holds
an economic and residential unit. Recall the functional role of family under previous household driven economic arrangements
functionalist perspective on education
argue that these additional tasks make it difficult to accomplish Education's primary task of educating young.
Social Capital
can also be procured through engagement in class linked extra-curricular activities and organizations creating more access to diverse knowledge and networks.
conflict perspective on education
education not an equalizer, but a "divider" - dividing the haves from the have nots. Quality of educational opportunity Role of economics in public education and college opportunity The socialization function of education is part of the indoctrination of Western bureaucratic ideology. Trains us for participation in capitalistic economy prepared for the demands and constraints of a bureaucratic adult world. rewarded for conformity and discouraged from individuality
interactionalist perspective on education
focus on how classroom dynamics and practices educate the perfect student and at the same time create the not-so-perfect ones. The interaction between teachers and students reinforces the structure and inequalities of the educational system. Teacher expectations of students affect students' perceptions of themselves and achievement Teacher expectations often influenced by students' race, class, ethnicity, and gender Differences between the communication codes of working-class and middle-class children Because schools design for the middle-class, working-class children are disadvantaged
feminist theory on family
inequality emerges from the patriarchal family system, where men control decision making in the family. Men maintain their position of power in the family through violence or the threat of violence against women
divorce
rates higher for: Those who marry when younger than 20 Poor or near poverty Less education Among those working full-time Children with divorced parents have moderately poorer life and educational outcomes Emotional well-being, academic achievement, labor force participation, divorce, and teenage childbearing Research also suggests that under some circumstances divorce can be beneficial to children Although men experience minimal economic declines after divorce, most women experience a substantial decline in household income and increased dependence on social welfare
cohabitation
sexual partners, not married to each other, but residing in the same household, with or w/o children
audience segmentation
targeting media presentations for particular audiences
Newshole
the amount of space available each day in a newspaper for news
conflict theory on family
the family is a system of inequality where conflict is normal. Families are also subject to powerful economic and political interest groups who control social programs and policies. Conflict arises when the needs of particular family forms are promoted while others are ignored
the digital divide
the gap separating individuals who have access to new forms of technology from those who do not Divide implies a chain of causality: lack of access to the Internet harms one's life chances. Those who are already marginalized in society will have fewer opportunities to access and use computers and the Internet Symptom of a larger social problem - inequality based on income and educational attainment, correlated with ethnicity/race.
stereotype threat
the risk of confirming in oneself a characteristic that is part of a negative stereotype about one's group. Self-fulfilling prophecy
