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Salon 26 Vocab
midterm vocab
199
Sociology
Undergraduate 2
04/12/2012

Additional Sociology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Prejudice
Definition
Thought
Term
Discrimination
Definition
action
Term
Race
Definition
Phenotypical differences given meaning by the culture one occupies
Term
ethnicity
Definition
culture
Term
stereotype
Definition
a socially constructed image of a group or group members that is based on generalizations and does not allow for individual differences
Term
social construction of race
Definition
society gives meaning to the phenotypical differences of its members
Term
ideology
Definition
ideas and beliefs that support and justify the structure of a society
Term
meritocracy
Definition
society in which reward is based on merit
Term
power
Definition
the ability to achieve your will over the resistance of others. See Max Weber: legitimate power: authority. Illegitimate power: coercion
Term
Jim Crow Laws
Definition
state and local laws that mandated racial segregation
Term
institutional vs individual racism
Definition
racism: the idea that group members can be separated into culturally-defined groups based on phenotypcial differences and that, as a group, some are superior to others. Institutional racism: is built into the structure of society. Individual racism: is one person's negative beliefs and actions against another. Institutional is much worse because one person can be avoided, but members of society cannot avoid racism built into the system
Term
intersectionality
Definition
each person occupies a point defined by the cultural meanings given to their multiple categories. combined effect of multiple social variables on a person’s life These variables are social constructs we inhabit these categories, but we are not these categories
Term
miscegenation
Definition
mixing of races
Term
assimilation
Definition
taking on the cultural norms and values of the dominate group. This is not multiculturalism in which diverse cultures live together in one place, but a replacement of a minority group's culture for the dominate group's culture.
Term
one drop rule
Definition
a measure of race in which any African ancestry classifies a person as black
Term
ethnocentrism
Definition
the use of one's culture as a measurement for other cultures. Judging another culture based on your norms and values
Term
minority group
Definition
groups within a society with less power and influence than the dominate group. does not describe number of group members.
Term
majority group
Definition
the dominate group within a society. The group with the power and influence. Does not mean the number of group members is greater than other groups
Term
Cui bono
Definition
for whose benefit?
Term
plutocracy
Definition
ruled by the wealthy
Term
agency
Definition
the capacity of the individual to act independently and make free choices. Many sociological arguments stem from how much the structure within which one exists impacts one's agency
Term
laissez-faire
Definition
let it be, do not act to change
Term
american dream - 4 tenants
Definition
Arroding to Jennifer Hochschild: 1. everyone may pursue and achieve success; 2. success is worthy of pursuit; 3. success is won through hard work, and 4. the pursuit of hard work is virtuous.
Term
classical liberalism
Definition
the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets
Term
social liberalism
Definition
the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding civil rights. Under social liberalism, the good of the community is viewed as harmonious with the freedom of the individual
Term
ARM (adjustable rate mortgage)
Definition
mortgage loan with the interest rate on the note periodically adjusted based on an index which reflects the cost to the lender of borrowing on the credit markets
Term
libertarianism
Definition
the group of political philosophies which emphasize freedom, individual liberty, and voluntary association. Libertarians generally advocate a society with little or no government power
Term
Assets
Definition
an individual's wealth and cultural capital
Term
start up assets
Definition
the portion of an individuals wealth and cultural capital that can be invested in an endeavor
Term
lifetime employability
Definition
can mean the level at which someone can find work throughout their life or the condition of having skills that guarantee work throughout one's life. In the biotech and information ages, skills must be constantly augmented to ensure lifetime employability.
Term
baby boomers
Definition
person who was born during the demographic post-world war II baby boom between the years 1946 and 1964, according to the US Census Bureau
Term
Lifetime employment
Definition
a form of employment in which employees are guaranteed work for life from one company. If has been determined that this is usually an ideal not a reality
Term
lobbyists
Definition
someone who is employed to persuade legislators to vote for legislation that favors the lobbyist's employer
Term
caveat emptor
Definition
the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.
Term
blue collar
Definition
a working-class person historically defined by hourly rates of pay and manual labor
Term
pink collar
Definition
of or relating to a class of jobs, such as typist or telephone operator, once traditionally filled by women
Term
white collar
Definition
working class that is known for earning high average salaries and not performing manual labor
Term
grey collar
Definition
a member of the service class
Term
maximization
Definition
that consumers will attempt to get the greatest value possible from an expenditure of the least amount of money "wanting more rather than less of a good". An assumption used to explain market behavior in microecon
Term
consensus
Definition
general agreement
Term
mean
Definition

the quotient of the sum of several quantities and their number. a mathematical average

 

1+2+3....6/3= 2

Term
median
Definition

the middle value in a list of values

 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5    = 3

Term
mode
Definition

the number that is repeated most often in a list

 

 

1, 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 1   = 1

Term
MEOW
Definition
moral equivalent of war: the creation of a common moral attitude within a society that is equivalent to that shared during war. Sustains political unity and civic virtue. Creates a common enemy
Term
conservatism
Definition
a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the status quo within a society and opposing radical change
Term
conspicuous consumption
Definition
buying expensive services and products in order to flaunt wealth and gain prestige. See Thorstein Veblen: display of consumption to attain status. Does not consider the higher needs of esteem and self-realization. (replaces Maslow's pyramid with owning things)
Term
contingency workers
Definition
provisional group of workers who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis, also known as freelancers or independent contractors
Term
monopoly
Definition
the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service
Term
core workers
Definition
workers who are employed on a permanent long-term basis
Term
natural laws of economics (3)
Definition
Adam Smith: 1. Law of self interest; 2. law of competition; 3. law of supply and demand
Term
Law of self-interest
Definition
as each individual is interested in their own economic success, their endeavors to reach that goal will automatically and indirectly contribute to the overall success of the economy
Term
Law of competition
Definition
self interested competition in the free market, would tend to benefit society as a whole by keeping prices low, while still building in an incentive for a wide variety of goods and services
Term
law of suppy and demand
Definition
the market will naturally fluctuate and settle at equilibrium through prices as supply and demand change
Term
corporation
Definition
a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legal a person) a recognized as such in law
Term
NIMBY
Definition
Not In My Back Yard. Build polluting factories or other undesirable services in another neighborhood - usually ending with all of these services clustered in poor neighborhoods which don't have the resources to oppose
Term
cultural capital
Definition
non-financial social assets; such as educational, social networking, or societal category which might promote social mobility beyond economic means
Term
opportunity costs
Definition
the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. The value of the forgone best alternative
Term
cultural theory of poverty
Definition
argues that the poor are not simply lacking resources, but also have a unique value system that contributes to their condition. Blames the individual, ignores the structure within which the individual must exist.
Term
outplacement professional
Definition
a person who facilitates the termination of employees
Term
de jure
Definition
by law
Term
de facto
Definition
by deed
Term
ponzi scheme
Definition
an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage bigger risks
Term
oligopoly
Definition
a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers
Term
deindustrialization
Definition
decline in industrial activity in a region or economy
Term
poverty line
Definition
the estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the necessities of life
Term
deregulation
Definition
the act of freeing from a regulation (especially from governmental regulations). Can lead to abuses such as financial lending deregulation lead to the current crisis
Term
progressivism
Definition
the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society: support change to improve society rather than supporting the status quo
Term
derivatives
Definition
financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of something else
Term
reengineering
Definition
euphemism for layoffs
Term
downsizing
Definition
euphemism for layoffs
Term
rightsizing
Definition
euphemism for layoffs
Term
egalitarianism
Definition
all humans are equal in fundamental worth or social status
Term
ROI
Definition
return on investment: the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment relative to the amount of money invested
Term
epistemology
Definition
the study of knowledge and of how we know.
Term
scarcity
Definition
the condition of unlimited wants and limited resources
Term
FDI
Definition
foreign direct investment. companies investing in foreign production. leads to decentralized corporations without loyalty to workers or counties
Term
second shift
Definition
workload of women, and sometimes men, who work to earn money, but also have responsibilities for unpaid domestic labor. Primarily falls on women
Term
GDP
Definition
Gross Domestic Product: measure of production within a geographic area (country. the primary measure of production. Keep in mind that GDP may increase through the increase in production, but also through the increase in prices. It measures the total dollar value of production taking place within a country. It also does not indicate who benefits from the production. We must consider how much and to whom.
Term
GNP
Definition
Gross National Product: measure of production of all companies by nation of origin
Term
SES
Definition
Socio Economic Status: categories based on income, education, occupation, geography, gender, race, etc.
Term
Glass-Steagall Act
Definition
Banking Act of '33. established FDIC and banking reform to control speculation
Term
social policy
Definition
guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare
Term
globalization
Definition
the increasingly global relationships of culture, people, and economic activity
Term
Hidden Hand
Definition
Adam Smith: aka invisible hand. the self-regulating nature of the marketplace. The idea of markets automatically channelling self-interest toward socially desirable ends and is the central justification for the laissez-faire economic philosophy
Term
structural theory of poverty
Definition
the argument presented that poverty is a result of 'failings at the structural level' Not the fault of the individual
Term
ideology
Definition
a comprehensive vision,or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of the society (a 'received consciousness' or product of socialization).
Term
subsidies
Definition
an assistance paid to a business or economic sector
Term
IMF
Definition
International Monetary Fund: international organization: 1944: to promote international economic cooperation, trade, employment, exchange rate stability and make resources available to member countries to meet balance of payment needs
Term
values
Definition
a culture's values are its ideas about what is good, right, fair and just
Term
incentives
Definition
positive sanctions used to encourage behavior, a payment or concession to stimulate greater output or investment
Term
disincentives
Definition
negative sanctions used to discourage behavior, a financial disadvantage that tends to discourage people from doing something
Term
wealth
Definition
refers to possession, not income: savings, real estate, funds, stocks, bonds.
Term
income
Definition
amount earned by workers
Term
inequality
Definition
inequality refers to disparity between individuals due to race, class, gender or other culturally defined categories
Term
infotainment
Definition
information-based media content that includes entertainment content. criticism is that journalism is devolving from a medium which conveys serious information about issues affecting public interest into a form of entertainment.
Term
Basketball/baseball
Definition
Real estate terms used to disguise racial descriptions of neighborhoods. Basketball is urban and often predominantly African-American and baseball is suburban and predominately white.
Term
Economic desert
Definition

Geographic area that lacks access to jobs or ability to support people.

 

Also food desert: no fresh food access. ie liquor stores no grocery

Term
Cultural capital
Definition
Social inheritance
Term
Absolute vs relative poverty
Definition
Absolute: unable to acquire the basic necessities of survival. Relative: feeling poorer than those around you
Term
Paradigm
Definition
Point of view
Term
Mini/max principle
Definition
Minimize pain, maximize pleasure
Term
ABC of economics
Definition
Production, distribution and consumption
Term
Default mode
Definition
Opt in or opt out
Term
Spatially decentered firms
Definition
a company that could produce a product with components manufactured in a half-dozen different plants around the globe and then assembled at a single location for distribution and sale.. lacks loyalty to workers or geography
Term
Misogyny
Definition
Hatred of women
Term
Glass ceiling
Definition
an invisible barrier that determines the level to which a woman or other member of a demographic minority can rise in an organization.
Term
Patriarchy
Definition
means a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it
Term
Matriarchy
Definition
a form of social organization in which descent and relationship are reckoned through the female line.
Term
Ideal worker
Definition
defined in Wall Street's workaholic culture as someone who has no responsibilities outside of work.
Term
Cult of domesticity/Cult of true womanhood
Definition
1820-1860, idea that sought to assert that womanly virtue resided in piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity.
Term
Sexual orientation/sexual preference
Definition
Orientation = born, preference = choice
Term
Family
Definition
A socially constructed primary group that, in the US, consists of one or more adults (parents) and their children.
Term
Resources
Definition
the ingredients that go into producing goods and services. 1. Labor 2. Capital
Term
American war ideology
Definition
War is seen as righteous, with a unity of purpose, and commitment to the war’s goals, with a clear-cut enemy, a brief struggle, always ending in victory
Term
why are wants insatiable.
Definition
because the attainment of wants creates more wants.
Term
why are resources scarce.
Definition
because technology is unable to grow at the rate of the increase of wants: therefore there will always be limits.
Term
Labor
Definition
all efforts of mind and muscle.
Term
Capital
Definition
all nonhuman ingredients of production
Term
Technology
Definition
known means/methods available for combining resources to produce goods and services.
Term
what is the best use of resources
Definition
most fully satisfies the wants and needs of a society and minimizes the effects of scarcity while maximizing social well-being.
Term
Production Possibility Curve
Definition
Graphical representation of the maximum quantities of two goods and/or services that an economy can produce when its resources are used in the most efficient way possible.
Term
Opportunity Cost
Definition
The value of the next best forgone opportunity. The cost of not producing one thing to produce another.
Term
The Opportunity Cost Principle
Definition
the principle that production of one thing always comes at the cost of something else.
Term
Increasing Opportunity Cost
Definition
The bow shape of the curve indicates that the opportunity cost to produce an item increases as more of that good is produced.
Term
The Marginal Social Cost (MSC)
Definition
A type of opportunity cost measurement in which each decision to allocate resources is considered on the basis of whether the public will be better off after the shift.
Term
The Marginal Social Benefit (MSB).
Definition
The measure of social well-being as resources are allocated
Term
Cost Benefit Analysis
Definition
The analysis used to determine MSC and MSB
Term
General Economic Growth
Definition
all sectors see increases in production
Term
Specific Economic Growth
Definition
one sector sees increases in production.
Term
why is real GDP more accurate
Definition
because it adjusts for inflation and is a more accurate indicator of economic growth by factoring out price increases (inflation)
Term
Per Capita GDP
Definition
GDP adjusted for population to determine between how many people the results of production must be divided
Term
What other factors beyond GDP can impact the success of an economy? (5)
Definition
1. quality of labor force. 2. stock of capital. 3. Capital accumulation. 4. Technology. 5. Efficiency
Term
How is economic potential impacted by government control
Definition
seems to need some freedom from governmental control – such as private property rights, though government intervention in the form of fiscal (taxation) and monetary (interest rates) policies that promote capital accumulation are also conducive to economic stability.
Term
Pure Market Economy
Definition
capitalist. elements of pure market are: private ownership of resources (private property rights) and decentralized decision making coordinated through markets.
Term
Pure Command Economy
Definition
communist. state ownership and/or control of economic resources and centralized planning.
Term
Best question to use to determine the type of economy
Definition
How are resources allocated?
Term
Mixed Systems
Definition
economies that share traits from both Command and Market Economies.
Term
Transitional Economies
Definition
economies that are in the process of replacing aspects of Command Economy with those of Market Economy.
Term
Geographic area of a market
Definition
the area within which 2 parties are able to transfer info about and ownership of whatever is being exchanged.
Term
what determines the quality of market-based resource allocation decisions
Definition
competition
Term
5 elements of a purely competitive market
Definition
1. enough buyers and sellers to ensure that no one acting alone can influence price. 2. Standardization of product. 3. Price free to move up and down without influence from government. 4. Buyers and sellers mobile enough to find price they want. 5. Sellers free to enter and leave the industry.
Term
Purely Monopolistic Markets are characterized by
Definition
having only one seller
Term
Imperfectly Competitive Markets usually behave
Definition
similarly to the markets with which they share the most characteristics
Term
Demand quantity of a product
Definition
is the number of units consumers within a market area are willing to buy and a particular price level.
Term
Economic growth implies
Definition
greater output, better incomes, opportunity, less unemployment, less poverty and less crime
Term
Economic growth
Definition
is a long-run process that results from a compounding of economic events over time. It is primarily measured by Real GDP which is the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy in one year. It seems to trend up, but short-run deviations do occur. Growth compounds year after year. This geometrically exacerbates both expansion and contraction trends.
Term
business cycles
Definition
Short Run fluctuations which are composed of expansion periods, followed by peaks, followed by contraction periods, followed by troughs.
Term
The Leading Economic Indicators Index
Definition
a tool used to forecast changes in economic growth.
Term
why are wages sometimes “sticky"...slow to respond to market fluctuations?
Definition
because minimum wage earners’ hours supplied are often influenced by forces outside the market, and second because there is some structural lag in response by (demanders) employers to wage increases.
Term
unemployment
Definition
reduction in demand for labor hours...quantity of labor demanded is less than the quantity supplied at the market wage rate
Term
inflation
Definition
reducing the purchasing power of the dollar
Term
Labor force
Definition
all non-institutionalized individuals 16 years of age and older who are employed for pay, actively seeking employment, or awaiting recall from a temporary layoff
Term
Frictional unemployment
Definition
brief periods of unemployment usually originating on the labor supply side of the market; it is transitional, often in the form of people changing and searching for new jobs
Term
Structural unemployment
Definition

unemployment that is caused by fundamental changes in demand for certain kinds of labor due to technological changes or changes in consumers’ tastes and preferences.

 

Ex: suppose that workers skilled in typewriter manufacturing were unable to work while they retrained to make keyboards.

Term
Cyclical unemployment
Definition
unemployment caused by a contraction in aggregate demand or total spending in the economy. (caused by the business cycle)
Term
Full-employment unemployment rate
Definition

the rate that reflects frictional and structural unemployment and is consistent with price stability

 

aka unemployment without cyclical unemployment

Term
How is a price index calculated?
Definition
The basket of goods used to compute price index numbers is a representative sample…after the value of the basket is calculated, the final step in the construction of a price index is to select the base year
Term
Micro-level analysis
Definition
affects person individually
Term
Macro-level analysis
Definition
affects society as a whole
Term
Social location
Definition
position in society
Term
Symbolic Interactionism
Definition
micro analysis. What does it mean? The cultural definitions given to things shape their reality and consequences.
Term
Functionalism
Definition
macro analysis. How does it work? Society works to maintain itself, therefore all things work to maintain the status quo. The question asked in this paradigm is how does it work?
Term
zero sum game
Definition
for one to win another must lose
Term
4th world
Definition
women
Term
What percentage of trade occurs in the Most Industrialized Countries?
Definition
70%
Term
Current GDP
Definition
13T
Term
8 assertions that form the foundation for the analysis of social problems:
Definition
1. Socioeconomic problems result from the ways in which society operates 2. Socioeconomic problems are not caused by “bad” people 3. Socioeconomic problems are socially constructed as people define a condition as harmful and in need of change 4. People see problems differently 5. Definitions of problems change over time 6. Problems involve subjective values as well as objective facts 7. Many- but not all- problems can be solved 8. The various socioeconomic problems are related
Term
Ceteris paribus
Definition
everything else remains the same
Term
Intrinsic
Definition
belonging to something as one of the basic and essential features that make it what it is
Term
Extrinsic
Definition
not an essential part of something
Term
What markets require to continue (6):
Definition
1. Government 2. Private property 3. Profit motive 4. Monetary systems (banks) 5. (some) competition 6. Economic growth
Term
“no one gets rich on their own – wealth is a social construct” –Elizabeth Warren
Definition
Term
Social problems define by (3):
Definition
1. Harmful to many 2. Threaten what members of society think society should be 3. consensus that it is a problem
Term
Conflict perspective
Definition
Karl Marx: Where is the power? macro analysis. Looks at imbalance of power and how it impacts members of a society
Term
Spatially de-centered firm
Definition
1. maintain no loyalty to any country/labor force 2. Can easily relocate (used as a bargaining chip to keep labor costs low)
Term
Downsizing facts:
Definition
1. Isn't done because of globalization because it impacts all industries equally even those not connected to foreign trade 2. doesn't always end up with a smaller work force. because it is often followed by hiring new workers 3. Stats have shown it doesn't increase productivity 4. Downsized jobs replaced with low pay/skill jobs 5. Corporate attempt to increase profits
Term
3 types of workers
Definition
Core – indispensable to business Temporary – hired/fired with ups/downs of economy Contingent – increasing in overall US workforce (independent contractors/temps w/ no negotiation rights)
Term
How much does a woman earn for each dollar earned by a man?
Definition
$0.77
Term
Paradigm
Definition
system of ideas and values that construct a point of view
Term
People with power, name : people without power, get named
Definition
Term
Stigma
Definition
a shame or disgrace attached to something regarded as socially unacceptable
Term
Institutional
Definition
embedded into fabric of society
Term
Stock story
Definition
story told by the power structure
Term
counter story
Definition
"concealed" story or story told by minority groups. the other side of the stock story
Term
Colorism
Definition
preference for light skin
Term
Eugenics
Definition
racial purification
Term
cost-benefit analysis
Definition
a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs
Term
homo economicus
Definition
perfectly rational economic man. unconstrained by familial and communal ties and who can and should make decisions solely in light of considerations of economic value
Term
how to calculate income inequality
Definition
income share of top divided by the income share of the bottom
Term
Poverty line
Definition
an absolute level of income set by the govt for each family size below which a family is deemed to be in poverty
Term
Poverty rate
Definition
the percentage of the population whose family income falls below the poverty line
Term
Poverty and median income in 2006 in the U.S
Definition
median family income = $58,526 poverty line for family of four = $20,614 poverty rate = 12.3%
Term
In-kind transfers
Definition

assistance that takes forms other than than cash Omitted from measures of inequality and poverty, biasing them upward

 Ex: homeless shelters soup kitchens food stamps, govt vouchers redeemable for food at grocery stores Medicaid, govt-provided health care for the poor

Term
The Life Cycle
Definition
the regular pattern of income variation over a person’s life
Term
Transitory vs. Permanent Income
Definition
A better measure of inequality in living standards would be based not on current income, but on permanent income, a person’s normal income
Term
Negative income tax
Definition
a tax system that collects revenue from high-income households and gives transfers to low-income households
Term
Lorenz Curve
Definition
shows the degree of inequality that exists in the distributions of two variables
Term
financial wealth
Definition

"non-home wealth" -- which is defined as net worth minus net equity in owner-occupied housing.

 

Financial wealth is a more 'liquid' concept than marketable wealth (house can't be sold quickly to gain access to cash).

Term
Since 2002, CEO pay is up 298%. Corporate profits are up 106.7% and production workers' pay is up 4.3% Dumhoff Article ecompanion
Definition
know the trends (not specifics) of wealth, income, and taxes in this article for midterm
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