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Exam 2 Text
Everything from the Text portion of the study guide.
35
Sociology
Undergraduate 1
04/06/2008

Additional Sociology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Sociopaths
Definition
Sociopath: People who commit wanton murder or serial killings apparently because they lack any internal social controls.
Term
Strain Theory
Definition
Structural strain caused by an anomic, structural change situation between the culturally prescribed goals of the social system and the socially approved means of attaining them. This structural strain produces a large amount of deviance. People respond to this strain in one of five ways.
Term
Conformity
Definition

The only non-deviant form of dealing with strain.

A conformist accepts both the conventional goals of society and the conventional means to obtain them.

ex. Athlete practices hard to be good.

Term

Innovation

Definition

An innovator accepts the goals of society but rejects the socially approved means and thus opts for deviance to attain these goals.

Ex. Organized Crime drug dealing.

Term
Ritualism
Definition

A ritualist has not interest in the conventional goals of society, yet goes through the motions by following the prescribed rules and behaviors. By rejecting the conventional goals the ritualist is deviant.

Ex. Cautious Bureaucrat who follows rules but looses sight of goals.

Term
Retreatism
Definition

Retreatist reject both the means and the goals of society but does not replace them with anything that the society regards as worthwhile.

Ex. Hermits or chemcically dependent people.

Term
Rebellion
Definition
The rebel rejects the goals and means of society and replaces them with new goals and means. Cults.
Term
Social Bond Theory
Definition

Also called "Social Control Theory" or "Deterance Theory"

-The Key to understanding deviance is not to focus on why people commit deviant acts but rather to understand why people conform to conventional norms, values, and laws. Instead of "Why do you do it" it's "Why don't they?"

 Answer: Social Bonds that connect individuals to their family, friends, community, and society.

Interpersonal attachments-Involvement: Strong Relationships= acceptance of norms, values, laws. Same is true for opposite.

Commitment-Belief: Committment to nondeviant activity=less deviance

Term
Occupation & Prestige
Definition
Occupations with the highest prestige typically require long and often highly technical training and at least college education. Conversely, low-prestige occupations require little or no training or education.
Term
The Classes in America
Definition

The Upper Class: These families are extraordinarily wealthy, and dominate the economic system of the US

The lower-upper class: Only difference is their name and ties aren't established fully because they are "New Money"

The Upper-Middle Class: Professionals who work hard for their money and have little influence.

The Lower-middle-class: difference=less edu. 

The Upper-Lower-Class: Work hard but have a hard time saving money

The lower-lower-class: Can't earn enough and chronically poor.

 

Term
Characteristics of Poverty in U.S.
Definition

Most common among the younger not the elders and the women in single-parent households than it is for womenin 2 parent households.

 

Term
Culture of Poverty
Definition

Culture of Poverty refers to the set of norms and values that helps the poor to adapt to their situation.

The poor spend their money right away because of their lack of faith in the future they want instant gratification. The believe that things will not improve leads them to discount the value of edu. and ignore work ethic. They also teach their children to conform to this and so the cycle continues.

Term
Distributive Systems Theory
Definition

Societal resources consist of two types: necessities (such as food and shelter) and surplus (resources above and beyond the necessities, or luxuries).

With necessities people will share what they have as long as it is in their best interest to do so.

With surpluses people do not benefit from sharing them so they are free to acquire as much as possible and in turn gaining power. 

Term
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Definition
The most powerful group in the U.S. consist of whites of English descent as well as Canadian, Scottish, Australian, & N. European.
Term
White Ethnics
Definition
White Europeans that are not Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Italian, Irish, French, Polish, Czech, & Russian origin. This group is predominently Catholic. 19th & 20th centuries many hostilities occured against this group.
Term
Native Americans
Definition
Population after European influence was only 250,000. Today 4.1 million are registered. 50-80% are unemployed, 1/2 drop out before highschool, their suicide rate is twice the national average, & their alcoholism is 8x the average.
Term
African Americans
Definition
Among the oldest racial-ethnic group in the U.S. 34 million today.
Term
Mexican Americans
Definition
Second largest raceial or ethnic minority in the U.S. but will soon be the largest. Overwhelmingly catholic and have strong family orientation. Use to work predominently as laborers but today more urban. Because of the proximity to their country have retained a lot of culture.
Term
Puerto Rican Americans
Definition
Settled mainly in the NE. Puerto Ricans are United States citizens.
Term
Cuban Americans
Definition
Cubans have lived in the U.S. for generations but large-scale immigration has begun recently with the coming of Fidel Castro. Settled mainly in Miami
Term
Chinese Americans
Definition
Began immigrating during the gold rush. Mining & railroads. After initial rush for gold and building of railroads jobs became scarce and Chinese were discriminated against harshly and many riots occured.
Term
Japanese Americans
Definition
Just as chinese exclusion was going into effect, the demand for cheap labor on the W Coast began to increase. The newly arriving Japanese were welcomed to fill thie brief demand but when it was over and anti-japanese campaign errupted.
Term
Functionalist View on Race/Ethnicity
Definition

The Main function of ethnic and racial inequality is to ensure that unpleasant but important work gets done.

Ex. Garbage Men

Term
The Conflict Prespective on Race/Ethnicity
Definition
Ethnic & racial inequality results from the endless competition among groups for power, wealth, status, and other valuable social resources. The winner installs itself as the dominant group this can be short-lived because subordinate group can acquire power and will make demands resulting in conflict.
Term
The Symbolic Interactionist view on Race/Ethnicity
Definition
Consciousness of Kind: Because we lump a group together they start to lose their individual identities and become homogenous groups.
Term
Agents of Gender Socialization
Definition

Def: Those who teach gender roles and identities.

-Living Space

-Play

-Dress

-School

-Advertising

Term

Living Space

Definition
A girls room is decorated with flowers and ruffled bedspreads and dolls. Boys have sports, toy guns, action figures. Only neutral items Musical Instruments & Books.
Term
Play
Definition

Certain toys encourage children to play different roles.

Through cops and robbers boys learn shooting, fighting and aggressive behavior.

Through dolls and playing house girls learn to work out family relationships, shop and put away groceries, wash dishes, change diapers, and domestic tasks.

Parents won't supply toys of the opposite sex to their children.

Term
Dress
Definition

Boys' clothes are blue or dark color as not to show dirt. Girls' are pastel shades that are difficult to clean.Dresses make it difficult to crawl thus discouraging physical activity.

Term
School
Definition

Traditional literature depicts girls as passive, supporting or minor characters, with traditional feminine occupations and in domestic roles whereas boys are portrayed as active, central characters, with a wide range of occupations.

Literature, Interaction in classroom.

Term
Advertising
Definition

Has a particularly strong impact on gender socialization.

-Men are portrayed as powerful, with many interests and diverse occupations.

-Women are portrayed as dates, mothers, or occasionally as businesspeople, but always very concerned about their appearance.

Term

Patriarchy

Definition

Def: "Male Dominance" more specifically how it is ingrained in the way society is organized.

Language: Ex. Derogatory language, forms of address, first name vs. last name, sports commentators, and changing of last name.

Interaction: Ex. Men walking or dominating arm rests, and conversations, don't ask questions (don't care what women think), selling cars, and norms of politeness.

 

Term
Gender Inequality and Work
Definition

Women have always worked today it's just not the lower class that does so. But women are funneled into occupational niches that are neither highly paid nor highly regarded and even within those niches they occupy the lower positions.

Second Shift: Even after working full time women are still responsible for the children.

-No where on average does a woman earn higher than a man.

Term
Causes of Gender Inequality in the Workplace
Definition

1. Sexism: Women are best suited for service, nurturing, or housekeeping; men for high-level decision making, authority, and production.

2. Lack of Qualification: Men have more education and do not take time off for child care=mens ablitity to advance.

3. The Glass Ceiling: Subtle & unconscious discrimination that prevents women from attaining higher positions

4. Networking: Recreational sites that women are discouraged from participating in.

Term
Symbolic Interactionist View of Gender
Definition
The symbolic interactionist approach emphasizes the role of meaning and the self in gender socialization. Children must first learn the meaning of "girl" and "boy" and then place themselves in the appropriate category.
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