SOC 207 Final: Week 6-10 Terms & Study Guide Prompts

mechanical solidarity

people feel connected due to similarities (shared work, education, religion, values)

organic solidarity

people feel connected due to dependence on one another (found in large, industrial societies)

wage gap

the difference in average pay between two groups in one society

key ideas of socialism

- government (not private) should own and manage the means of production -- no individual can hold private property beyond certain limit

- aims to create a more equal society by reducing wealth disparities and ensuring that the economy serves the needs of the people

key ideas of capitalism

- private ownership/management of the means of production

- aims in pursuit of profit within a competitive economy market driven by supply and demand

convergence theory

used to explain how and why societies move toward similarity over time as their economies develop

underemployment

a person accepts a lower paying, lower status job than their education and experience qualifies them to perform

structural unemployment

a societal level of disconnection between people seeking jobs and the jobs that are available

closed system

allows for little to no change in ones societal position/class

open system

allows for movement and interaction between peoples social positions/class

status inconsistency

inconsistency in one's position in different social categories (high income, prestigious job, low education)

endogamous marriage

marriage between people of the same social status

exogamous marriage

marriage between people from different social status

conspicuous consumption

buying and using of goods that shows off ones high status

cultural capital

a form of "currency" that comes from ones experiences/behavior/knowledge

social capital

a form of "currency" that comes from ones connections/relationships

Brown vs. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court ruling that overturned "separate but equal" Plessy doctrine and unsegregated public schools due to "unconstitutionality"

Plessy vs. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court ruling that legalized racial segregation in the U.S under doctrine of "separate but equal" facilities

Bourdieu (conflict theorist) on cultural capital

members of upper/middle-class have more cultural capital and educational systems maintain the cycle of the dominant culture values being rewarded

hidden curriculum

nonacademic knowledge that people learn through informal learning and cultural transmission

class traits

the lifestyle characteristics, behaviors, tastes, and habits that are commonly associated with a particular social class

occupational prestige

how highly a society ranks/values certain jobs (ex: doctor > professor > cashier)

Industrial Revolution in general

machine-based manufacturing --> increased efficiency, production, and transportation --> urbanization --> working/lower-class, globalization, capitalism, gender roles

social stratification

the process of creating social hierarchy based on members' wealth, education, career

Davis-Moore thesis

Functionalists who argued the greater the functional importance of a social role, the greater the reward must be. Social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of different work.

conflit theory on capitalism

capitalism is a system of inherent inequality and conflict between the ruling and working class

functionalist theory on capitalism

capitalism is necessary for societies stability because it promotes economic efficiency by encouraging competition and innovation

sex

determined by biological characteristics such as hormones, gametes, genetalia

gender

a form of expression determined by intrinsic, individual feelings

sexual orientation

who a person is romantically and/or sexually attracted to

gender identity

which gender one chooses to identify with (man, woman, non-binary, transgender)

gender roles

sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female

gender dysphoria

the distress one experiences due to inconsistency between their gender identity and sex/gender assigned at birth

socialization

the lifelong process through which individuals learn the behaviors, values, and norms of their society

glass ceiling

a metaphor for the invisible barriers women (and minorities) face when trying to make advancements

structural functionalist on gender

see gender differences as necessary for social order and efficiency, with men and women performing roles that complement each other to keep society running smoothly.

conflict theory on gender

Gender inequality arises because social systems benefit the powerful

feminist theory on gender

focuses specifically on women's experiences and oppression, aiming to understand and change gender inequality

symbolic interactionism on gender

sees gender as socially constructed and reproduced through interactions

"doing gender"

an idea that gender is something people do not are -- a form of expression

queer theory

argues that concepts of gender and sexuality are constructed by a society and are not fixed or "natural"

what effects the pay gap?

occupational segregation, socialization of jobs ("women/men's jobs"), sexism, time off for childcare, historical and structural inequalities

informal education

unstructured learning that happens through daily activities, experiences, and social interactions

formal education

a structured, deliberate process with a set curriculum, teachers, and assessments

Mills vs. Board of Education of District of Columbia

1972 Supreme Court ruling that students with disabilities must be given a public education even if the students are unable to pay -- established the precedent for universal access to education

structural functionalist theory on education

view education as one of the more important institutions in a society. education serves a beneficial role -- preparing kids for their career/future

conflict theory on education

believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity.

feminist theory on education

aims to understand the mechanisms and roots of gender inequality in education, as well as their societal repercussions.

symbolic interactionism on education

believes education creates meanings through social interactions -- how labels, expectations, and symbols shape student and teacher identities and behavior

tracking

a system that separates students into different classes based on their academic abilities/achievement levels

social promotion

placing a student in the higher grade regardless of academic achievement or skill level

xenophobia

an irrational fear of anything foreign

globalization

organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale

meritocracy

Government or the holding of power by people chosen on the basis of skill, ability, and/or achievement

intentional struggles

people intentionally/persistently challenging the way things are, leading to society accepting new thinking/behavior

unintended consequences

norms that change as a side effect of other developments without anyone planning or pushing for change

persuasive control

control by convincing without using force or direct commands

coercive control

control by domination or force, usually limits someones freedom/individuality

Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" theory

the metaphor for how individual self-interest unintentionally benefits society as a whole. the economy can self-regulate and centralized planning is not needed

negative freedom

freedom from coercion, freedom is an act of choice

positive freedom

free to make a decision, free to do something

Pareto optimality

point in free markets when exchanges between producer and consumer cannot be continued without causing harm to one party

Albert Hirschman's "Exit and Voice"

individuals have two primary responses to dissatisfaction with a firm, organization, or state: exit(leaving) and voice (protesting or complaining)

ideology

a set of beliefs, ideas, and attitudes

social closure

the process of a group restricting access to opportunities, resources, and power from other groups

neoliberalism

an economic and political ideology that promotes

free-market capitalism with minimal government intervention, emphasizing deregulation, privatization, and free trade

exclusionary discrimination

in housing -- the outright refusal to rent/sell to certain people

non-exclusionary discrimination

in housing -- harassment, intimidation, unfair terms/conditions to somebody who already lives somewhere

affirmative state

state intervention in markets to improve democratic conditions

5 ways capitalist markets are inefficient

1. Markets & Information

2. Concentrated Economic Power

3. Negative Externalities

4. Short Time Horizons

5. Too Few Public Goods

7 (9) parts of American ideology

1. Individualism + Self-Reliance + Work Ethic

2. Equality of Opportunity

3. Meritocracy

4. Lowered Class-Consciousness

5. Unchanging Human Nature

6. Neutrality of Societal Institutions

7. Fear and Doubt in/of other systems

How might any part support/justify inequalities?

egalitarian

idea that all people are equal and should be given equal rights and opportunities

medicalization

the process by which conditions are defined and treated as medical issues

contested illnesses

illnesses that are questioned or considered questionable by a medical professional

illness stigma

negative attitudes or discrimination towards certain health issues

social epidemiology

the study of how social factors affect populations health

(causes and distribution of diseases)

morbidity

the rates of health in a population or individual

mortality

the rates of death in a population

stereotype interchangeability

stereotypes that don't change and that get recycled for application to a new subordinate group

public healthcare

health insurance provided and funded by the government

private healthcare

health insurance paid for by an individual from a private company

individual mandate

a government rule that requires everyone to have insurance coverage or they will have to pay a penalty

socialized medicine

when the government owns and runs the entire healthcare system

universal healthcare

a system that guarantees healthcare coverage for everyone

Parsons' sick role (4 parts)

1. you are not responsible for being sick

2. while sick, you are exempted from normal obligations

3. mandatory to want to leave the sick role

4. mandatory to see a healthcare professional and follow their advice

(functionalist)

medicalization of deviance

the process of changing "bad" behavior into "sickness/medical"

Functionalist on health/healthcare

- sickness is dysfunctional, prevents people from fulfilling their social role(s)

- Problems in healthcare are due to macro-level changes

Conflict theory on health/healthcare

- problems are rooted in the current system, capitalism generates issues

- healthcare should be a primary good

- inappropriateness of high costs & systemic abuse (overlaps w functionalist here)

Symbolic Interactionist on health/healthcare

- communication between provider and patient

- socially constructed meanings of illness

- medicalized deviance

- demedicalization

latency model

very early exposure grants later health risk, but risk remains latent (hidden) for years

cumulative exposure model

the higher/longer the exposer to something, the more likely bad health is

social trajectory model

early life experiences determine where you end up in adult hierarchy which influences health

commodity

something that can be bought and sold in a marketplace

three faces of identity

1. stable self concept

2. social contexts elicit certain identities

3. collective identity

identities exist outside of the person and refer to social positions

defensive othering

people in a marginalized group do identity work in order to claim their group (identity) is superior

power elites (C. Wright Mills)

a small, interconnected group of individuals who hold disproportionate power

feeling rules (Hochschild)

socially constructed norms that dictate how one should feel and express emotions in a given situation

emotion work (Hochschild)

the effort of trying to change in degree or quality an emotion or feeling --> emotional regulation/management

Misra key idea

how we describe social life helps us shape social life

Norgaard key idea

cognitive dissonance, socially constructed denial of climate change