Sociology Exam 3

Groups of people who have similar access to resources and opportunities are called what?

Social Class

What’s the percentage of the Upper Class?

5%

What were the old rich (1%) sometimes called?

Blue Bloods

What’s the percentage of the Middle Class

40-45%

What type of job is usually in the middle class?

These jobs are professional or office-based roles that primarily involve mental or administrative work rather than manual labor.

White Collar jobs

What’s the percentage for the Working Class?

30%

What kinds of jobs are in the working class, as well as some characteristics?

Blue-collar jobs. Their jobs are less secured, more routined, and more closely supervised

What’s the percentage for the Lower Class?

15%

What are some of the characteristics for a person in the lower class?

Seasonal, day labor, temporary jobs, and many depend on government assistance

How long has it been since income inequality among US families has increased?

Since 1980

The highest-earnng 20% of U.S. families received how much of all income?

~53% of all income

The lowest-earning 20% received about how much of all income?

3% of all income

Between 1980 & 2023, the annual income of the highest paid 20% of families increased by about how much?

90-95%

Between 1980 & 2023, the lowest-paid 20% of families grew by about how much?

only 20-30%

Does the difference in annual income between 1980 and 2023 make income inequality greater or less than at any time in the last 50 years?

Greater than

The wealthiest 20% of US households control about what percentage of all privately owned wealth?

89%

Why do rich people live longer on average?

Because they have better health care, safer environments, better nutrition, and lower stress

Why is it that in the lower class, poor children are twice as likely to die early?

Due to inadequate medical care, higher stress, poor living conditions, and limited access to healthy food

What are Values and attitudes?

They are often varied across social classes. Values are broad, deeply held beliefs about what is good, important, or desirable in a society. Attitudes are more specific opinions or feelings about particular people, issues, or situations.

What are some of the things a person’s class position can influence beliefs about?

Education, social issues, family life, and cultural norms

What is education like in upper and middle classes?

It is often highly valued.

• seen as a pathway to economic success and social mobility

• greater exposure to higher education, diverse ideas, and perspectives

What is education in the upper and middle classes more likely to display?

• greater tolerance toward cultural diversity

• acceptance of different lifestyles

• more liberal attitudes toward social issues such as homosexuality

For the lower & working classes, how do they view higher education?

They consider it a luxury or something out of reach because of cost or limited access.

For the lower and working classes, what do their economic pressures often cause them to focus on?

Practical job skills and immediate employment opportunities

Why may attitudes toward social issues hold more conservative views on controversial social issues, like homosexuality?

Due to:

• Less exposure to liberal or progressive ideas

• Lower likelihood of attending college

• Stronger emphasis on traditional social norms and family values

In child-rearing, what do middle-class parents often encourage?

• Autonomy, independence, creativity, & initiative

Middle-class jobs emphasize those as well as model these values for their children

What are children encouraged to do?

Express their opinions, think independently, and develop problem-solving skills

What do the working-class & lower-class parents frequently promote?

Conformity, obedience to authority, respect for rules, and self-discipline

What do working-class jobs involve?

• Strict routines

• Repetitive tasks

• Close supervision

• Clear authority structures

These can lead parents to emphasize obedience and conformity in their children

Why do the differences in how parents raise their kids based on their class exist?

Because parents’ job experience shapes their child-rearing values

What are gender roles like in upper-class families?

• More flexible gender roles

• Couples have more egalitarian

• Share responsibilities more equally

What are gender roles like in middle-class families?

• Gender roles often reflect a balance of traditional & modern expectations/roles

• Sharing household responsibilities is becoming more common

What are gender roles like in working- and lower-class families?

• More rigid traditional roles

• Men are expected to be breadwinners

• women are more of the caregivers and have a household role

Who are at the highest risk when it comes to being poor?

Children: about 15% of children under the age of 18 live in poverty (1 in every 7 children)

Which age group is the second-highest at risk of being poor, with a percentage range of ~12-13%?

Young adults 18-24

Which age group is about 10-11% on the verge of being poor?

Older adults 65+

Which race is the largest group among the poor and accounts for about 40% of all poor people living in poverty?

Whites

Of all the people who are poor, which gender is about 56% of the poor? Women or men?

Women: 51% of poor families headed by women (no husband)

What is feminization of poverty?

The trend of women making up an increasing proportion of the poor

For geographic patterns of poverty, what is the correct order from highest to lowest regions

1. South

2. West

3. Northeast

4. Midwest

Which state has the highest region?

Mississippi

Which state has the lowest region?

New Hampshire

What's the percentage of people who live unsheltered (on the street, in abandoned buildings, or other places)?

40%

What’s the percentage of people who stay in shelters or transitional housing?

60%

What are the characteristics of the homeless population?

67% single individuals/males, & 33% families are homeless

What state has the highest homelessness rate?

California

What state has the lowest homelessness rate?

Wyoming

What are the conditions for a family becoming homeless?

1. unemployment

2. lack of affordable housing

3. Poverty

4. low wages

5. weak family ties

Severe deprivation of resources necessary for survival is what kind of poverty?

Absolute poverty

People who are poor compared to others in society is what kind of poverty?

Relative poverty

What does the theory of blaming the victim of poverty describe?

• Poverty is seen as the individual’s fault

• Poor people are blamed for not working hard or using available opportunities

What does the theory of culture in poverty describe?

• Poor people have a set of norms & values (not optimistic, don’t look forward, etc) that limit their chances to advance

• These cultural characteristics (norms & values are self-perpetuating across generations

A group of people who share inherited physical traits such as skin color, hair texture, and body shape is called what?

Race

What is a Caucasoid?

Fair skin and light to dark hair

What is a Negroid?

Dark skin and curly hair

What is a Monogoloid?

Yellow skin and distinctive folds on the eyelids

A group of people who share a common culture is called what?

Ethnicity

A group that is singled out and treated unequally because of physical or cultural traits, becoming objects of prejudice and discrimination, is called what?

Minority groups

What are the characteristics of minority groups?

1. distinguishing physical or cultural traits

2. unequal treatment/fewer opportunities

3. membership is involuntary and ascribed status

4. great sense of group solidarity

5. endogamy (in-group marriage)

What is a negative attitude toward a certain category of people called?

Prejudice

Unfair & harmful actions against people based on their group membership are called what?

Discrimination

Who analyzed the relationship between prejudice and discrimination & created a fourfold typology?

Robert Merton

What is an Active Bigot?

A person who is prejudiced and discriminates

Instead of keeping his own opinions to himself, he actively worked to harm and marginalize others. What is this an example of?

Active Bigot

What is a Timid Bigot?

It is prejudiced & does not discriminate

She had biased beliefs but kept them to herself and avoided confrontation. What is this an example of?

Timid Bigot

What are Fair-weather liberals?

They’re not prejudiced, but do discriminate

They claim to care about justice, but back away when taking a stand becomes uncomfortable or difficult. What is this an example of?

Fair-weather liberals

What is an all-weather liberal?

They’re not prejudiced & does not discriminate

A person who doesn’t care where you’re from and who will still hire you regardless is an example of what?

All-weather liberals

An ideology that holds that one race is inherently superior or inferior to another is called what?

Racism

What are some characteristics of the Scapegoat Theory?

• Frustration may lead to prejudice

• Frustrated individuals may unjustly blame relatively powerless groups (scapegoats) for their problems

What would be an example for the Scapegoat Theory?

After 9/11 happened, they blamed it on Muslim people

In the authoritarian personality theory (created by T.W. Adorno), what does it suggest about the theory?

It suggests that the personality is responsible for prejudice

What were some of the characteristics of the Authoritarian personality theory in individuals?

They had insecure conformists, intolerant, submissive to superiors, and showing strong respect for authority.

In the Authoritarian Personality Theory, how did they see the world?

See the world as rigidly divided between the strong & weak, the good & the bad, the superiors & the inferiors

What are some examples of Authoritarian Personality Theory?

Ku Klux Klan, Proud Boys, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Kim Jong-un

In Cultural Theory, who developed “Social Distance” scale to measure how close/distant people feel toward different racial & ethnic groups?

Emory Bogardus

The process by which a person forsakes (gives up) his or her own cultural tradition and becomes part of a different culture is what kind of intergroup relationship?

Assimilation (A+B+C+D = A)

Minority groups that maintain identity but enjoy equal social and political standing, as well as keeping their cultural identity, is what kind of intergroup relationship?

Pluralism (A+B+C+D = A+B+C+D)

What is the term for this type of intergroup relationship when groups are separated physically or socially?

Segregation

One group that dominates or harms another, like oppression and genocide, is what kind of intergroup relationship?

Conflict

Who studied the 3 societies in New Guinea?

Margaret Mead

What is an Arapesh?

Men & Women who are both gentle, caring, and have feminine traits

What is a Mundugumor?

Both men & women who are aggressive, violent, and have masculine traits

What is a Tchambuli?

Men who are gentle and caring, and women who are aggressive and dominant

What is the overall conclusion for the 3 societies in New Guinea (Arapesh, Mundugumor, & Tchambuli)?

What one society defines as masculine, another may define as feminine. Gender roles vary across cultures.

Biological characteristics that distinguish females & males is called what?

Sex (it is our biology and is the major sorting device in every society in the world)

Social & cultural traits associated with masculinity & femininity are called what?

Gender

Men who dominate women and have authority are called what?

Patriarchy

What is an example of a Patriarchy?

Miss. ZA., Mrs. ZA., Mr. TC. Women change their last name after marriage

Women who dominate men are called what?

Matriarchy

What is an example of a Matriarchy?

The Musuo in China

An ideology that maintains that women are inherently inferior to men is called what?

Sexism (it provides the justification for patriarchy)

What is linguistic sexism?

Language that reflects and reinforces gender inequality

What is the impact of linguistic sexism?

1. Devalues one sex, women

2. Ignores women altogether

3. Defines women’s “place” in society unequally

Using words that assume men are the default is an example of what?

Linguistic sexism

What is the name of the term that processes by which individuals learn behaviors, attitudes, and expectations associated with being male or female, as well as beginning at birth (or even before that)?

Gender socialization

What is the name of the term that socially expects behaviors and attitudes for males and females? For example, boys will become very strong, and girls will be emotionally caring

Gender roles

One’s personal sense of being male, female, or another gender is called what?

Gender identity