sociology final

religion

a belief system about what is sacred that is held by a group of people

congregations

groups of followers who worship together

followers

those who believe in principles of a religion

sacred

set apart and forbidden

profane

the everyday, secular, or "worldly" aspects of life

religious experiences

feelings of extreme religiosity or "an extraordinary height of exaltation"

Collective effervescence

a sort of electricity that is generated among worshippers

theology

the study of God and the nature of God

the protestant ethic

the belief system that created much of the culture and economy of the united states

Ascetic Protestants believed...

that only a certain number of people would be saved for eternity, and that those who would be saved were already chosen

deist

someone who believes in a supreme being but doesn't believe God actively intervenes in the world

What is the worlds largest religion?

christianity

monotheistic religions...

only believe in one God

sects

groups with distinct beliefs within a religion

What is the fastest growing religion?

Islam

Abrahamic religions

3 religions that regard Abraham as their ancestor in faith: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

polytheistic religion

follows multiple Gods

Caste System

determines status, occupation, and even who they are allowed to touch or marry

reincarnation

the continuous birth and rebirth of individuals who have not found the path to infinite bliss or awareness

Buddhists

believe that we can achieve enlightenment through meditation, living simply, and working to gain wisdom

established religion

supported by the state

What is the most common state religion?

Islam

secularization theory

idea that religion was losing significance in modern society

secularization

the loss of religion's social and cultural significance

religious competition theory

Argues that the more religiously diverse a country is, the more active religious individuals are because religions compete for followers.

radicalization process

the way racial and ethnic boundaries are drawn around a practice or a social group by others outside of that group

theory of complex religion

argues that we can't understand religion unless we understand the complex ways it intersects with other features or identities of social life, especially those related to inequality, like race, class, and gender

social reproduction

the structures and activities that transmit social inequality and forms of stratification from one generation to the next

mainline protestants

consists of denominations such as Episcopalians and Presbyterians that were established earlier and tend to be more socially liberal and more reserved in how they practice than Evangelical protestants

evangelical protestants

people who generally believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, that individuals should have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that it is a religious duty to convert others to their beliefs

religious subculture

a group of identity based on religion that is clearly differentiates insiders from outsiders

culture wars

disagreements over lifestyles, sex, and gender issues that increasingly differentiate American politics

religious violence

violence justified by religious reasons

education

the process of ongoing knowledge and skills

people with more years of schooling have...

higher incomes, better cognitive, problem-solving, and literacy skills, better jobs and lower rates of unemployment

functionalist view

emphasizes the smooth working of the machine and, by extension, the maintenance of the social order

socialization

the process by which people come to share the values, morals, beliefs, and ways of acting that are expected in their society

Why does society "sort" children from a young age?

society needs leaders and followers, so they are split based on potential to achieve either

manifest functions

the obvious, intended functions. these are what we openly create an institution to do

What are one of the manifest functions of school?

to provide students with the skills and knowledge that society needs them to have

latent functions

unintended or unrecognized functions

what is an example of latent functions in school?

childcare services throughout the year

conflict perspective

the idea that society is a struggle over power and that those who have power will work very hard, and in complex ways, to hold onto it

What is the difference between conflict perspective and functionalist view?

functionalists see a system whereas conflict perspective sees a battlefield

social capital

refer to the ways people can use their social connections to gain knowledge, access, and other beliefs

cultural capital

the knowledge and skills we possess that are not everyone has and that is valued by schools and other institutions

Why are middle and upper class families more likely to possess and pass along social and cultural capital?

They have the resources to gain these capitals and pass them on to them children

how is racism institutionalized?

it is built into the practices of schools, political systems, and other institutions

the achievement gap

the existence of a large and enduring gaps in achievement between different groups

concerted cultivation

middle class families who are deliberate about preparing their children for future success

accomplishment of natural growth

working class and poor parents have no choice but to care for their children but presume that they will spontaneously grow and thrive

de jure segregation

segregation by law

de facto segregation

races living in different areas, thus attending different schools

double segregation

the concentration of large numbers of low-income minority students in particular schools

hidden curriculum

it teaches students how they should behave, how they should expect to be treated, and whose ideas are important

second-generation segregation

segregation inside schools that are supposedly desegregated

education policy

refers to decisions about a range of school issues, including funding, operations, curriculum, student assignment, and staffing

No child left behind act (2001)

mandated that schools test all students in most grades every year in math, reading, and science and those who didn't or with low scores would lose funding

How did the no child left behind act disadvantage schools with low income students?

they did not have the resources to receive the same education as schools with resources, so their schools were low and their funding was decreased or cut

charter schools

privately run but publicly funded schools

tracking

the division of students into different level classes based on the class difficulty and students' perceived aptitude

How do helicopter parents negatively affect other children?

they push for their child to receive treatment that they didn't earn, which causes other children to not get the attention they deserve

In comparison to the suspension between black and white students, black students are...

3 to 6 times more likely to be suspended than white students

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015)

an updated version of the no child left behind act which gave states the option for local innovations and place-based interventions

What is social interactionism?

small interactions that convey rules and shapes students' identities

How are gender roles presented in school?

different gender expectations for academic success, dress code, behavior in the classroom

politics

the ability of people, or groups, to gain access to government and use its power to influence society

nation states

countries where people share a national language or culture

democratic states

where people can directly vote for their representatives, specific rules, or policies

lobbying

attempting to influence policy makers

states

the "ultimate authority within some geographical territory

taxation

using the force of government to collect funds that are used to pay for services like the police, schools, and healthcare

welfare states

the government is the main provider of support for the sick, the needy, and the retired

policy

includes rules of behavior that the state creates, like laws, as well as the services governments provide for the people

axis of politics

the way states are made, acquire power, and use power to further their coals by creating and enforcing policy

Representative Democracy

a form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf

Direct Democracy

Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly

competitive democracies

where people have a genuine option to vote for alternative candidates

Aristocracy

A government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

formal policies

written down in law

informal policy

unwritten but widely recognized practice

median voter model

a model that predicts candidates will choose a position in the middle of the distribution

elite theory

theory that upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy

pluralism theory

Groups influence public policy to make changes in the government

electoral college system

delegates assign each state a number of electors equal to the total of that state's representatives and senators

Suffrage

the right to vote

electorate

the citizens eligible to vote

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

literacy test

a requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote

Why were poll taxes and literacy tests used in southern states prior to the 1960s?

It made it harder for black people to vote due to their inability to read and afford these taxes

Grandfather Clause

allowed people to vote if their father or grandfather had voted before Reconstruction

Reconstruction

the period after the Civil War in the United States when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union

black codes

barred African Americans from holding certain jobs

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Eliminated all taxes and tests that prevented blacks from voting

Civil Rights Act of 1964

outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 case that overturned Separate but Equal standard of discrimination in education

The public opinion influences...

who is allowed to vote or deliberate on policy

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans

Voter Disenfranchisement

to prevent a person or group of people from voting or take away their voting rights

liberal

open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values