Sociology - Chapters 6-12

Gatekeeping

Withholding information from others, the act of controlling access to something. Priming —> setting up location of the information. Framing —> How its written.

Functionalist View of Media

Functions: It informs, entertains, allows for investigation, promotes social cohesion. It reinforces social norms while also shaping perceptions and stereotypes. The media also creates a conferall of status amongst others singling out certain indivduals while giving others major importance. Media also promotes consumption, through advertisements and through providing information.

Dysfunctions of Media

Media through consumerism can create an unrealisitc ideal of wants and needs. Viewers can also be desensitized to a mass amount of frequent information.

Narcotizing Effect

Massive amount of information desensitizes viewers.

Conflict View of Media

Higher powers can withold or control pieces of information that reach the public. The act of monitoring or data mining, tracking what viewers view without theri consent, signficantly adhering to a privacy issue.

Dominant Ideology: Globalization signifcantly promotes western values while americans know little to nothign about foreign cultures

Interactionist View of Media

Infromation from media shapes day to day behavior, such as looking at the weather app for the weather for the day. Allows for friendships to arise with viewed sharing habits. People have greater choice and control over the content they want to see, which can have people choose content that confirms beleifs or dumbs down certain concepts.

Functionalist View of Crime

Deviance is a common part of human existence. Crime provides jobs for a stable society. Society needs rules and systems, like laws, police, schools and social expectations (control mechanisms) to be able to show people what behavior is acceptable and to encourage them to follow these rules (conformity)

Conflict View of Crime

People in power define deviance to suit needs. Suspects may be treated differently based on race and class.

Cultural Transmission Theory (Interactionist View on Crime)

Daily exposure to attitudes favorable to criminal acts leads to norm-defying behavior

Social Disorganization Theory (Interactionist View of Crime)

Breakdown of communal relationships or social institutions.

Example: If an area has high poverty, frequent moving in and out (instability) and little community involvement, the people within interact less positively and crime is more common.

Conformity

Going along with peers who have no particular right to direct our behavior

Informal Social Control

If you don’t comply with societal norms you face being laughed at, ridiculed, gossiped about or even shunned.

Formal Social Control

By authorized agents such as police, government, laws.

Victimless Crimes

An exchange of desired, but illegal goods, goods and services.

Ex: Drug Abuse, Prositution, Gambling, Pirating.

Why might some want to decriminalize Victimless crimes?

1. Are we legislating morality

2. Such crimes are impossible to prevent.

3. An overburdened criminal justice system

Why might some oppose decriminalization of Victimless Crimes?

Object to the notion that said crimes are “victimless”

Violent Crimes

Muder, Rape, Robbery, Assault

Property Crimes

Burglery, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, Arson.

Organized Crime

Facilitating relations between various criminal enterprises involved in illegal activities.

Ex: Smuggling, Sale of Illegal Drugs, Operating “Victimless” crimes

White Collar Crime

Illegal acts committed in the course of buissness activites by “respectable” people

Cyber Crime

Computer technology facilitates embezzlement or eletronic fraud, often leaving few traces.

Ex: Identity Theft, Hacking, Cyberterrorism

Inevability of Inequality?

1. Inborn Talents

2. Sheer Luck

3. Race, Class, and Religous Prejudice

4. Unequal Oppurtunity (schooling + connections)

5. Cultural Capital (habits/values that promote success)

Functionalist View on Stratification

Inequality motivates people to fill critical positions —> unequal system of rewards motivate people to fill important jobs and contribute to the system

Conflict View on Stratification

Inequality results from competition for scarce resources. Inequality is also a major source of tension and instability

Interactionist View on Stratifcation

Social enviroment influences human’s lifestyle

Ex: Poverty results in less oppurtunities for higher education, better health care and even nutrition.

The Global Divide

The widening gap between rich and poor countries

Colonialism

Where a coutnry takes control over a land and its people, through the use of colonies to benefit oneself.

Modernization

Poor countries can reduce inequality by adopting characteristics of developed countries through market reform

Functionalist View on Multinational Corporations

1. Brings in Jobs for foreign investment.

2. provide skilled labor, management and technology

3. Facilitate interdependence, exchange of ideas

Conflcit View of Multinational Corportations

1. Exploit cheaper labor to maximise profits

2. Relocate (outsource), destabalizing labor force of core country

3. Gaining power and leverage in an unregulated global system

Minority

A subordinate group whose members have signifcantyl less control or pwoer over their own lives than members of the majority have over theres

Why is race problematic for classifying humans?

1. Based on Physical Characteristics (facial traits, skin color, hair texture)

2. There are more differences within groups than between groups

3. All humans share/have the same common ancestors; share 99.9% DNA

Stereotypes

unreliable generalizations that do not recognize individual differences

Color-blind racism

using race neutrality to defend racially unequal status quo (pretending race doesn’t exist)

Discrimination

denial of oppurtunites or equal rights due to prejudice or institutional operations

Functionalist View on Race

1. Social Systems help establish stability and order

2. Discourages minorites to question status to maintain order

3. Shared beliefs help promote social cohesion within races

Conflict View on Race

1. Racism facilitates exploitation

2. Subordination keeps minorities in lower-paying jobs

Marxist View: Supplies capatalist elites with a pool of cheap labor

Racial Profiling

Authorities initiate action or suspicion based on physical attributes (race) rather than behavior

Contact Hypothesis (Interactionist View on Race)

In cooperative situations (like work), interracial contact of people with equal status, will condition them to be become less prejudiced of that group and abandon stereotypes

Ethnicity

shared cultural patterns of history, language, religon and national origin

Group Identity

Extended kinship, clans, in-group bias

Nation-States

Bound together by ethnicity, or culturally homogenus population. Nationalism feeds into a nation state by promoting the idea that a country should align its politcal boundaries with a shared culture or ethnicity

Ethno-nationalism

A major source of conflict within in the world.

75% - 90% of colfict within the world is within countries not between them

Amalgamation

Minority groups combine to form a new group

Assimilation

Procces by which an individual or gorup gives up or forsakes their own culture to be part of a new culture

Pluralism

Competing Groups drive government policy, with tolerence/ and or mutual respect between groups

Gender Roles

Expectations regarding proper behavior, attitudes and activities of males and females

Ex: Boys tend to prove their masculinity through work and sports. They are encouraged to be aggressive and self-reliant. (even initiate control and sexual relations)

Ex: Women tend to identify with family, peers, media for self-image; often potrayed as helpless, passive, incompetent

Functionalist View on Gender

Differentation contributes to stability, they each serve a purpose, especially within family. Family requires specialized roles.

Conflict View on Gender

1. Roles have been of unequal power

2. Traditional Standards maintain status quo

Feminist View: subjugation, explotation inherent in capatalist systems

Interactionist View on Gender

Conform to or challenege day to day roles

Disengagement Theory (Functionalist View on Aging)

Natural withdrawl from social roles due to old age to be able to help society maintain stability by letting the younger generation take over

Dysfuntional: Ederly are often force into involuntary disengagement

Glass Ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents women from acheiving top roles. As women are highly underrepresented within major occupations.

Conflcit View on Aging

1. Treatment of ederly refelcts divisions within society

2. Ederly are victimized and devaulued

3. The rich get better health care

Interactionist View on Aging

1. Ederly better adjusted, healthier, when active.

2. Potential contributions of the eldery to society

3. Communication technology allows for people to stay in touch with family and friends

Dependency Ratio (shrinking)

The number of working people divided by the number of non working people.

Social Mobility

1. Succesive generations tend to have similar incomes

2. background has a strong effect on education, which in turn can hvae a strong effect on income

UPWARD MOBILITY IS NOT GAURENTEED

Prior Constraint

The governments ability to stop the publication of a piece of media before its released. However, it is difficult to censor press in the US (though subject to libel).

What this means: Because of the first admendment (free press) its hard for the United States to restrict or limit press but the press are still responsible for possible false or harmful statements made after they are published

Why has crime rate within the US declined?

1. Gun control

2. Aging Population

3. Improved economic conditions

4. Forensics, Technology (More/better survaillence and security)

5. Decligning crack epidemic

6. More incarcerated (put in jail)

7. Police Policies (Stop and Frisk, phony cash awards) along with connection to community

Recidivism

The likelyhood you get back into jail after comeing out of jail/prison

Retribution

Punishment

Deterrence

Bassically the idea that If the punishment is bad enough, people won’t commit the crime.