Sociology Exam 2

Aggregate

group of people connected by proximity, but nothing else. EX: people in line together, people in an elevator together, bus passengers 

Social Network

visual mapping of relationships with the subject as the central point (hub), an easy way to make connections

Alienation

Workers feel like they are not valued and not part of the company, which reduces productivity. Higher chance of happening when tasks are repetitive and if workers rarely see the result of their work

Hidden Corporate Culture

Higher-ups tend to look for people who are similar to them, and they “train” or “mentor” people like them to receive promotions

Peer Victimization

the scientific term for bullying that describes how certain children are targets of physical and verbal harm by other children 

Groupthink

 The tendency for a group to force a consensus without considering all rational alternatives 

Biological explanation for criminal behavior

More testosterone makes a person more aggressive which is one reason men commit more crimes

Differential Association Theory

our social network heavily determines the likelihood of being around crime. Family, friends, neighborhoods, and subcultures influence deviant behaviors more than other groups

Labelling theory and crime

crime is not an inherent trait of an act, but is instead a social construct created when society and powerful institutions apply negative labels to certain individuals

Strain Theory

 society is not able to meet the needs of citizens; therefore, they turn to crime to acquire resources 

Country with largest number of prisoners

The U.S. has the largest number

Violent crime trends (increasing or decreasing?)

These trends are decreasing

Recidivism

the rate at which an offender goes back to jail. The most common measure of prison effectiveness 

Marshall Hypothesis

 experimental research shows that the less informed a person is about the death penalty, the more likely they are to support it

Misdemeanor

crime that has punishment of less than one year in prison, community service, and/or fines 

Felony

Criminal behavior viewed as more serious that often has a prison sentence of over a year 

Uniform Crime report (UCR)

the annual report distributed by the FBI that reports the year’s crime statistics. Crimes are separated into Crime Against Property and Crime Against Persons 

White Collar Crime

the FBI does not include financial crimes in its UCR. Eventually it created a separate report for various white-collar crimes 

Are school shootings more likely to happen in small towns or big cities

A majority of them happen in very small rural schools

Are there reliable traits/screening methods for shooters

No, there are no reliable traits or screening processes.

Are school shootings common?

No they are rare

What is a stereotype about school shooters

They are a loner with no friends

What to do as a senator or political figure to lower school shootings?

As a political figure I would want to get rid of guns entirely but I know that is not possible. Instead I would back federal child access prevention laws or fund public awareness campaigns that talk about secure firearm storage to keep firearms out of the hands of people/kids trying to use/take their families firearms to do school shootings

Global Stratification

structuring or ranking of different nations depending on their global power, prestige, and wealth. Most industrialized, industrializing, and least industrialized

Slavery

the process by which a person is owned by another 

Four common factors that influence slavery

debt, crime, race, and war

Indentured Service

voluntarily selling oneself in a contractual agreement that is similar to slavery 

Ideology

norms or beliefs that justify social inequalities by making them seem natural or required

Caste System

example of ascribed status; it is determined by birth and cannot change 

Estate System

Developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. The nobility practiced Primogeniture. There were also clergy who were like priests and nuns, and then serfs who were the people who worked.

Colonialism

Industrialized nations spreading their influence and dominance to less industrialized nations 

INTERgenerational Mobility

the concept that there may be a change in status between generations (most common form of status change)

INTRAgenerational Mobility

a change in social class of the same generation (much rarer) 

EX: Oprah went from poverty to a multimillionaire 

Structural Mobility

The concept that a WHOLE GROUP of people will experience a change in status 

EX: when a factory closes in America, workers who become unemployed experience downward structural mobility, and the factory moves to Mexico and hires new workers, and this new large group of people will experience upward structural mobility 

Millennium Project

a global initiative to reduce worldwide poverty. The United Nations asked that industrialized countries donate .7% of their gross national income to developing countries 

Capital Flight

 the concept of well-established countries sending their corporations to developing countries. This is a profit for the companies because they can pay lower wages and avoid many labor laws 

Deindustrialization

the argument that since corporations are allowed to move overseas, this dramatically reduces the employment numbers in the original country 

Has donating to least industrialized countries helped or is it a lost cause

It has helped. The rate of diseases has lowered, like Malaria and HIV, and infant//child mortality rates have gone down

Where does most of the human population live

Most humans live in least industrialized countries

Progressive Tax

the typical American perspective on taxation, which means that as you make more, you are required to pay more taxes

Absolute Poverty Line

determined by the amount of money it takes to feed a household and their other survival needs

Relative Poverty Line

you are considered below the poverty line if you make less than 60% of half the median income.

Poverty Gap

the difference between the government poverty line and what the average poor household makes.

Feminization of Poverty

58% of people in poverty are women, whereas only 42% are men. Sociologists use this term to explain that it is easier for women to enter poverty than men

Social Empathy

the ability for people from a certain class to imagine living in another social class and have empathy

Social Inclusion

research shows that people in poverty tend not to participate in social movements or ask for resources that can reduce poverty

Region of America with highest poverty rates

Southeast

Who is at greatest risk of experiencing homelessness?

Single men in their 20s-50s

Economic Homelessness

people who have just lost their job or house. These people are more likely to live in cars

Chronic Homelessness

These people have been on the streets for a very long time. May have untreated substance abuse issues or mental illness