Sociology Exam 3

Social Institutions

patterns of beliefs and behaviors that meet basic social needs

Family

Social institution that provides care, economic support, reproduction, and identity

Kin

People related by blood, marriage, or adoption

Nuclear Family

Parents and their unmarried children

Extended Family

Family that includes relatives beyond parents and children

Mate Selection

Process of choosing a partner

Endogamy

Marrying within your social group

Exogamy

Marrying outside your social group

Assortative Marriage

Choosing a partner with similar social characteristics

Marriage Patterns

Socially accepted ways of organizing marriage

Monogamy

One partner at a time

Serial Monogamy

Multiple partners over time, one at a time

Polygamy

Having multiple spouses at once

Polygyny

One man, multiple wives

Polyandry

One woman, multiple husbands

Cohabitation

Living together as a couple without being married

Marital Dissolution

Ending a marriage (divorce/separation)

Deinstitutionalization of Marriage

Marriage becoming less central and more flexible

Divorce Risk Factors

Conditions that increase divorce likelihood (young marriage, low income, etc.)

Patriarchy

Men hold primary power

Matriarchy

Women hold primary power

Egalitarian

Power shared equally

Patrilineal descent

Line traced through father (take guy last name)

Matrilineal descent

Line traced through mother

Bilateral

Line traced through both parents

Politics

Social institution that organizes power in society

Power

Ability to achieve goals despite resistance

Force

Use or threat of physical power

Authority

Legitimate, accepted use of power

Traditional authority

Based on customs and traditions

Charismatic authority

Based on personal charm/leadership

Routinization of Charisma

Transition of charisma into formal rules

Rational-legal authority

Based on laws and rules

Democracy

Power held by the people

Monarchy

Power inherited through family

Authoritarianism

Limited political freedom

Totalitarianism

Total control over society

Pluralist

Power shared among many groups

Elite model of power

Power held by a small group

Power Elite

Small group controlling major institutions

Political Socialization

Learning political beliefs and values

Health

State of physical, mental, and social well-being

Medicine

System for diagnosing and treating illness

Social Epidemiology

Study of disease patterns in populations

Relationship between socioeconomic and health

Higher socioeconomic status = better health outcomes

Social determinants of health

Social factors (income, education, environment) affecting health

Universal Health Care

Government provides healthcare for all

Socialized Health Care

Government owns and runs healthcare system

Direct Fee Health Care

Individuals pay directly for services

Medical-Industrial Complex

Healthcare driven by profit

Medically Indigent

Too poor to afford care but not eligible for aid

Medicalization/ De-medicalization

Defining normal issues as medical problems/Removing medical label from issues

Education

Institution that transmits knowledge, skills, and values

Credentialism

Emphasis on degrees as proof of ability

Labeling Theory

Labels affect how people see themselves and act

Self-fulling Prophecy

Expectations influence outcomes

Teacher Expectancy Effect

Teacher expectations shape student performance

Cultural Capital

Skills/knowledge that help people succeed

Hidden Curriculum

Unspoken lessons taught in school

Tracking

Grouping students by ability or achievement