Sociology Exam 3

social stratification

division of society in groups arranged in a social hierarchy

social inequality

unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society

social class

a system of stratification based on access to such resources as wealth, property, power, and prestige

upper class

elite and largely self-sustaining; possess most of the country's wealth

middle class

white collar workers; broad range of education and income

working class

blue collar; typically no college degree

poor

poorly educated, unemployed, sometimes homeless

intersectionality

concept that identifies how different categories of inequality intersect to shape the lives of individuals and groups

white collar

lower level professional and management workers - some highly skilled laborers in technical jobs

blue collar

skilled and semi-skilled workers who perform manual labor or work in service/clerical jobs

pink collar

jobs typically associated with women - service industry, childcare, etc.

underclass

homeless, chronically unemployed

status inconsistency

situation in which an individual holds differing and contradictory levels of status in terms of wealth, power, prestige, or other elements of socioeconomic status

wealth

measure of net worth - income, property, and other assets

social reproduction

tendency of social classes to remain relatively stable as class status is passed down from one generation to the next

cultural capital

tastes, habits, expectations, skills, knowledge, and other cultural assets that help us gain advantages in society

class consciousness

awareness of one's own social status and others

social mobility

movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

vertical social mobility

movement between different class statuses; often called either upward mobility or downward mobility

intergenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next

closed system

a system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

open system

a system with lots of opportunity to move from one class to another

homogamy

tendency to choose romantic partners who are similar to us in terms of class, race, education, religion, etc.

heterogamy

tendency to choose romantic partners who are dissimilar

digital divide

the unequal access to computer and internet technology, both globally and within the U.S.

culture of poverty

the idea that entrenched attitudes can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot

disenfranchisement

the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means

meritocracy

a system in which rewards are based on merit

health

wealth = ?

residential segregation

the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population

relative deprivation

relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society

absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care

race

a socially defined category based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people

ethnicity

a socially defined category based on a common language, religion, nationality, history, or some other cultural factor

minority group

a social group that is systematically denied the same access to power and resources available to society's dominant groups though it's members are not necessarily fewer than dominant groups

racism

a set of beliefs about the claimed superiority of 1 racial or ethnic group; used to justify inequality and often rooted in the assumption that differences among groups are genetic

institutional discrimination

carried out systematically by institutions that affects all members of a group who come into contact with it

individual discrimination

carried out by one person against another

white nationalism

the belief that the nation should be built around a white identity that is reflection in religion, politics, economics, and culture

microaggressions

everyday uses of subtle verbal and nonverbal communications that convey denigrating/dismissive messages to members of a certain social group

cultural appropriation

adoption of cultural elements belonging to an oppressed group by members of the dominant group

reverse racism

claim by whites that they suffer discrimination based upon their race and therefore experience social disadvantages

passing

presenting yourself as a member of a different group than the stigmatized group to which you belong

double-consciousness

W.E.B. Du Bois term for the divided identity experienced by black people in the U.S.

miscegenation

romantic, sexual, or martial relationships between people of different races

segregation

physical and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity

redlining

red areas were minorities - if you were redlined, you couldn't get loans

blockbusting

scaring white people to move out of their homes because they believed that African Americans moving in would lower the value of homes (whites leaving was what caused the lower value)

colorblind racism

ideology that acknowledges race as a powerful social construct that shapes individual and social experiences

assimilation

a pattern of relations between ethnic or racial groups in which the minority is absorbed into the mainstream making society more homogenous

sex

an individual's membership in one of two categories - male and female - based on biological factors

gender

physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members

gender identity

an individual's self-definition or sense of gender

gender expression

an individual's behavioral manifestation of gender

intersex

describe a person

transgender

gender identity is different from gender at birth

gender role socialization

the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through agents of socialization

essentialism

a belief that things have a set of characteristics which make them what they are

gender binary

system of classification with only 2 distinct gender categories

patriarchy

"rule of the father" - a male dominated society

instrumental role

position of family member who provides material support, often an authority figure

expressive role

position of family member who provides emotional support and nurturing

feminization of poverty

poverty has increasingly become associated with women

heterosexuality

attraction towards the opposite gender

homosexuality

attract towards the same gender

bisexuality

attraction towards both genders

asexuality

lack of sexual attraction of any kind

homophobia

fear of or discrimination towards gay, lesbian, and bisexual people

heterosexism

discrimination or prejudice against gay people on the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation

sexism

belief that 1 sex, usually male, is superior to the other