soc 001 test 2

deviance

the recognized violation of social norms

The Relativity of Deviance

What is deviant to some is not deviant to others

what makes something deviant

the reactions to the action, rather than the action itself.

Crime

crime is the violation of rules that have been written into law

norms

rules that define appropriate behavior

why are norms beneficial

Rules create a sense of social order and lets us know how to behave in social situations and how others are going to behave in social situations, giving a sense of security, order, and predictability

social control

attempts to promote (and enforce) conformity to norms

Negative sanctions

penalties for violating norms

what's an example of a negative sanction

E.g., shaming: involves ridicule and social isolation

Positive sanctions

rewards to people for conforming to norms

whats an example of a positive sanction

E.g., social esteem: involves praise and social inclusion

what's the functionalist view on deviance (durkheim)

Deviance is beneficial to society; it serves 3 functions:
(Re)affirms cultural values
Promotes social unity
Reminds people of what’s correct behavior
Encourages social change (e.g., Civil Rights Movement)

Strain Theory

Deviance depends on whether society provides the means to achieve cultural goals
When someone has the means to achieve the goals, they conform
When there is a strain between the goals and the means, they engage in the acts of deviance
Deviance highlights areas of social life that need to be improved
Can’t feed family → steal

what are the shortcomings of the strain theory

Communities do not always come together during deviant acts. Protests, for example, will frequently promote further social division.
it also underestimates the complexity of deviance

whats the conflict theory on deviance

deviance depends on who holds power in society because social norms and laws reflect the interests of the elite. they can also resist deviant labels

what are the shortcomings of the conflict perspective on deviance

it oversimplifies the creations of norms and laws. it also lacks an adequate explanation for why some acts are labeled criminal (e.g., tax evasion, art theft, and corporate fraud)

what's the interactionist perspective on deviance

Deviance is something we learn:
The groups to which we belong give us messages about conformity and deviance. Different groups have different “codes” (or cultures) that they live by. ex: organized crime, a lot of crimes are seen as honorable

what's the labeling theory on deviance

the labeling of a certain group being deviant creates a self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotypes of that group

what are the shortcomings on the labeling theory on deviance

it fails to explain why some acts are almost universally deviantand removes personal responsibility

social stratification

the creation of layers (strata) of a population who possess unequal shares of scarce “desirables”

Social class

a segment of the population whose members hold a relatively similar share of those scarce “desirables”; “Haves” and the “have-nots”

What Are Some “Desirables”?

Income
Wealth
Power
Occupational prestige
Schooling

four features of stratification

1. Refers to groups, not individuals; Ranking large groups of people in a way that shows privilege relative to each other
2. Persists over generations
3. EVERY society stratifies its members
4. The magnitude of stratification varies from society to society. Some societies have more stratification; others have less

what's the functionalist view on stratification

Inequality is beneficial for society. We need the most qualified people to fill the most important positions (“functional importance”). Some jobs are more functionally important for keeping that society operating and the most talented people fill those jobs because not everyone is equally qualified (“scarcity of personnel”). Inequality motivates the few people who are qualified to train for important jobs

what's the weakness of the functionalist view on stratification

A lot of inequality is not due to functional importance

what's the conflict perspective on stratification

Inequality is a reflection of unequal distribution of power and resources and is primary source of conflict and coercion

what's max weber's stance on stratification

he highlights non-economic sources of stratification while still acknowledging the importance of economic life.

Cultural capital

skills, habits, and knowledge that help an individual navigate the world
Different social classes value different kinds of cultural capital
Upper class: how to appreciate art
Working class: how to fix a car

what helps develop cultural capital

Families, friends, and social institutions

what are the weaknesses of the conflict perspective on stratification

It has a hard time explaining why some people are able to move up in life, many Marxist predictions have failed to materialize, and class relations are more complex than he suggests

Interactionist Perspective on stratification

Focuses less on why inequality arises and more on how people within social classes live

first poverty myth

The vast majority of poor people are black or Hispanic

second poverty myth

People are poor because they do not want to work

why is the "People are poor because they do not want to work" myth false

Many of the poor are not in the traditional working ages. Half are too old or too young to work (about 40% of the poor are under age 18; another 10% are age 65 and older). About one-quarter of poor adults have a work disability. Many poor people (30% of working-age population) have jobs, but earn below-poverty wages

third poverty myth

Poor families are trapped in a cycle of poverty that few can escape

why is the "Poor families are trapped in a cycle of poverty that few can escape" myth false

the vast majority of poor people will not stay poor. ~10% of poor remain poor for longer than 5 years (known as the “underclass” or “terminally poor”)

fourth poverty myth

Welfare programs for the poor are straining the federal budget

why is the "Welfare programs for the poor are straining the federal budget" myth false

Size of national budget: $3.5 trillion (FY 2010)
Size of TANF, Medicaid, & ChiP budget: $314 billion (FY 2010)
9% of national budget
By contrast, defense spending accounts for roughly 20% of national budget

fifth poverty myth

The majority of the poor live in inner-city neighborhoods

why is the "The majority of the poor live in inner-city neighborhoods" myth false

42% of those in poverty live in central city area; 23% live in high-density poverty area

sixth poverty myth

The poor live off government welfare

why is the "poor people live off government welfare" myth false

50% of poor people’s income comes from wages/pension
25% comes from welfare
20% comes from social security

seventh poverty myth

Most of the poor are single mothers and their children

why is the "Most of the poor are single mothers and their children" myth false

40% of female-headed families are poor. But, 38% of poor families are actually headed by females

eighth poverty myth

Anti-poverty programs are designed to reduce poverty

why is the "Anti-poverty programs are designed to reduce poverty" myth false

most programs are simply designed to help the poor “make ends meet”. Only about 10% of the welfare budget goes to education and job training

minority

a category of people that is (1) distinguished by a physical or cultural difference that (2) society sets apart and subordinates. Has nothing to do with numbers

race

a category of people who are alleged to share certain physical characteristics that are (1) biologically inherited and (2) considered socially important

ethnicity

a category of people who have a shared cultural heritage

United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind

Thind reasoned that since Indians and Europeans share an ancestor, he should be eligible for naturalization

what was the ruling for United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind

Indians were not white and therefore are ineligible for naturalization. the supreme court refuted the case by saying that whiteness is not subject to science, it is subjective to the eyes of the common people

Asian immigration banned until

1965

FHA year of creation

1934

FHA

offered loans for housing. 10 or 20% down payment, the bank financed the rest for the next 30 years

what percentage did people pay for housing before the creation of the FHA

50%

redlining

a discriminatory practice in which services are withheld from potential customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as 'hazardous' to investment; these neighborhoods have significant numbers of racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income residents

blockbusting

the practice of persuading owners to sell property cheaply because of the fear of people of another race or class moving into the neighborhood, and thus profiting by reselling at a higher price

Five dimensions of segregation

evenness, exposure, concentration, centralization, hypersegregation

evenness

proportionate distribution of groups across space

example of evenness

a city w/ 20% black, 80% white; look into a random neighborhood and see that same ratio

the relationship of evenness to segregation

As evenness goes up, segregation goes down

exposure

probability of interaction between groups

concentration

amount of physical space occupied by one group

the relationship of concentration to segregation

Seeing multiple groups in a physical space: segregation going down

Centralization

distance to center of urban area [that a group lives]. Looks at how many/what proportion of those neighborhoods have a large percentage of racial minorities (clusters)

Hypersegregation

extreme segregation on some or all of these different dimensions

consequences of segregation

Systematically undermines social and economic well-being of minorities (exposed to high rates of joblessness as well as physical deterioration)
Schools get less effective
Opportunities for economic mobility decrease

black, white, latinx incarceration rates

Black Americans are 5 times more likely to be in jail than white Americans. Latinx are 1.2 times more likely.

% of black men who get incarcerated

~25% of young black men will go to prison at some point in their lives

Bruce Western's argument about incarceration

mass incarceration is a form of labor market regulation–it removes able-bodied men (and women) from the labor force. In the short run, this improves the unemployment rate. In the long run, it undermines the unemployment because ex-cons have a harder time getting a job

The color of money

Wealth of average white family: $188,200
Wealth of average Lantinx family: $36,100
Wealth of average black family: $24,100

best way to combat racism

identify and remedy social policies and institutional practices that advantage some groups at the expense of others

sex

the perceived biological distinction between males and females

gender

the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to having a certain sex

roadmap of gender

biology → sex → gender (expression)

fem chromosomes

XX

male chromosomes

XY

intersex

anatomy includes both female and male characteristics

Sexual reassignment

changing physical appearance to align with gender identity

Third gender

hijras (indian), muxes (mexican), kathoeys (thai)

Cisgender

a person whose birth/assigned sex is consistent with their gender identity

Transgender

a person whose birth assigned sex is not consistent with their gender identity

nonbinary

someone who does not subscribe to the gender binary

gender expansive

someone who does not follow gender stereotypes

Gender roles

the expected attitudes and behaviors a society associates with each sex--The “part” you’re supposed to play as a man or woman (constructed with the gender binary in mind)

agents of gender socialization

family, school, mass media, peers

sexuality

The way in which we perceive, experience, and express ourselves as sexual beings

sexual orientation

a person’s romantic and emotional attraction to another person

Heteronormativity

institutions, practices, and norms that support heterosexuality and oppose other forms of sexual orientation, especially homosexuality

kevin martin's experiment

Karin Martin argues that parents normalize heterosexuality for young children. Parents assume their child is straight, describe romantic relationships as only heterosexual, and make gays and lesbians invisible to their children