Intro to Sociology test 3:

deviance

variation from a set of social norms or shared expectations

absolutist view

the view that certain behaviors are deviant regardless of the social context in which they occur

moralist view

the view that norm violations are deviant because they are morally wrong

medical view

the view that deviance is essentially pathological evidence that a society is unhealthy

medicalization of deviance

the transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition

statistical view

a perspective on deviance that defines deviant as any variation from a statistical norm

internal means of control

learned patterns of control that exist in the minds of individuals and make them want to conform to social norms

external means of control

pressures of sanctions that are applied to members of society by others

sanctions

rewards and punishments that are used to encourage proper behavior

informal external controls

positive and negative controls, such as smiling, frowning, and high-fiving used to influence behavior

formal external controls

the systems created by society specifically to control deviance

realistic view of deviance

the view that deviance can be interpreted only in the sociocultural context in which it occurs

blaming the victim

a type of reasoning that implies that social problems are caused by the people facing them

strain theories

theories of deviance suggesting that the experience of socially induced strain, such as anomie, forces people to engage in deviant activities (Merton)

anomie

the incongruence between a society’s emphasis on attaining certain goals and the availability of legitimate, institutionalized means of reaching these goals; often gives rise to deviance

modes of adaptation

conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion

cultural transmission theory

the theory that a community’s deviance may be transmitted to newcomers through learning and socialization

differential transmission theory

the theory that deviance results when individuals have more contact with groups that define deviance favorably than with groups that define it unfavorably.

social learning theory

the view that deviant and conforming behaviors are strongly influenced by the consequences that follow them

differential reinforcement

the view that the acquisition and persistance of either deviant or conforming behavior is a function of what behaviors have been rewarded or punished

sociocultural learning theories

theories that deal with the processes through which deviant acts are learned and the conditions under which learning takes place

labeling theory

a theory that emphasizes how certain behaviors are labeled “deviant” and how being given such a label influences a person’s behavior

Edwin Lambert

primary and secondary deviance

primary - deviance that is sporadic and temporary

secondary - deviance that is habitual and routine

crime

a violation of a criminal statutory law typically accompanied by a specific punishment applied by some government authority

organized crime

groups expressly arranged to carry out illegal activities

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

data collected by the bureau of justice statistics on criminal victimization

inequality

differences between groups in regard to wealth, status, or power

social differentation

the differences or variations between people based in selected social characteristics, such as class, gender, race, or age

power

the ability to control or influence the behaviors of others, even without consent

social stratification

the ranking of people according to their wealth, prestige, or party position

hunting/gathering societies

small societies that are often nomadic, have no agriculture, and live off the food found

simple horticultural societies

societies that grow food using very simple tools

division of labor

the assignment of interrelated specialized tasks with a social system in order to accomplish a goal

advanced horticultural societies

societies with irrigation systems and other advanced farming practices

agrarian societies

complex societies with farming, armies, merchants, and a concentration of wealth of few people

industrial societies

societies with great division of labor, highly specialized work, and a great concentration of wealth

mechanical solidarity

the idea of Durkheim in which people do similar work but are not very connected

organic solidarity

Durkheim’s term for the integration of society that results from the division of labor (people are very dependent on one another)

open system

a system if stratification in which it is possible to move to a higher or lower system

closed system

a system of stratification in which there is no movement from one rank to another

caste system

a system in stratification in which one’s social position is ascribed at birth, one’s value is assessed in terms of religious or traditional beliefs, and in which upward social mobility is impossible

estate system

a system of stratification in which one’s social position is ascribed by law or through inheritance

slave system

a system of stratification in which there exists a basic belief in the ownership of humans as labor

class system

a system of stratification found in industrial societies in which one’s wealth and vertical social mobility is possible

social class

a category of people who have approximately the same amount of power and wealth and the same chances to acquire wealth

life chances

the opportunities a person has to improve his or her income or lifestyle

social status

the amount of honor and prestige a person recieves from others in the community - also the position one has in the stratification system (Weber)

socioeconomic status (SES)

an assessment of status that takes into account a person’s income, education, and occupation

poverty

having fewer resources than are required to meet the basic necessities of life, usually according to rates based on a government index of income relative to size of family and farm/farm residence

feminization of poverty

an increase in the proportion of women below the poverty line, particularly female heads of households

upward mobility

movement in the stratification system to a position of greater wealth, status, and power

downward mobility

a move to a position of lower rank in the stratification system

intragenerational mobility

a change of social position or rank, up or down, within one’s own lifetime

intergenerational mobility

a change of social position from one generation to the next

split labor market

a labor market in which some jobs afford upward mobility and others do not

legitimate

to make the power of the dominant group acceptable to the masses so they let the dominant group rule without question

ideology

a set of ideas about what society is like, how it functions, whether it is good or bad, and how it should be changed

false conciousness

lack of awareness of class differences and the acceptance of upper-class rule

class consciousness

awareness among members of a society that the society is stratified and that they share the same plight