Sociology Exam 3: Study Questions

How long has social stratification existed? Is it "universal?"

social stratification is structural, not individual, persisting over generations. Not Universal.

Are social classes or castes based on occupations?

yes

What are some examples of how belief systems perpetuate social stratification?

God's Will,, Divine Rights, Karma/dharma, fate

What evidence does Thomas Sowell use to support the idea that race and ethnicity have nothing to do with so-called "levels" of intelligence? (see article at end of study questions for Unit 3)

According to Herrnstein and Murray, why are some people at the top of the social hierarchy, and others at the bottom? (see article at end of study questions for Unit 3)

Herrnstein and murray's bell curve: higher social classes are there because they are more intelligent, and those people intermarry and pass along their superior genes

What factors are involved in Weber's "socioeconomic status" (SES)?

wealth, power, prestige

all exist along a continuum - not discrete categories

Do we have high or low status consistency?

US has low status consistency. Europeans and Castes have high status consistency.

What sociological perspective is used by Davis & Moore in their attempt to explain the existence of social stratification? For them, is social stratification good or bad?

Functional Theory of Social Stratification where social stratification is a good thing.

For Karl Marx, what is the cause of social stratification, and is it good or bad?

private ownership of the means production leads to social inequality (casts, classes), which is a bad thing

Is the US currently a "pure meritocracy?" (pp. 244, 245)

Yes. Getting a job based on higher education level.

Could the term "feminization of poverty" (p. 271) relate to the number of women-headed households in the US in 2015? (see Fig. 14-1)

number of single/unmarried mothers is increasing (daughters of these mothers have an increased likelihood of becoming single mothers); sons have an increased likelihood of becoming incarcerated (lack responsible male "model")

What is the "welfare wall?"

people on welfare are disincentivized to take a higher paying job and losing their welfare benefits

Why has there never been a Marxist/socialist revolution in the US?

- ppl own stocks, making them owners to the means of production

- high standard of living exists (large middle class)

- organized labor

- legal and governmental protections (OSHA, workers comp, etc.)

Did social stratification exist in the old Soviet Union and, if so, on what basis? (p. 247)

yes, heads of bureaucracies and politicians of the state were at the top of the social hierarchy. Now are oligarchs - 110 ppl own all majority of Russia's wealth

The top 10% of US income earners pay what percentage of taxes?

70% of income taxes

The top 1% of US income earners is responsible for what percentage of charitable contributions?

own 40% of wealth and 30% of charitable contributions

What percentage of families own 88.9% of wealth in the US?

top 20%

What is the least that can be earned to be part of the top 1% and 5% income earners in the US?

top 1%: 429K

top5%: 239K

Why would Marx say that "class consciousness" is important?

important in order to start a socialist revolution

What is "conspicuous consumption", and does this involved "status symbols?" (p.255) Would this be a "social construction of reality"?

the act of buying and using products to make a statement about social standing. Yes, it would involve status symbol and impression management

How do the Welfare Reform Act and "workfare" relate to the idea that poverty is partially a result of personal responsibility (and not "society's fault")?

must have a job in order to earn public assistance, geared toward those in poverty who thought they couldn't hold a job

what is the new term for "welfare", and what is the key word used in this term?

TANF - temporary assistance for needy families

How does the "culture of poverty" concept explain poverty?

it is an attitude or outlook that keeps the poor, poor: fatalism, inferiority complexes, defeatism

relative poverty

how poor you feel in relation to someone else

mass poverty

shanty towns, favellas in Brazil, millions in poverty

voluntary/transitory poverty

a starting artist voluntarily makes themself poor until their big break

The social conflict/socialist perspective sees poor people as being victims of what?

systemic inequalities of the capitalist system

What were Herbert Spencer’s feelings toward the poor, and why did he have these feelings? (see The meaning of class: Is getting rich” the survival of the fittest”?) (p. 251) Would this relate to “the fallacy of biological determinism”?

He would have little interest in social welfare programs. Spencer's viewpoint is racist/elitist/fascist.

What distinguishes intragenerational from intergenerational social mobility?

inter: you vs. parents

intra: you vs. an earlier social status of your life

Do the "old" and "new" rich admire, value and accept one another?"

No, old rich do not like the new rich

How do the terms "race" and "ethnicity" differ? Is the significance of "race" more biological or sociological?

race: a biological concept based on physical traits

- discrete "racial" categories do not exist in nature, race is a continuum

Race: a sociological concept in the sense that (1) we believe that “races” exist, therefore they exist, and (2) we believe that members of races share certain behavioral characteristics, so this also becomes “real.”

Ethnicity: a term that refers to the cultural or subcultural ways of a collection of people (behavior)

The critics of Affirmative Action say it has mainly helped minorities of what social class?

middle class minorities

Of racism, sexism, ageism, ethnocentrism, and elitism, which involve prejudice and discrimination? Which would involve "the fallacy of biological determinism"?

racism and sexism

What is "colorism"?

light skin African Americans thought they were superior to Darkskins

What are the basic arguments of the scapegoat, authoritarian personality and social conflict theories regarding the origins of prejudice?

1. Scapegoat: when a group/social category displaces (from actual causes) and directs its hostility toward those believed to be the cause of their failures, misfortunes, etc.

2. Authoritarian Personality: those raised by cold, harsh, demanding, uneducated parents develop personalities characterized by inferiority, low self-esteem, aggressiveness, resentment, hostility, hatred, bigotry

3. Social Conflict: the rich and powerful (“power elite”) conspire to foment racial, gender, class etc. strife so that the masses will be so busy hating one another that they will be unable to unite against the rich/powerful by way of a socialist revolution

What does the "culture theory" of prejudice involve?

anyone is capable of pre judice because people look out for their own in groups

What is the significance of Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Edu?

•Plessey v. Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court decision making segregation legal as long as schools (and other facilities) were equal in quality

•Brown v. Board of Education (1954) struck down Plessey v. Ferguson because it was established that separate facilities (especially schools) were often not of equal quality

What are miscegenation laws? P.350

prevented non-Whites from marrying whites until 1967

What of the patterns of social interaction used by dominant (majority) groups and subordinate (minority) groups is/are used by both groups?

amalgamation

What is "the vicious circle of prejudice and discrimination? Are the Thomas Theorem, labeling theory, the social construction of reality, and the Sapir-Whorf Thesis involved? Could Big Government programs have contributed to this vicious circle by creating negative stereotypes regarding racial and ethnic minorities (with the "functional" becoming "dysfunctional")?

pattern of stereotyping -> prejudice -> discrimination

-Involves Thomas Theorem, Sapir Whorf hypothesis.

- Big Govt: systemic racism through banking, real estate etc.

What happens to prejudice as “social distance” increases? Pp. 345, 346

prejudice increases

What is Shelby Steele's approach to understanding continuing racial conflict in the US today? P . 348

minorities keep strife alive and in the news so that they can create the reality that no progress has been made and that, therefore, minorities should continue to receive preferential treatment in the areas of jobs/education (perception of prejudice increases). More of a conservative theory.

What factors during and after World War II led to increased poverty among urban African Americans?

post-war recession, fewer jobs, "stimulus program", suburbanization expanded, decreased tax base, big gov't programs of 1960s added to negative stereotypes

Would pluralists or assimilators want English to be the official national language of the US? Why? p. 350

assimilators would want English as an official national language, Pluralists want diversity

What are the functions of the institution of education in a society like ours? Would creating social networks be a manifest or latent function?

Functions: socialization, social integration, social placement

Latent Functions: hidden curriculum, child care, spouse marketplace, etc.

Who is more likely to drop out of school, and why? (p. 463)

Has "tracking" in education led to more or less social equality, and why? (p. 457)

has led to less social equality: students in lower tracks are less motivated to achieve more, stigmatization, lower course rigor

Has “functional illiteracy” increased or decreased in recent decades? Could this be related to lowered academic standards, grade inflation, self-esteem building, and social promotion? (p. 464)

functional illiteracy is increasing (14% now)

•National educational policies have stressed “self-esteem building” (through “social promotion,” “grade inflation” and “dumbing down”) over genuine academic achievement

Of the three varieties of "feminism," which has the greatest and least acceptance, and why?

greatest acc: liberal

least acc: Radical

Do socialist feminists value the traditional institutions of marriage and family, and why or why not? (p. 415)

Socialist believe marriage is "domestic slavery" for women

How do American women compare with other women in the world in terms of the percentage of household work they do? (see Global Map 4-1, p. 106; compare Fig 11-2, p. 319))

What areas of the world might benefit most from feminist, anti-sexist, and anti-patriarchy efforts put forth by American feminists? (see Global Maps 11-1 and 11-2, pp. 313 and 323)

What are the approximate percentages of women to men in law and medical schools today? (p.320)

•47% of Law degrees earned by women (2014)

48% of Medical degrees earned by women (2014)

What is involved in sexual harassment, who can be a victim of such harassment, and are the intentions of the accused harasser important?

Comments, gestures, physical contact of a sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, and unwanted

•The intent of the accused is immaterial; perceptions of victim are paramount

What are the "trigger" and "safety valve" theories regarding pornography?

trigger: it incites sex crimes and/or violence against women (conservative stance)

safety-valve: provides an outlet for those how are or may become sexual criminals/deviants (liberal stance)

Do any feminists defend the existence of pornography and, if so, on what grounds?

Two Feminist Views:

1. it promotes degradation, devaluing, objectification of females/women

2. women have rights over their bodies and can do whatever they choose

According to Coleman, what are the most important factors leading to student success in school? (pp. 459, 460)

(1) parent-student-teacher interactions, and (2) instilling values of learning, education, hard work, aspirations, success (acquire cultural capital)