sociology test 1

socialization

• Socialization is a continuous process throughout lifetime

  • primary socialization: early years are the most formative

• socialization is not an intellectual process, instead we embody codes from the world around us

• socialization is not a mechanical process: we are not passive agents but may transgress

• can transgress socalization/gender norms at various stages of life

difference between biological sex and social sex

• no such thing as a stable gender identity that one gradually learns through socialization

• binary is a social construct

  • constructed by a patriarchal heteronarmative system eg: washrooms, parents, rights of passage (baby shower, marriage)

  • consistently reinforced

• -if this binary was not constantly reproduced across social systems, it would not be socialized and embraced

• people would be more fluid with their gender identities

  - two spirit societies

systemic racism vs indiuvalds racism

• systemic: the systemic bias against certain minorities, oppressing these communities through institutions upholding white hegemony

  • eg; job or university criteria that gives advantages to affluent individuals, over policing of black communities

• individuals: prejudiced attitudes and actions that contribute to discrimination

  • due to upbringing etc

• key features:

  • hegemony

  • environmental racism

  • historically rooted

  • resource allocation

  • privileges

  • justice system, laws, policies, prisons,

  • institutions

  • hierarchy

racialization

• The process by which society attributes racial identities to individuals or groups, often leading to the reinforcement of stereotypes and social hierarchies

• essentialization: (takes race as their essence)

  • take a group and attribute it to race based on culture, religion, etc

  • reductionist; reduces humanity to a race

  • used to justify differential treatment and enable extermination

• groups that “became white”

  • italian

  • irish

  • hungarians

  • salvs

  • jews

socio-economic inequality

• inequality: distribution of resources, where it is concentrated and hoarded among the rich

• compares various groups such as top 5% to middle class

  • outcome of unequal distribution of economic resources in a given society

    • unequal distribution as a byproduct of political and ideological systems (capitalism)

    • policies: taxation of rich, minimum wage, means of production private vs public ownership

• gap between upper class and lower class has increased substantially between the 80s

• compare salary increase with other groups over time

how are class inequalities reproduced

not just through financial means

• access to opportunities

  • education, sports, jobs

• geographic infrastructure inequalities

• cultural and social capital

  • codes of speech, dress,

  • connections/network

• environment/access to green spaces

• media

• upbringing

  • children exposed to art, music, food, clothing,