Sociology: Race, Gender, Marriage, and Family

Race

Classification of people based on shared physical characteristics.

Contact Hypothesis

Personal contact with minority groups can reduce prejudice.

Prejudice

A positive or negative attitude or bias toward a group.

Discrimination

Actions that deny people opportunities because of group membership.

Scapegoat

A person or group wrongly blamed for others' problems.

Assimilation

A minority group adopts the dominant culture and loses some of its own traditions.

Dominant Group

A group whose values, language, customs, and traditions dominate society.

Institutional Discrimination

Discrimination built into social institutions, intentionally or unintentionally.

Genocide

Systematic killing of a population for racial, religious, political, or other reasons.

Internal Colonialism

Exploitation of minority groups within a country for political or economic gain.

Jim Crow Laws

Southern state laws that enforced racial segregation.

Racial Formation

The process of creating, changing, and eliminating racial categories.

Amalgamation

Blending of racial groups through interracial marriage.

Selective Perception

Accepting information that supports your beliefs while ignoring opposing views.

Minority Group

A group with less political and economic power that experiences unequal treatment.

Multiculturalism

Different cultural groups coexist while maintaining their traditions.

Stereotypes

Exaggerated and inaccurate generalizations about a group.

Gender Stratification

Unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women.

Sexual Harassment

Unwanted sexual advances or behavior, often involving a workplace power imbalance.

Sex

Biological characteristics including chromosomes, anatomy, and hormones.

Gender

Socially learned behaviors and expectations associated with being male or female.

Feminism

The belief that men and women should be politically, economically, and socially equal.

First Wave of Feminism

Focused mainly on women's voting rights, achieved nationally in 1920.

Second Wave of Feminism

Focused on equal pay, workplace opportunities, and protections against harassment and violence.

Third Wave of Feminism

Focused on women's rights globally, including education, political rights, and ending violence.

Glass Ceiling

Invisible barrier preventing qualified women from reaching leadership positions.

Glass Escalator

Tendency for men to receive faster promotions, even in female-dominated fields.

Acquaintance Rape Underreporting

Some victims blame themselves or fear the consequences of reporting someone they know.

Women as a Minority Group

Women historically have less political, economic, and social power.

Gender Differences

Develop through socialization and learning cultural gender roles.

Significance of Gender

Gender influences access to power, opportunities, and social privileges.

Feminist Theory

Examines inequalities affecting women and seeks solutions.

Honor Killings

Killing of a woman or girl by family members claiming she dishonored the family.

Feminist Explanation of Sexual Harassment

Unequal power and misuse of authority contribute to sexual harassment.

Marriage

Socially recognized union involving sexual and economic rights and duties.

Propinquity

Physical or psychological closeness between people.

Endogamy

Marrying someone inside your own group.

Exogamy

Marrying someone outside your own group.

Homogamy

Marrying someone with similar social characteristics.

Monogamy

Marriage between two individuals.

Polygamy

Marriage involving multiple spouses.

Polyandry

One wife married to multiple husbands.

Polygyny

One husband married to multiple wives.

Family

Two or more people related by birth, marriage, adoption, or cohabitation.

Nuclear Family

Married couple and their biological or adopted children.

Extended Family

Family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Family of Orientation

The family you were born or adopted into that raises you.

Family of Procreation

The family you establish yourself.

Fictive Kin

Close friends treated as family despite not being relatives.

Blended Family

Family formed by bringing children from previous relationships together.

Boomerang Children

Young adults who move out and later return to their parents' home.

Sandwich Generation

Adults caring for both children and aging parents.

Cohabitation

Living together in a committed relationship without legal marriage.

Functionalist Theory

Family serves important functions and meets society's needs.

Developmental Theory

Families change through different stages of life.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Family relationships develop through communication, symbols, and roles.

Systems Theory

Family members are interconnected and affect each other.

Exchange Theory

People seek relationships that maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Conflict Theory

Family relationships involve power differences, conflict, and negotiation.

Social Factors in Marriage

Physical closeness, group membership, and similar social characteristics influence partner choice.

Marital Satisfaction After Children

Often decreases after children arrive, although experiences vary.

Marriage and Divorce Rates

The supplied lecture notes do not specify a rate trend.

Cohabitation vs Marriage

Cohabitation lacks the formal legal marriage status.