SOC 100 Exam 3 Study Guide - Topics Covered at UMICH

assertions of research made by Babbie

-important to gain empirical data this data is observed and can't be seen as just numbers, --

-value of research

assertions of research made by Best

-don't trust statistics 100%

-always be skeptical about statistics

positivism

-objective

-uncovering natural laws

-scientific

-hard facts

vershtehen

-subjective

-understanding the experience of the subjects

quantitative vs qualitative

quantitative- information that can be measured and written down with numbers

qualitative- information that cannot be measured

quantitative (ex. survey)

-depends on right people/right questions

-can describe or explain or both

ethnography

-roots in anthropology

-steps:

-choose topic/join group

-stage 1-keep mouth shut

-stage 2- penetrate to a true understanding

-stage 3-withdraw and write

limits:

-hard to repeat precisely

-may not be representative

-researcher's forces is selective

-researcher may go native

Elaine Bell Kaplan- type of research

ethnography- becomes immersed in the culture as an active participant and record extensive field notes

Elaine Bell Kaplan- major conclusions of her piece about research

-"not our kind of girl"

-studied group of women

-overthrew widely held beliefs

-must understand the social causes by examining the realities of the girl's lives

define activism

an intentional effort to create change

activism relationship to theory and research

(triangle arrows) all related to each other

categories of activism

-consciousness raising

-community building

-lobbying

-media activism

-propaganda

-economic activism (boycott, divestment)

-protest

-strike action

-non violent confrontation

-violent confrontation

-revolution

activism- Marx: praxis

-Marx called activism praxis

-praxis is any type of action

define social movement

-an organized social group that acts with continuity and coordination to promote or resist change in society or other social units

-most organized form of collective behavior and tend to be most sustained

Michigan theorist famous for Resource Mobilization Theory

-Mayer Zald

Addams & Alinsky (time frame/location)

-Addams- 1860-1935, Chicago

-Alinsky- 1909-1972, Chicago

Addams key themes

-the sociologist analyzes the situation at hand to create positive social change

-the individual agent is the unit of analysis

-america configures key social elements in ways that must be changed to attain true democracy

-america must raise our moral concerns from the personal level to the social (ethics) which requires a better understanding of others' experiences: sociology can help

-our ethics are reflected in the way we provide for the disadvantaged and we need to improve in this area

-economic deprivation in childhood skews the individual's perspective

-our current mode of government is intended to enforce individual compliance with 18th century ideals; instead we need to examine social factors that produce deviance

Alinsky key themes

-organized chicago neighborhoods for political action

-later organized stockholders to lend their votes to proxies who would vote at annual stockholders meetings to support social justice

-called mainstream liberalism passive and ineffective

-the most effective means are whatever will achieve the desired ends

-created mass organizations to seize power

-take hot, impulsive passions and turn them into calculated, purposeful, effective actions

-use power for a more equitable distribution of the means of life

-the core truth of the activist- people have the power to act and will ultimately reach the right decisions

-all other truths are relative and changing

-the world is an arena of power politics moved primarily by self-interest and morality is a rhetorical rationale for expedient action and self-interest

-organized religion is materially solvent and spiritually bankrupt

Addams & Alinsky (differences)

-alinsky way more radical

Adam Smith's approach

-free market

-no regulation of any type should be needed to ensure that the mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services takes place, since an invisible hand will guide market participants to trade in the most mutually beneficial manner

catch phrase used to summarize Adam Smith's approach

-invisible hand

does Stiglitz agree/disagree with Adam Smith?

-stiglitz opposes free market philosophies that believe markets work best when there is little or no government intervention

-disagrees

key trend in US economy over the past 30 years that Stiglitz identifies and discusses

-for the past 30 years, we have been growing apart to worst level since the Great Depression and gov policies have been a part of that

Trickle Down economic theory

-investing in the upper class causes them to increase business and create benefits/jobs for lower classes

does Stiglitz agree/disagree with Trickle Down

-DISAGREE

role of education in opportunity for Americans

-education does help to provide opportunity but the rich get a better education

-wealthy kids without degrees still do better than poor kids with degrees

Gini coefficient

-everyone's income is equal = 0

-one person gets all money = 1

-below 0.3 is good

-above 0.5 is bad

-US is 0.47

Why does Stiglitz blame US economic inequality on the government?

-how the government responded to certain market events

categories of action Stiglitz would take to reduce US economic inequality

-economic reform (curb excess at the top, help the rest, new social compact)

-political reform

two scenarios that Stiglitz describes as alternative futures of the US

-reform (99% will realize they have been duped or 1% will realize that reform benefits them too)

-current trend worsens (dual economy and possible popular violence)

What are frequently used measures of health? How is the US doing on these measures?

Life expectancy

Infant mortality rate

What are the two key problems in US health and healthcare?

Cost

Distribution

key health problems experienced by each of the following groups: African Americans, Native Americans, people with lower socioeconomic status, women, LGBT folks

Lgbqt: testing, access to hormones, surgery

Women: birth control, abortions, family care

African Americans:chronic disease, pre-term babies, heart disease, homicide

Native Americans:mortality, chronic disease, mental health

Structural inequalities

the systematic disadvantage of one social group over another

health inequities = systematic difference in the opportunities groups have to achieve optimal health, leading to unfair and avoidable differences in health outcome

Social Determinants of health

Conditions in social environments (places where people live, learn, work, play, worship, etc.) that affect health risks, health outcomes, and quality of life outcomes.

What are the 4 levels of Structural Inequity

Intra-personal (intrapersonal): within the self, self doubt

Interpersonal: between individuals, discrimination, etc

Institutional: racial profiling

Systematic: multiple mechanisms of inequality interact

What are the 9 Social Determinants of Health

Education:

Income/wealth:

Employment:

Health Systems + Services: Management:

Housing:

Physical environment:

Transportation:

Social Environment:

Public Safety

Why does Stiglitz blame US economic inequality on the government?

For the way it has responded to market events

What are current examples of government provided (socialized) health care in US?

medicaid(for the poor), trying to get rid of by republicans- haven't been fully successful

medicare(for people above the age of 60)

Two key issues that contribute to high cost of US healthcare.

The soaring costs of hospital care.

The rise in fees for the services of physicians.

Positivism

objective: uncovering natural laws

Vershtehen

subjective: understanding the experience of the subjects

how many americans don't have health insurance?

11%

Allan Johnson

- individualistic or systematic

-where is the path of least resistance

- how are culture + structure involved

Marx

- how is class conflict involved

- how are superstructures serving economic base

- who is dominating who?

- how is money driving the situation

Max Weber

-how is status and party involved?

- how are cultural institutions involved

- how is disenchantment involved

durkheim

- how is the organism working/ disfunctioning?

- how are values holding us together/ tearing us apart

(George herbert) Mead

- how is socialization working

- how have concepts been constructed ((think about the kids on the playground, learned things))))

Davis + moore

functionalist perpective: economic inequality allows us to sort people by their talent- this is problematic

macro

examines whole society

meso

examines instituions

micro

examines indiciduals

difference between qualification and competence

qualification: degrees, slips of paper, etc

competence: the actual ability to carry out the job

Du bois

How are race and class intertwined?

How do we see effects of color line, veil, double consciousness?

Are the issues of racial minorities being blamed on them rather than social structure?

Feminism

What about the women?

Why is this as it is?

How can we make things more just?

Patricia Hill collins

How are inequalities "intersecting"?

Gans

Never be able to get rid of poor people completely, it benefits rich people

rent seeking

trying to make money without doing anything (chain across river example)

BORDIEU types of capital

Social(networking, manners)

Cultural(knowledge to help you succeed ex: playing golf)

symbolic(prestige)

what did obamacare try to strengthen

- Incentives to increase the number of primary care doctors

- Programs and money to support those pursuing nursing careers

- Strengthen support for those involved in the community, preventive and geriatric healthcare and education

The Massachusetts plan

helped with unequal distribution of health care by race-ethnicity, social class, gender and region.

variables for group income differences

education,industry and operations

Type of Social Movements

-"Alternative" - change one behavior; -"Redemptive" Personal transformation movements hippie, new age, religions

-"Reform" - social change movements - environmental and animal rights movements

- "Revolutionary" - Reactionary movements - Aryan Nation

alinksy book

rules for radicals