Sociology: Social Stratification, Race, Gender & Groups Flashcards | Quizlet

Equality of Outcome

Everyone should end up with the same amount

Social Mobility

The movement between different positions within a stratification system

Estate

Politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility. Laws are written regarding rights and duties that separate individuals and distribute power.

Caste

Religion-based system of stratification characterized by no/little social mobility

Elite Mass Dichotomy System

A system of stratification that has a governing elite (a few leaders) who hold the power of society. (20% of the group holds the power over that rest of the 80%)

Absolute Poverty

The point when a household's income falls below the necessary level to purchase food to physically sustain its members. (the official Poverty Measure)

Relative Poverty

(A measurement of poverty based on a percentage of the median income in a given location.)

1790 Naturalization Law

This law was passed and conferred citizenship to all "free white persons."

Scientific Racism

19th Century theories of race that characterize a period of feverish investigation into the origins, explanations, and classifications of race.

Social Darwinism

The application of Darwinian ideas to society, namely, the evolutionary "survival of the fittest"

Sex

The perceived biological differences that society typically uses to distinguish males from females

Gender

Refer to a social position; a set of social arrangements that are built around the normative sex categories

Hegemonic Masculinity

The condition in which men are dominant and privileged, and this dominance and privilege are invisible.

Structural Functionalist/Parson's Sex Role Theory

Men and Women perform traditional roles because they help maintain the nuclear family structure (Male as a breadwinner and Female as a Homemaker). Which in turn contributes to the capitalist system and produces future workers.

Micro/Interactionist perspective/ "Doing Gender" perspective

West and Zimmerman theory draws from Dramaturgical Theory. Argues gender is a process and results from interactions (Gender as Performance)

Dyad

Most intimate form of social life, Members are mutually dependent upon each other. Pure dyad is voluntary

Mediator

Attempts to resolve conflict between the other two members, and someone joins the group for that explicit purpose

Tertus Gaudens

Profits from the disagreement of the other two actors, essentially the opposite of mediator

The Strength of Weak Ties

Idea that relatively weak ties often turn out to be quite valuable because they yield new information.

Mechanical Solidarity

Social Cohesion based on sameness (punitive punishment)

Organic Solidarity

Social Cohesion based on difference and interdependence (social sanctions)

Formal Sanctions

Rules or laws that prohibit deviant and/or criminal behavior

Informal Sanctions

Unspoken (but widely known) rules of social life)

Social Constructionism/Social Construct

An entity that exists because people behave as if it exists and whose existence is perpetuated as people and social institutions act in accordance with widely agreed on formal rules or informal norms of behavior associated with that entity.

The Upper Class

SES group consisting of the Economic Elite. Often distinguished by source of income - investments rather than wages (Roughly 1% of the US population fall into this category)