sociology^2

(MC) race and ethnicity

Race is a socially constructed category that is associated with one’s ancestry and phenotype whereas ethnicity is an identity that is based off of culture and society.

(MC) institutional racism

The idea that racism occurs through the respected and established institutions of society rather than through hateful actions of some bad people; that racism pervades all of society's structures in a systematic way.

(MC) feminism

Advocacy of the rights of women to be equal with men in all spheres of life.

(MC) macrosociology

The study of large-scale groups, organizations, or social systems.

(MC) capitalism

An economic system based on the private ownership of wealth, which is invested or reinvested to produce profit.

(MC) stereotype threat and stereotype promise

Stereotype threat: when Black students believe they’re being judged not as individuals but members of a negatively stereotyped group, they’ll do worse on tests. Stereotype promise: students who believe they’re being judged/viewed through the lens as members of positive stereotype they perform better.

(MC) "acting white" thesis

Thesis that Black students don't strive to get good grades because it's perceived as "acting white."

(MC) qualitative methods

Sociological research that often relies on personal and/or collective interviews, accounts, or observations of a person or situation.

(MC) the real culprit of racism in SYWTTAR

A system that subtly conditions people to become racist, even though they don’t want to be.

(MC) cultural appropriation

Borrowing elements of another culture.

(MC) concrete and abstract attitudes

Abstract attitudes are consistent with mainstream societal views, while concrete attitudes are ideas based on actual experience.

(MC) culture

The values the members of a group hold, the norms they follow, the material goods they create, and the languages and symbols they use to construct their understanding of the world, including both speech and writing.

(MC) norms

Principles or rules of social life that everyone is expected to observe.

(MC) standardized testing and information poverty

standardized testing – a situation in which all students take the same test under the same conditions.

information poverty – the state of people who have little or no access to information technology, such as computers. They are both unfair because it doesn’t look out for all students (non-born US + poor).

(MC) life course

The many transitions and stages people experience during their lives.

(Matching) conflict theory

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the role of political and economic power and oppression as contributing to the existing social order.

(Matching) absolute poverty

The inability to maintain an adequate level of subsistence.

(Matching) socialization

The social processes through which children develop an awareness of social norms and values and achieve a distinct sense of self.

(Matching) feminist theory

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the uniqueness of the experience of women.

(Matching) division of labor

The specialization of work tasks by means of which different occupations are combined within a production system.

(Matching) rational choice approach

The theory that individuals consciously calculate whether a particular action is likely to be advantageous.

(Matching) toxic masculinity

The aspects of hegemonic masculinity that serve to maintain men’s dominance over women in western societies.

(Matching) social structure

The underlying regularities or patterns in how people behave in their relationships with one another.

(Matching) intersectionality

A sociological perspective that claims our multiple group memberships affect our lives in ways that are distinct from single group memberships.

(Matching) culture of poverty

The values, beliefs, lifestyles, habits, and traditions that are common among people living under conditions of material deprivation.

(Matching) social construction

An idea or practice that a group of people agree exists and maintain over time.

(Matching) social stratification

The existence of structured inequalities between groups in society in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards.

(Matching) gender

The psychological, social, and cultural differences between people such as personality and social roles.

(Matching) slavery

An extreme form of inequality in which some individuals are literally owned by others as property.

(Matching) scapegoats

Individuals or groups blamed for wrongs that were not of their doing.

(SR) assimilation and how it functions in society

The process where a minority group adopts the practices, values, and culture of the dominant majority group in order to fit into society. Functions in society by helping minority groups fit into mainstream society

(SR) deviance and crime

Deviance is behavior that violates social norms or expectations. Crime is deviant behavior that breaks laws and is punishable through the legal system.

(SR) genocide

The deliberate destruction of a nation or ethnic group.

(SR) ethnocentrism and an example

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at other cultures through the lens of one’s own culture. For example, viewing foreign eating habits (like using chopsticks) as "wrong",

(SR) What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice - preconceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group toward another. Discrimination - behaviors that deny members of a particular group resources or rewards that can be obtained by others.

(SR) immigration

Moving from one place to another with the intent on living permanently there.

(SR) racism and how it operates

Racism is the belief that certain racial groups are superior or inferior based on inherited physical characteristics such as skin color. It operates through stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and systems like police brutality. For example, Black men may be unfairly targeted or harmed by police even when they are compliant.

(SR) white privilege and how it operates

White privilege - inherent or unearned advantages by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. Ex. Seeing your race in a positive light on TV, not being followed in stores, being allowed to purchase a house without racial difficulties, etc.

(SR) the 4 difficulties

1. It’s much harder to figure out the needs of a diverse group than a homogenous group, so people often focus on the needs of the majority to make things easier. 2. Intersectionality forces people to face their own privilege, which many find uncomfortable. 3. Intersectionality shifts focus away from the needs of people who are used to being at the center of a movement (such as white women in feminism). 4. Intersectionality forces people to consider people they don’t usually interact with. This is uncomfortable because people like to form groups with people they feel are similar to them.

(SR) the 4 questions

1. Ask yourself how factors like race, gender, ability, class, and sexuality impact the subject they’re dealing with. 2. Seek out the perspectives of diverse groups of people with different intersectional needs. 3. Take stock of who’s writing the books and articles that champion a cause: are they writers from diverse backgrounds? 4. Consider who your activism leaves out or ignores and ask yourself how you're making safe spaces for underrepresented or marginalized people to join the conversation.