Sociology - Sex, Power, Race, and Health Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary from the Sex and Power, Race, and Medical Sociology lecture notes.

Condoms

One of the oldest forms of contraception, with early versions dating back as far as approximately $1000\,BCE$ (over $3,000$ years ago).

Roe v. Wade (1973)

A U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide by protecting a constitutional right to privacy.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)

A U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade, returning abortion regulation authority to individual states.

Comstock Laws

Federal and state laws from the $1870s$ that banned the mailing or distribution of contraception and abortion information labeled as obscene.

Affirmative sex education

Sex education that is inclusive, medically accurate, consent-focused, and free from shame.

Pathologizing sex education

Sex education that treats sexuality as dangerous, immoral, or abnormal, often relying on fear or shame.

Sex

Biological characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy.

Gender

Social and cultural roles, expectations, and identities associated with masculinity and femininity.

Gender Identity

A person's internal understanding of their gender.

Gender Expression

How a person outwardly presents gender through clothing, behavior, hairstyle, and other means.

Intersex

A person born with biological traits that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies.

Transgender

A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender Binary

The belief that only two genders exist: male and female.

Doing Gender

The idea that people perform and reinforce gender through everyday behavior and interactions.

Gender Socialization

The process through which people learn gender roles and expectations from society.

Glass Ceiling

Invisible barriers that prevent women and marginalized groups from reaching top leadership positions.

Gender Pay Gap

The difference in average earnings between men and women.

Intersectionality

The idea that systems of inequality overlap, such as race, gender, and class.

Occupational Segregation

The concentration of specific genders into different types of jobs or careers.

Human Capital Theory

The theory that wage differences are caused by differences in education, skills, and work experience.

Bias (Shelley Correll)

Unfair assumptions or stereotypes that influence judgments and decisions.

Gender stereotypes

Oversimplified beliefs about how men and women are expected to behave.

Patriarchy

A social system where men hold more power and authority in society, politics, and the economy.

Race (sociological definition)

A socially constructed category used to group people based on perceived physical differences such as skin color.

Ethnicity

Shared cultural traits such as language, nationality, religion, or traditions.

Prejudice

Negative attitudes or beliefs about a group of people.

Discrimination

Actions or behaviors that unfairly treat people based on group membership.

Racism

A system of inequality that advantages some racial groups while disadvantaging others.

Color-blind racism

The belief that ignoring race will eliminate racism, even though systemic inequalities still exist.

Microaggressions

Everyday comments or actions that subtly communicate bias or stereotypes toward marginalized groups.

Stereotype

An oversimplified belief or assumption about a group of people.

Scapegoat

A person or group unfairly blamed for social problems.

Redlining

A discriminatory housing practice where banks denied loans or services to residents in minority neighborhoods.

Symbolic racism

Subtle racism expressed through beliefs that minorities do not work hard enough or receive unfair advantages.

Internalized racism

When marginalized racial groups accept negative stereotypes about themselves.

Implicit bias

Unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect judgments and behavior.

Environmental racism

The placement of pollution, toxic waste, or environmental hazards disproportionately in communities of color.

Medical Sociology

The study of how social factors affect health, illness, healthcare, and medicine.

Social Epidemiology

The study of how social conditions and inequalities influence patterns of health and disease.

Epidemiology

The study of how diseases spread, who is affected, and how health problems can be controlled.

Social Determinants of Health

Social and economic conditions, such as income, housing, and education, that influence health outcomes.

Social Gradient

The pattern where people with higher social status or income tend to have better health and longer life expectancy.

Upstream determinants of health

Broad social, political, and economic factors that shape health outcomes, such as poverty and policy.

Downstream determinants of health

Immediate health-related factors such as individual behaviors, medical treatment, and diet.

Masculinity

Social expectations about how men are supposed to behave, often emphasizing toughness and risk-taking.

Norms

Shared rules or expectations about how people should behave in society.

Deviance

Behavior that violates social norms.

Social control

Ways society enforces norms, categorized into positive control (rewards) and negative control (punishments).

Stigma

A negative label or shame attached to a person because of a trait or behavior.

Functionalist theory of deviance

The concept that deviance helps society by reinforcing norms and promoting social cohesion.

Conflict theory of deviance

The idea that laws and punishment reflect power differences where dominant groups control deviance.

Control theory

The theory that people commit crimes when their bonds to society, such as family or school, are weak or broken.

Broken windows theory

The idea that small signs of disorder, like vandalism, can encourage more serious crime if not addressed.

Labeling theory

The theory that deviance is shaped by the labels society assigns to individuals.