soc 110: meyer's midterm (cal poly)

absolute poverty

not having enough income to secure basic life necessities

between race genetic information

difference between among people of two racial groups

biological determinism

a line of thought that explains social behavior in terms of who you are in the natural world

cultural capital

cultural knowledge and cultural competencies that people need to function effectively in society

culture of poverty

a set of norms, values, and beliefs that encourage and perpetuate poverty

defamiliarization

the technique of making the familiar seem new and strange, and thus making us see more vividly

discrimination

unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice

doing gender

the performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves

essentialism

the view that living things have an essence inside them that makes them what they are, natural

ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

eugenics

science dealing with improving hereditary qualities

feminism

the belief that women should possess the same political and economic rights as men

gender

a social process through which people are divided into a specific and limited number of classes, and membership in each class reflects and determines "life changes"

gender roles

duties and behaviors expected with particular status

generalized other

integrated conception of the norms, values, and beliefs of one's community or society

genocide

the deliberate destruction of a group of people

heteronormative(ity)

denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation

hijira/hijra

third gender role

homosexual

attracted to the same sex

internalization

the process of adopting as one's own the attributes, beliefs, and standards of another person

masculinity

possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men

"the mask"

I [vs me]

agency, power, action

lower (working) class

the social group that has the lowest status; the working class

macrosociology

large scale patterns and processes that shape and are shaped by interactions and organizations

microsociology

interactions between people and pairs, small groups, and large groups

me [vs I]

object of others' gaze, constructed in relation to others

mesosociology

organizations and institutions that contain limit and enable social life

middle class

a social class made up of skilled workers, professionals, business people, and wealthy farmers

miscegenation

biological reproduction by partners of different racial categories

norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

omnipresent

operates in every sphere of social life

omnirelevant

meaningful in all spheres of social life

one-drop rule

the belief that "one drop" of black blood makes a person black

patriarchy

a form of social organization in which males dominate females

pluralism

a state in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing

prejudice

A negative attitude toward an entire category of people, often an ethnic or racial minority.

race

a group whose inherited physical characteristics distinguish it from other groups

racialization

practice of categorizing people according to race or of imposing a racial character or context

racism

discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

relative poverty

earning less than a certain % of area median income

role

duties and behaviors expected with particular status

sanctions

rewards and punishments used to encourage people to follow norms

scientific racism

the use of scientific theories to support or validate racist attitudes or worldviews

segregation

the separation or isolation of a race, class, or group

self

a person's distinct sense of identity as developed through social interaction

sex

biological or physical aspects of being male or female

sex role theory

sexual division of labor, femininity or masculinity

sexism

the ideology that one sex is superior to the other

sexuality

desire, sexual preference, and sexual identity and behavior

social construct

a concept or category that is the result of social interaction, not biological reality

social darwinism

survival of the fittest

social identity

the social definition of self including race, religion, gender, occupation, and the like

socialization

the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture

sociological imagination

ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives

sociology

study of the evolution, development, and functioning of human society

social institution

the organized, usual, or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs

status

a social position that a person holds

straight-line assimilation

in general, classic assimilation theory sees immigrant/ethnic and majority groups following a "straight-line" convergence, becoming more similar over time in norms, values, behaviors, and characteristics

symbolic ethnicity

the way in which a collection of symbols imparts meaning and identity to members of an ethnic group

symbolic interactionism

approach that focuses on the interactions among people based on mutually understood symbols

underclass

people with low incomes who continually struggle with economic problems

upper class

economic elite

within race genetic variation

difference among members of one racial group are

social class

a division of a society based on social and economic status.