Sociology and Political Polarization Review

Flashcards covering deviance and mass incarceration, adolescent mental health debates, sports sociology, Durkheim's rituals, Gilens and Page's power theories, Quadagno's stakeholder mobilization, Lareau's parenting models, and Klein's theories of polarization.

What are the three theories of deviance outlined in the notes, and what core mechanism drives each?

Strain theory (PRESSURE: people experience pressure when they cannot achieve socially accepted goals), differential association (LEARN: people learn deviant behavior through interactions with others), and labeling theory (LABEL: society's labels and reactions influence whether someone is viewed as deviant).

What factors contributed to mass incarceration, and how do crime rates relate to incarceration rates?

Mass incarceration was driven by the War on Drugs, mandatory minimum sentences, longer prison sentences, and tough-on-crime policies; crime rates and incarceration rates do not always move together.

What is the main disagreement between Jonathan Haidt and Candice Odgers regarding adolescent mental health?

Haidt argues that a phone-based childhood, less free play, and more online activity have potential negative effects on mental health, whereas Odgers urges caution, emphasizing that correlation does not prove causation, other factors matter, and youth already having difficulties may use social media differently.

How are correlation and causation defined in the context of social media and mental health research?

Correlation means two things are related, whereas causation means one thing directly produces another.

How do functionalism and conflict theory differ in their views of sports?

Functionalism views sports as creating unity, building teamwork, generating school pride, and reinforcing shared values; conflict theory views sports as involving unequal power and financial interests where universities profit from athletes who historically had limited compensation.

What argument did Taylor Branch make regarding college athletics?

Branch argued that college sports operate like a business in which universities earn substantial revenue while the concept of amateurism restricted athlete compensation.

What modern changes have altered compensation for college athletes?

NIL, which allows athletes to earn money through their name, image, and likeness, and revenue sharing, which allows schools to share athletic revenue directly with athletes.

What are Emile Durkheim's three steps for how rituals produce social solidarity?

1. Gather (people participate in a shared ritual), 2. Feel (they experience powerful shared emotions), and 3. Belong (they develop stronger social bonds and solidarity).

How does Durkheim define collective conscience, social solidarity, and collective rituals?

Collective conscience refers to shared beliefs and values; social solidarity refers to feelings of connection and belonging; collective rituals are activities performed together that reinforce group identity.

Why does a college football game resemble a religious ritual under Durkheim's framework?

Fans wear school colors, sing fight songs, chant together, and celebrate victories, which brings people together through shared traditions and powerful shared emotions that build solidarity.

What are the four theories of American government influence examined by Gilens and Page, in order?

1. Majoritarian electoral democracy (voters influence policy through elections), 2. Majoritarian pluralism (different groups compete and influence policy), 3. Economic-elite domination (wealthy individuals have greater influence), and 4. Biased pluralism (powerful organized business groups influence policy).

What did Gilens and Page conclude about the political influence of wealthy Americans compared to average citizens?

Wealthy Americans had substantial independent influence, average citizens had little or no independent influence once elite preferences were considered, and business groups had more influence than ordinary citizen groups.

Why do elections fail to correct the policy influence imbalance found by Gilens and Page?

Voters often cast ballots based on party identity and remain loyal to their political party, an effect strengthened by party sorting as explained by Ezra Klein.

What does stakeholder mobilization mean according to Quadagno?

It means that groups organize, use resources and leadership, influence government decisions, and protect their interests.

How did stakeholder mobilization influence the 1935 Social Security Act and 1965 Medicare legislation?

In 1935, the American Medical Association (AMA) mobilized resources to oppose national health insurance, leaving it excluded; in 1965, the AFL-CIO and organized labor mobilized senior citizens to build political support for Medicare's passage.

How did stakeholder negotiations shape the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

President Obama and congressional Democrats negotiated with powerful stakeholder groups and made compromises, expanding private insurance and Medicaid instead of creating a single-payer system.

What is concerted cultivation, and what are its advantages, disadvantages, and textbook example?

A middle-class parenting style involving scheduled, organized activities, adult involvement, and encouragement to question adults (example: Alexander Williams); its advantage is comfort navigating institutions, while its disadvantage is having busy schedules and less free time.

What is accomplishment of natural growth, and what are its advantages, disadvantages, and textbook example?

A working-class and poor parenting style involving self-directed play, less structured activities, and children organizing their own time (example: Little Billy Yanelli); its advantage is independence and strong personal relationships, while its disadvantage is less comfort navigating institutions.

What can and cannot be concluded from Annette Lareau's twelve-family study?

It CAN provide detailed information about parenting, social class, and childhood, but it CANNOT prove that all families behave this way or that the results apply to everyone.

What is the distinction between party sorting and ideological polarization in Ezra Klein's analysis?

Party sorting refers to WHO joins each party (people with similar beliefs aligning so liberals become Democrats and conservatives become Republicans), whereas ideological polarization refers to HOW FAR apart the parties' actual political beliefs move.

How does the political trajectory of Strom Thurmond illustrate party sorting?

Thurmond was a Southern Democrat who opposed civil rights, ran as a Dixiecrat in 1948, and joined the Republican Party in 1964, demonstrating the movement of Southern conservatives toward the Republican Party.

What do Henri Tajfel's minimal group experiments demonstrate about human group behavior?

They demonstrate how easily people identify with arbitrary groups, adopt an us-versus-them mentality, and develop group favoritism.

What is motivated reasoning, and what health-care policy demonstrates it in Klein's text?

Motivated reasoning is the tendency to protect existing beliefs by accepting supporting evidence and rejecting challenging evidence; for example, the individual mandate was supported by some conservatives until Democrats adopted it in the Affordable Care Act.

Why are factual corrections often insufficient to bridge political polarization?

People interpret facts through their existing beliefs, reject information that threatens their identity, and prioritize protecting their political group over accepting opposing evidence.