soc exam #2

Socialization

The process of people learning and internalizing culture through interaction.

Social reproduction

The process of perpetuating culture through interaction.

Mead's theory of development

A theory that includes three stages: Imitation, Play, and Game, which describe how children develop self-awareness.

Imitation

Baby learns through copying the gestures of others.

Play

Children taking on roles during play.

Game

Kids understanding and taking on multiple complex roles in which they develop self-awareness.

Self-consciousness

A state of awareness of oneself as an individual.

Taking the role of the other

The ability to understand and predict the behavior of others by seeing things from their perspective.

Generalized other

The general attitude of a community.

The self

A person's ability to see themselves through the lens of others, formed by the Me and I.

Me

The rule-following, conforming part of the self; the social self.

I

The active and interpretive part of the self; the individual response and active self.

Stronger Me

A more conforming person that fits social norms.

Stronger I

A more deviant person that often stimulates cultural change.

Agents of socialization

How people are taught culture, norms, and values.

Family

An agent of socialization that influences a person's values and norms.

School

An institution that serves as an agent of socialization.

Peers

Individuals of similar age or status that influence socialization.

Media

A significant agent of socialization that spreads cultural norms and values.

Social identity

The characteristics given to a person by others.

Self-identity

A person's understanding of who they are.

Master status

A person's primary social identity that defines them and influences their societal roles.

Role strain

The stress a person faces when failing to meet the expectations of a certain social role.

Role conflict

Stress a person feels when a social role has conflicting demands.

Ethnomethodology

The study of everyday life and social interactions.

Deviance

Behaviors that violate societal norms.

Statistical approach

An act that is an outlier from the norm, with a low probability of taking place.

Legalistic approach

Uses the law to determine deviance (illegal=deviant).

Normative approach

Sociologist's approach; violation of social norms and expectations.

Deviance and Functionalism

Deviance serves the function to set moral boundaries and promote social cohesion.

Merton's deviance typology

Deviance depends on if we accept the means and the goals of society.

Institutionalized means

The approved methods in society to achieve desired goals.

Cultural goals

Things desired by a society, such as money and prestige.

Conformity

Accepting both the cultural goals and institutionalized means; most people fit into this.

Ritualism

Rejecting the cultural goals but accepting the institutionalized means.

Innovator

Accepting the cultural goals but rejecting the institutionalized means.

Retreatism

Rejecting both the cultural goals and institutionalized means.

Rebellion

Rejecting both the cultural goals and institutionalized means and instead making their own goals and means.

Durkheim's sociological theory of suicide

In low regulation of societies, there are higher rates of suicide.

Conflict theory and Deviance

Criminal deviance reflects power and privilege, being a result of social inequality.

Deviance

behaviors that violate societal norms

Social control

Mechanisms used to encourage conformity and discourage deviance.

Moral entrepreneurs

People that attempt to change social norms and values.

Moral panic

Perceived threat to social values that causes heightened concerns.

Labeling theory

Labelling individuals influences their behavior and self identity.

Stigma

A powerful social label that excludes an individual or group.

Stigma management

Concealment, compensation, association, education, and normalization.

Stigma concealment

Hiding deviant traits.

Stigma compensation

Emphasizing positive traits in an attempt to counterbalance deviant traits.

Stigma association

Solidarity from others who share the same stigma.

Stigma education

Reducing ignorance and prejudice for a stigma.

Stigma normalization

Framing a stigma as normal.

Stratification

The hierarchical arrangement of people in a society.

Social inequality

The unequal distribution of resources and status among people.

Social mobility

The ability for people's socioeconomic status to rise or fall.

Upward mobility

The ability for people to rise to a higher social or economic status.

Downward mobility

The movement of people to a lower social or economic status.

Intergenerational mobility

Any change in status of family members between generations.

Intragenerational mobility

A change in an individual's socioeconomic status in their lifetime.

Structural mobility

A change in people's socioeconomic status that's out of their control/due to economic and social changes.

Role of education

Better education increases an individual's chance of upward mobility.

Key characteristics of stratification

Degree of inequality and degree of social mobility.

Four systems of stratification

Slavery, estate system, caste system, class system.

Functionalism and stratification

Inequality is viewed as motivational, assumes that everyone has equal opportunity, stratification is essential for social stability.

Conflict theory and stratification

Stratification is due to capitalism, with owners accruing a surplus of wealth and workers barely covering basic needs.

Weber's status

People are stratified based on the prestige of their position.

Income

Money received from work, investments, or government programs.

Wealth

Income + assets.

Trends of stratification and economic inequality in the US

The income of the poor stays the same over time, while the rich get richer. Income inequality was low from the 30s-60s, but has increased after the 70s.

The super rich

Top 1% with an income of over $7.8 million, made up of 250k Americans.

The upper class

Top 20% of households made up of corporate leaders and generational wealth.

The upper middle class

Mean income of $123k. Highly educated professionals and mid-level corporate managers.

The lower middle class

Mean income of $78k. Has the most variety in occupation.

The working class

Mean income of $46k. Blue and pink collar workers.

The lower class

Mean income of $16k. Low wage workers and non-workers

Social class reproduction

Socioeconomic class being passed down for generations, reinforcing class divisions

Equality of opportunity

Focuses on leveling playing field of opportunities regardless of background

Equality of outcome

Ensures that disadvantaged people are actively making gains, often intervening and redistributing resources to address inequalities

Absolute poverty

When a person lacks the basic requirements to stay healthy

Relative poverty

Poverty defined according to the living standards of a society

Culture of poverty

The idea that poverty is passed down through sets of values and behaviors, with the notion that poverty is a choice

Structural explanation of poverty

The idea that poverty is perpetuated by social, economic, and political systems (ex: inequalities in opportunity, funding for schools, access to healthcare)

Sex

Biological construct based on genitalia, chromosomes, and reproductive organs

Gender

Taught social characteristics attached to sex

Gender binary

The concept that you must conform to the genders of man or woman

Gender nonconforming

Not adhering to societal norms of your sex

Functionalism and gender

Views sex and gender as the same, believes that men and women are different but equal, argues that their complementary roles maintain societal stability, biological determinism

Patriarchy

A system in society in which men have power over women

Sexism

Discrimination of the basis of sex

Symbolic interactionism and gender

Views gender as a social construct learned through socialization

Doing gender

Adhering to culturally defined scripts of what a woman/man should be

Undoing gender

Deviating from the script of what a woman/man should be

Trends of Sexuality in the US

LGBTQ+ population is growing within younger generations, most of them being liberal and urban

Gender and Education

Males are challenged more than girls in school, stem fields being primarily male and caregiving fields more female. However, there's more women in higher education than men.

Occupational segregation

When specific jobs are predominantly held by one gender

Glass ceiling

A barrier preventing women's upward mobility

Mommy tax

Professional and financial penalties that working mothers face

Gender division of labor

Women in heterosexual relationships contribute to more labor in housework than man, the divide growing worse with children

Ethnicity

A shared cultural identity based on language, beliefs, and values that distinguishes members of a given group

Race

A group determined as different due to perceived phenotype, ancestry, or cultural differences rather than biological reality