Sociology Exam #2

Ethnocentrism

the evaluation and judgment of another culture based on one’s own cultural norms

Cultural Imperialism

the deliberate imposition of one’s own cultural values on another culture

Culture Shock

When people find themselves in a new culture, they may experience disorientation and frustration.

Cultural Relativism

the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of one’s own culture

Xenocentrism

the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the belief that another culture is superior to one’s own

Formal Norms

established, written rules existing in all societies

Informal Norms

casual behaviors that are generally and widely conformed to

Subculture

groups that share a specific identification, apart from a society’s majority, even as the members exist within a larger society

Popular Culture

the pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in mainstream society; is accessible by most and is expressed and spread via commercial and social media outlets such as radio, television, movies, the music industry, publishers, and corporate-run websites

High Culture

describes the pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in the highest or elite class segments of a society.

Countercultures

reject some of the larger culture’s norms and values; might actively defy larger society by developing their own set of rules and norms to live by, sometimes even creating communities that operate outside of greater society

Hourglass Economy

an economic model characterized by a shrinking middle class and a large upper class and lower class(quantity)

Decline of the Middle Class

Although the middle class is still significantly larger than the lower and upper classes, it shrank from 69 percent in 1971 to 51 percent in 2020. Arguably the most significant threat to the U.S.’s relatively high standard of living is the decline of the middle class. The wealth of the middle class has also been declining in recent decades. Its share of the wealth fell from 32 percent in 1983 to 16 percent in 2016

GNI (gross national income)

the income of a nation calculated based on goods and services produced, plus income earned by citizens and corporations headquartered in that country

Gini Coefficient

measure of inequality; the higher the number (the closer to that one person having all the income or wealth), the more inequality there is (ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 representing perfect equality and 1 representing perfect inequality)

GDP

a country’s national wealth

Social Mobility

refers to the ability of individuals to change positions within a social stratification system

Upward Mobility

refers to an increase—or upward shift—when they move from a lower to a higher socioeconomic class.

Downward Mobility

when individuals move from higher socioeconomic class to a lower one

Intergenerational Mobility

a difference in social class between different generations of a family

Intragenerational Mobility

changes in a person's social mobility over the course of their lifetime

Open System

a system of stratification, based on achievement, that allows some movement and interaction between layers and classes

Closed System

a system of stratification that accommodates little change in social position

Upper Class

considered the top, and only the powerful elite get to see the view from there. In the United States, people with extreme wealth make up one percent of the population, and they own roughly one-third of the country’s wealth

Cultural Fit

Hiring based on how well an individual's character and values align with a company's established cuture

Absolute Poverty

deprivation so severe that it puts day-to-day survival in jeopardy

Relative Poverty

the state of poverty where one is unable to live the lifestyle of the average person in the country

Material vs. Non-Material Culture

material: what is it made of? where your clothes are manufactured (global trade)? style and functionality of clothes?

nonmaterial: what are the social norms that influence your outfit? religious or cultural implications? symbolic meanings (UT t-shirt, sports team, etc)

Cultural Lag

the gap of time between the introduction of material culture and nonmaterial culture’s acceptance of it

Wealth

The net value of money and assets a person has.

Income

A person's wages or investment dividends.

Upper Class and its Boundaries

Elites; hold the majority of the wealth; own businesses/companies; typically well-educated; work skilled jobs

Middle Class and its boundaries

Lower and upper-middle-class

upper middle class: tends to have or advanced degrees (bachelors, masters);

lower middle class: more likely to have gone to community college and completed and associates; hold jobs supervised by members of the upper middle class. They fill technical, lower- level management or administrative support positions.

Lower Class and its boundaries

working class, working poor, and underclass

working class: highest sub-category; have steady jobs

working poor: unskilled, low-wage laborers w/ limited education; have low-paying jobs that have little to no benefits

underclass: extreme poverty and unemployment; many rely on welfare systems to provide food, medical care, and housing assistance, which often does not cover all their basic needs.

Core Nations

dominant capitalist countries, highly industrialized, technological, and urbanized

Peripheral Nations

very little industrialization, unstable governments, inadequate social programs, and are economically dependent on core nations for jobs and aid

Semi-Peripheral Nations

in-between nations, not powerful enough to dictate policy but acting as a major source of raw materials and an expanding middle-class marketplace

Deindustrialization

the loss of industrial production, usually to peripheral and semi-peripheral nations where the costs are lower

Globalization

the process of integrating governments, cultures, and financial markets through international trade into a single world market

Outsourcing

a practice where jobs are contracted to an outside source, often in another country

Global Feminization of Poverty

a pattern that occurs when women bear a disproportional percentage of the burden of poverty

Underground Economy

a loosely defined unregulated market unhindered by taxes, government permits, or human protections.