Sociology Study Guide

What is sociology concerned with?

Understanding how the social world affects the self, our thoughts, and our interactions

The existence of ____ is dependent on people's ability to create and understand symbols.

Culture

Views people share about what is true or what really exists are called _____.

Beliefs

What are values?

Ideas shared by members of a society about what is important and worthwhile

What are social norms?

Rules of conduct or social expectations

What is a socially defined position of an individual in society?

Status

What is the difference between achieved and ascribed statuses?

An achieved status is chosen or earned while an ascribed status is given at birth without willingness on your part

What is a set of behaviors associated with a status?

A role

How is bureaucracy best described?

A division of labor with a hierarchy of authority and impersonality

____ is the process of learning culture, language, walking, and talking, among other behaviors.

Socialization

When a soccer player is a member of the team, how are other members of the team seen?

Generalized others

What is traditionally considered to be the primary agent of socialization in the United States?

Family

What are the components of the American Criminal Justice System?

• Police

• Courts

• Corrections

What is deviance?

Behavior that violates social norms

When we say that deviance varies by time, what do we mean?

Behaviors seen as deviant in one location, society, or culture may be considered nondeviant in others

What do income, education, and occupation measure?

A person's socioeconomic status

What is inequality?

Unequal distribution of resources

Why can't poverty be solved by finding jobs for the adult poor population?

Many do work, but the pay is below the poverty level, hence the term working poor

What are stereotypes?

Widely held beliefs about the character and behavior of members of a group

How is prejudice defined?

A negative attitude about another group

____ is an action intended to exclude another group.

Discrimination

What does assimilation cause individuals to do?

Give up their cultural traditions

Cultural pluralism is also known as ____.

Multiculturalism

How can the difference between gender and sex be explained?

Gender pertains to the cultural concepts of masculinity and femininity, and sex pertains to biological characteristics of males and females

What are gender roles?

The cultural concepts of masculinity and femininity that society creates around gender

An increase in the proportion of women below the poverty line, particularly female heads of household, is called the ____.

Feminization of poverty

When grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren all live under a single roof, this is ____ family.

An extended family

While U.S. law requires ____, while ____ can be found around the world.

Monogamy; Polygamy

In which groups does divorce occur frequently?

Among people who married in their teens

In dual-career families, who is usually responsible for household chores?

The wife

Who largely runs American schools?

Local school boards

Why do schools in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods have less funding?

Local school funding comes primarily from state and property taxes

Why is there concern about the performance of American public schools?

American students do worse than students in other countries in math and science

In the past, the major killing diseases were ____; now, however, they are primarily _____.

Infectious; Degenerative

What is true about diseases during the 20th century?

Rates of death from heart disease and cancer have increased

In the past, alcoholism was seen as an illness that could be cured by willpower. How is it seen today?

As a physical disease that can be treated

What is the medical model?

A model that suggests sickness is an individual problem requiring individual treatment

What is the most dramatic form of acting crowds?

Mobs and riots

What is the term used to describe a superficial or trivial behavior that is very popular for a short time?

Fad

What term is used to describe a collective, noninstitutionalized effort to bring about social change and establish a new order of social thought and action?

A social movement