Sociology Textbook - New

foraging societies

focused on surviving off of wild plants and hunting animals, had low inequality and divisions of labour 

horticultural societies vs pastoral societies

1. Horticultural societies = focused on surviving through domesticating plants and using simple tools to garden

2. Pastoral societies = focused on surviving through domesticating cattle, camels, goats, and pigs

• Pastoral and horticultural societies = both allowed less people to produce food and more people focus on tools 

agricultural societies

focusing on animal power and plows → increasing food supply and dependability on food 

postindustrial societies

 workers being employed in the service sector and computers increasing division of labour 

recombindant DNA

removing DNA from a gene to create new life form

postnatural society

genetic engineering allowing creation of new life form

social diversions

minor acts of deviance that at MOST has a mild societal reaction

conflict crimes

acts of deviance that many people consider harmful and are punishable by state → white collar

consensus crimes

acts of deviance that MOST people consider harmful and are punishable by state → murder

victimless crimes

crime where victim is not identified or no victim stepping forward

street crimes

typically lower class like robbery or arson

white collar crimes

higher class like fraud or money laundering - business

intersectionality

how gender/race, social class, and sexuality interact to PRODUCE unique outcomes related to health, education, and income

panopticon

a prison design where prisoners are being observed without their knowledge → jeremy bentham

recidivism rate

% of previously imprisoned individuals who commit another crime after their release, typically within 2 years

criminalization

behaviour that can become illegal through authorities that have ability to pass laws

counter movements

social movements that are opposing forms of other social movements, destabilizing their views → formed by disadvantaged people

repertoires of contention

historically specific forms of protest → the way people know how to protest, the way others expect people to protest, and the way people actually protest

political citizenship

the right to run for office and vote

civil citizenship

freedom of religion, right to speech, and justice over law

social citizenship

the right for everybody to have economic security to some level/extent and full social life in the country

universal citizenship

the right for marginalized communities and humanity as a whole to have full citizen rights

second demographic transition theory

our modern society is going through a transition characterized by sustained below replacement fertility, with no return to stationary population (where births are balanced by deaths)

• Simple = People are having fewer babies than needed to replace the population, and this probably won’t bounce back.

• Births stay lower than deaths, so the population slowly shrinks or ages.

post materialism

suggests that once societies are able to reach the survival based needs, their priorities turn toward higher order needs like self expression and autonomy 

• Simple = Once people are not worried about surviving, they start caring about being happy and free.

• People choose fewer kids because they value independence and personal goals

low fertility trap

occurs when prolonged period of below replacement fertility becomes self reinforcing as a result of demographic, economic, and social change, preventing a country from raising its fertility rate

urban centres

settlements where there is at least 60,000 inhabitants and at least population density of 1500 ppl/km^2 → eg: toronto and van

urban clusters

settlements where there is at least 5000 inhabitants and at least population density of 300 ppl/km^2 → eg: small cities and suburbs

urban heat island effect

when urban areas have higher temperatures than outlying areas

dyad vs triad

dyad = social relationship between 2 social units

• no free riders, more intimate and intense

• partners assuming full responsibility for anything

triads = social relationship between 3 social units

• restricts individuality → allowing one partner be constrained for majority good

• less intimate and intense

free riders

partners who benefit from the relationship without contributing to it

surveillance society

society using all-encompassing surveillance technology to optimize social control

medicalization of deviance

human problems or experiences become defined as medical problems

• usually in terms of illnesses, diseases or symptoms

• shift from willful to involuntary deviance

• rise in mental disorders

views on functions of prison

1. rehabilitations = taught to be productive citizens + reintegrate into society

2. deterrence = ppl being less inclined to commit crimes if they know they are prob gonna be caught + serve long time

3. revenge = denying criminals of freedom, forcing them to live in poor conditions

4. incapacitation = prison keeping them out of society for as long as possible so they cant inflict more harm

capital punishment

death penalty

restorative justice

 an approach to justice that focuses not on punishment, but on rehabilitating offenders through reconciliation with victims and the larger community

• Humanizes offender and reassures that through conformity, the stigma associated with a crime can be removed

4 main criticisms against bureaucracy

1. dehumanization = treating clients as standard cases rather than ppl with unique needs → inefficient, lowering work morale

2. bureaucratic ritualism = bureaucrats become so preoccupied with rules + regulations, making it difficult for organization to complete goals

3. oligarchy = power concentrated with hands of few ppl at top of hierarchy → not held accountable and hinders democracy

4. bureaucratic inertia = tendency of large, rigid bureaucracies to continue policies when clients need change

2 main factors for bureaucratic inefficiency

1. size → larger, harder to communicate

2. social structure → more complex, harder to communicate

media imperialism

control of a mass medium by a single national culture and undermining of other national cultures

net neutrality

internet service providers shouldn’t restrict access to any online content

3 things social media affects

1. identity

2. social relations = interactions, building all kinds of community

3. social activism = opening new way to engage in social change - encourage slacktivism vs high-risk activism

edwin herman and noam chomsky

ways that help bias the news in a way that support powerful interests

1. advertising - corporations making it look good

2. sourcing = corporations slant info to favour them

3. flack = corporations attack journalists who disagree w them

symbolic interactionism - media - stuart hall

audience takes active role in consuming, intended+received meanings arent the same

conflict theory in social movement

crisis of legitimacy theory: oppressive measures used by gov to control discontent fueling more discontent

normative vs comparative function

• Normative function: standard of how we should be

• Comparative function: standard of how we should measure ourselves

poststructuralist view of media and truth bubbles

• Media simulates and imitates reality, becoming so widespread that they come to define reality

• People experience a weakened capacity to comprehend reality as it actually is (truth bubbles)