Sociology Exam I Study Guide

Radical feminism

A version of feminist thought that suggests gender is a fundamental aspect of the way society functions and serves as an integral tool for distributing power and resources among people and groups.

Socialist feminism

A version of feminist thought that employs Marxist paradigms to view women as an oppressed social class

Sex role theory

The idea of a sex role begins with more general idea of a social role, a set of expectations attached to a particular status or position, such as white or Black, man or woman, gay or straight.

Allocation in doing gender

the way decisions get made about who does what, who gets what and who does not, who gets to make plans, and who gets to give orders or take them

Accountability in doing gender

the ways in which people gear their actions to specific circumstances so others will correctly recognize the actions for what they are

How does the process of doing gender work?

A theory of gender that claims gender is an accountable performance created and reinforced through individuals' interactions

Ethnomethodology

Uncovering assumptions in social life and interactions

Glass escalator

Invisible pressure for men to advance in their professions

Glass ceiling

Invisible barriers preventing women and minorities from advancement

Cisgender

Gender aligns with the assigned gender at birth

Transgender

Gender identity differs from sex categorization at birth

Intersex

Anatomical or genetic ambiguity about biological sex at birth

Intersectionality

The ways in which several demographic factors especially social class, race, ethnicity, and gender combine to affect people experiences.

Sociological imagination

Understanding personal hardships through historical and social context

Quantitative research

Empirical investigation of social issues using statistical analysis

Qualitative research

Study of how people define, experience, or understand social problems

Survey research

Collection of data through written questionnaires

Content analysis

a research method where the researcher attempts to codify or thematically analyze a written piece of work

Mixed Methods

research method that involves using and combining ideas and methods from both quantitative and qualitative research

Patriarchy

Society characterized by male dominance

Structural functionalism

Theory that considers how social phenomena function to maintain unity and order in society.

seeks to explain society as a complex system whose parts work together for stability and to promote solidarity.

Conflict theory

The sociological theory that focuses on dissent coercion, and antagonism in society

Sociologists use it to explain conflict and inequality between groups, including Social classes

Symbolic interactionism

A micro perspective that focuses on the meaning individuals ascribe to events, symbols, artifacts, and interactions as part of their interpretation and understanding of social reality

Social institution

Networks of structures in society that work to socialize the groups within them.

Examples: legal system, religion, military, education system

Social status

Honor or prestige attached to one's position in society

Social mobility

Upward or downward movement in social position over time

Social stratification

Categorization of people into socioeconomic tiers based on various factors

Social constructionism

Process by which people define a social problem into existence

Culture of poverty thesis

The idea that living in poverty leads to the acquisition of certain values and beliefs that perpetuate remaining in poverty

Racial minorities

Groups with less power than the majority

The veil

Psychological manifestation of racial segregation (the color line)

WEB DuBois' psychological wage

Tactic used by white capitalists to make white workers feel superior to non-whites

Symbolic ethnicity

Celebrating ethnicity without impacting daily lives

Institutional racism

Policies and practices embedded in social institutions that consistently and disproportionately favor members or the dominant/majority group while systematically excluding/disadvantaging people of color

Internalized racism

Belief in deserving mistreatment or accepting stereotypes about one's own group

Wage gap

Difference in earnings between women and men

Absolute measures of poverty

Establishing a poverty line for measurement

Means-tested programs

Government programs available only to individuals below a poverty line

Relative measures of poverty

a measure that looks at individuals or groups relative to the rest of their community or society rather than setting an absolute line

Participant observation

Researcher observes and studies people in everyday settings

Working class occupations

e.g. factory workers

Middle class occupations

e.g. teachers, businessmen

Upper class occupations

e.g. doctors, high-level businessmen

Census racial breakdown by Black

13%

Percent of college students who are women

58% of college students are women

Jim Crow

System of racialized segregation from 1965 to late 1960s
Balcks couldn't:
Vote
own their own labor
testify as a witness
obtain an equal education

Tokenistic fallacy

Perfunctory effort to be inclusive to minority groups

Expressive vs instrumental

Considering others' feelings vs goal-oriented behavior

Children in poverty in the US

9 million