sociology 1 midterm ucsd

what is social order ?

the basic organization of society

what are the problems with social order ?

it is usually set up in a hierarchy, filled with many inequalities

what is power?

the probability that a person can carry out his or her own will when pursuing goals, despite resistance ; ability to set an agenda ; ability to influence what others want

what is an institution?

standard operating procedure, the script by which we follow; repetition of social practices that are supported by social norms; organized established procedures that give order to society

what is culture?

a learned set of enduring values, beliefs, and practices that are shared by an identifiable, large group of people with a common history ( a mental state )

what is agency?

the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices ( free will )

what is social change?

growth and development / break or revolution of social order

what is a social network?

a web of ties linking individuals together, may be strong or weak

what are the four ideas on why people go to college?

human capital

credentialing

degree by default

the appeal of experience

what is defensive credentialing ?

people get additional credentials in order to remain in the job pool / stay competitive

what is the human capital model ?

theory on why people go to college which states that students attend college in order to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary for the workforce

explain the degree by default theory

college is becoming institutionalized, so people go because they have to and it is what is expected of them ( no thought put into the decision )

explain the appeal of experience theory

people go to college for the experience of college not because they have to or want to obtain certain skills (parties, independence, learning, etc.)

why does college reproduce itself as an institution ?

- economic outcomes / pay gap

- degree by default, people feel as though college is a necessary next step

- credentialing / defensive credentialing

what is the problem with causality ?

college degrees show correlation with economic success, happiness, healthier lives BUT are not necessarily the cause of all these factors

what is institutionalized racism ?

racism built into the standard operating procedures (does not have to be intentional)

what is the confluent love model?

the "pure relationship" one that's entered into for its own sake and maintained only as long as BOTH partners are receiving satisfaction from it

what is credentialing?

the theory that people go to college because degrees are important NOT because of the knowledge you gain but because they are a signal to employers

explain how credentialing is used as a screening device/ heuristic

degrees are used as a signal to employers , so employers require degrees in order to filter out their job pool

what are Goin's 2 hypotheses about hookup culture?

1. hookups are apart of greater social change

2. they offer liberation/ freedom (especially for women)

what are Wade's 2 hypotheses on why men don't have friends?

1. men prefer no emotional attachment (not supported by survey)

2. men are socialized into the culture of shoulder to shoulder friendships ( toxic masculinity )

explain Gidden's transformation of intimacy idea

love has become more important in marriages so therefore when the love is lost so is marriage , sex isn't as ceremonious ( 1/3 of kids born out of wedlock )

explain the idea that marriage has become deinstitutionalized

marriage is no longer apart of the script, people having kids out of wedlock, don't see the need for marriage as much ( problems w this is people still expect to get married ) desires don't match their actions however

what is racial inequality ?

racial inequality is the unfair difference in OUTCOMES among many races ( income, education, etc. )

what is racial discrimination?

racial discrimination is not about outcome but about action, discrimination usually leads to inequalities; the unequal treatment of races

what is racism?

an ideology of racial domination, belief that one race is superior to another

explain perceived group threat

people are in support of non racist ideologies until they feel that their power and superiority is being threatened

what is implicit bias?

an unconscious, automatic attitude that may guide behaviors independent of a person's awareness or control// most racism now is implicit, not overt

explain racism as a social process

being asked to identify race on a job application

reports of a crime tell a suspects race

segregated neighborhoods

racism built into the everyday social processes, not intentionally

what are the three configurations of neighborhoods, which will have the most conflict

intergroup competition ( A and B clearly separated )

community disorganization ( A and B mixed together )

contested boundaries ( A and B separated except around the boundaries ) , contested boundaries will have the most conflict because of the confusion of power

explain how intergroup competition works

A and B clearly polarized and segregated, little conflict because who has power in which areas is clear

explain how community disorganization works

A and B mixed together , no segregation, conflict arises because lack of trust in communities, lack of institutions, no methods to resolve conflict

explain how contested boundaries work

A and B clearly separated except on the boundaries, conflict is highest here because power is unclear ( turf )