Sociology Unit 4 – Race & Ethnicity, Families, Education, and Health

Vocabulary flashcards covering key theorists, concepts, and perspectives from Sociology Unit 4: Race & Ethnicity, Families, Education, and Health.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Sociologist who introduced the concept of double consciousness— the internal conflict between Black identity and American identity.

Double Consciousness

Du Bois’s idea that African Americans navigate two social identities, leading to a sense of internal conflict.

Peggy McIntosh

Scholar best known for writing about white privilege, notably the essay on the 'invisible knapsack.'

White Privilege

Unearned social advantages enjoyed by white people, often unnoticed by those who possess them.

Social Construction of Race

The view that racial categories are created and maintained by social processes rather than biology.

Ethnicity

Group classification based on shared culture, language, and traditions.

Race

Group classification based on perceived physical traits; socially defined, not strictly biological.

Dominant Group

Group that holds power and sets cultural norms in a society.

Subordinate Group

Group with less power and limited access to resources compared to the dominant group.

Prejudice

A prejudged attitude— usually negative— toward members of a group.

Discrimination

Unequal treatment or behavior directed at individuals because of their group membership.

Critical Race Theory

Framework that examines how laws and institutions perpetuate systemic racism.

Institutional Discrimination

Bias embedded in the operations of social institutions, producing unequal outcomes.

Functionalist View of Race/Ethnicity

Sees racial/ethnic diversity as contributing to social cohesion when balanced roles are fulfilled.

Conflict View of Race/Ethnicity

Highlights how racial and ethnic divisions are used to maintain power and economic inequality.

Symbolic Interactionist View of Race/Ethnicity

Explores how labels, stereotypes, and everyday interactions construct racial meanings.

Talcott Parsons (Family)

Functionalist who argued families maintain social stability through role division (instrumental vs. expressive).

Instrumental Role

Family role focused on economic support and decision-making, traditionally assigned to men.

Expressive Role

Family role focused on emotional support and nurturing, traditionally assigned to women.

Functionalist View of Family

Sees family as the key institution for socialization, regulation of reproduction, and social stability.

Conflict View of Family

Argues families reproduce class, gender, and power inequalities.

Feminist View of Family

Examines how family structures perpetuate gender inequality and seeks more egalitarian roles.

Symbolic Interactionist View of Family

Studies day-to-day family interactions and shared meanings that shape relationships.

Endogamy

Marriage within one’s own social, racial, or ethnic group.

Exogamy

Marriage outside one’s own group.

Monogamy

Marriage or partnership with one person at a time.

Polygamy

Marriage involving multiple spouses simultaneously.

Patrilineal Descent

Tracing kinship through the father’s line.

Matrilineal Descent

Tracing kinship through the mother’s line.

Bilateral Descent

Tracing kinship through both parents’ lines.

Cohabitation

Unmarried partners living together in an intimate relationship.

Emile Durkheim (Education)

Argued education transmits core social values and promotes social solidarity.

Bowles & Gintis

Conflict theorists who said schools reproduce class inequality through the correspondence principle.

Hidden Curriculum

Unspoken norms, values, and expectations taught implicitly in schools.

Tracking

Placing students in academic groups based on perceived ability or achievement.

Credentialism

Reliance on educational degrees as a primary screening device for jobs.

Functionalist View of Education

Sees schools as preparing individuals for societal roles and fostering social cohesion.

Conflict View of Education

Highlights how education perpetuates social inequality and class stratification.

Symbolic Interactionist View of Education

Focuses on classroom interactions, labeling, and the self-fulfilling prophecy.

School Vouchers

Government-funded certificates allowing parents to pay tuition at a school of choice, including private ones.

Charter Schools

Publicly funded schools governed by a charter, offering greater flexibility than traditional public schools.

Talcott Parsons (Health)

Developed the concept of the sick role, outlining rights and duties of the ill.

Sick Role

Social expectations defining proper behavior of and toward people labeled as ill.

Erving Goffman

Sociologist who studied stigma and its effects on identity, including illness and disability.

Stigma (Health)

Social disapproval attached to a condition, characteristic, or behavior seen as deviant.

Social Epidemiology

Field examining how social factors affect the distribution of health and disease in populations.

Medicalization

Process by which non-medical issues are framed and treated as medical problems.

Holistic Medicine

Approach to healthcare that treats the whole person— mind, body, and spirit— rather than isolated symptoms.

Alternative Medicine

Treatments outside conventional Western medicine, such as herbal remedies or acupuncture.

Functionalist View of Health Care

Views healthcare as a system that maintains social order by treating the sick so they can return to roles.

Conflict View of Health Care

Emphasizes inequalities in access to care and the profit motives of medical corporations.

Symbolic Interactionist View of Health

Examines doctor-patient interactions and meanings attached to health, illness, and medical labels.