Soc #3

status (prestige)

respect and honor accorded by others

Functionalist View of Stratification

stratification exists because it makes some useful contribution to the maintenance of society

Kinglsey Davis and Wilbert Moore

all societies must ensure that people will fill essential positions and perform important tasks; some positions easier to fill than others; higher reward for positions that are harder to fill

Conflict View of Stratification

Societies are stratified because of unequal distribution of power and resources
- primary source of conflict, coercion, and unhappiness.
- stratification systems serve the interests of those at the top, not the survival needs of the entire society

contradictory class locations

positions in the class structure, particularly routine white-collar and lower managerial jobs, that share characteristics with the class positions both above and below them

Consequences of Class

health, education, marriage and family life, child-rearing

digital divide

access to computers and technology isn't available to everyone --\> can impact success in school

social mobility

movement within social class ladder

synchronic social mobility

snapshot; what we know at any given point in time

diachronic social mobility

overtime, 2 types (intragenerational & intergenerational)

intragenerational mobility

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy within the course of a personal career

intergenerational mobility

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy from one generation to another

structural mobility

mobility resulting from changes in the number and kinds of jobs available in a society

exchange mobility

a large number of people moving up the social class ladder, while a large number move down; it is as though they have exchanged places, and the social class system shows little change

globalization

the development of economic, political, and social relationships that stretch worldwide

global inequality

the systematic differences in wealth and power between countries

neoliberalism

the economic belief that free-market forces, achieved by minimizing government restrictions on business, provide the only route to economic growth

dependency theories

Marxist theories of economic development that argue that the poverty of low-income countries stems directly from their exploitation by wealthy countries and by the transnational (or multinational) corporations that are based in wealthy countries

core

describes the most advanced industrial countries, which take the lion's share of profits in the world economic system

periphery

describes countries that have a marginal role in the world economy and are thus dependent on the core producing societies for their trading relationships

semiperiphery

semi-industrialized, middle-income countries that extract profits in the form of cheap labor and raw materials from peripheral countries, while at the same time providing labor and raw materials to the core industrial countries

world-systems theory

emphasizes the interconnections among countries based on the expansion of a capitalist world economy

global capitalism

the current transnational phase of capitalism, characterized by global markets, production, finances

transnational capitalist class

a social class whose economic interests are global rather than national, who share a globalizing perspective and similar lifestyles, and who see themselves as cosmopolitan citizens of the world

theory of global capitalism

argues that a transnational capitalist class is increasingly the major player in the global economy today, rather than the nationally oriented capitalists of major countries

minority group

a group of people in a given society who, because of their distinct physical or cultural characteristics, find themselves in situations of inequality compared with the dominant group within that society

race

a socially constructed category rooted in the belief that there are fundamental differences among humans, associated with phenotype and ancestry

ethnicity

cultural values and norms that distinguish the members of a given group from others

racism

the attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics

prejudice

the holding of preconceived ideas about an individual or group, ideas that are resistant to change even in the face of new information

stereotyping

thinking in terms of fixed and inflexible categories

discrimination

behavior that denies to the members of a particular group resources or rewards that can be obtained by others

institutional racism

the idea that racism occurs through the respected and established institutions of society rather than through hateful actions of some bad people

racial migroaggressions

small sights, indignities, or acts of disrespect that are hurtful to people of color even though they are often perpetuated by well meaning Whites

scientific racism

The use of scientific research or data to justify or reify beliefs about the superiority or inferiority of particular racial groups

assimilation

the acceptance of a minority group by a majority population, in which the new group takes on the values and norms of the dominant culture

melting pot

the idea that ethnic differences can be combined to create new patterns of behavior drawing on diverse cultural sources

pluralism

a model for ethnic relations in which all ethnic groups in the U.S. retain their independent and separate identities yet share equally in the rights and powers of citizenship

multiculturalism

a condition in which ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life

immigration

the movement of people into one country from another for the purpose of settlement

segregation

the practices of keeping racial and ethnic groups physically separate, thereby maintaining the superior position of the dominant group

racialization

refers to the process in which race is assigned to a group

the "one drop rule"

one's racial status varied according to the state (historically); justified slavery and Jim Crow segregation

de jure segregation

legal segregation (Jim Crow laws)

de facto segregation

segregation today exists without legal enforcement

residential segregation

the degree to which two or more groups live separately from one another, in different parts of an urban environment; exists by design

white flight

process where whites have left major cities for the suburbs and rural areas when Black families move in

environmental racism

the disproportionate exposure of some racial groups to toxic substances

contemporary immigration

growing non-White, non-Black populations due to immigrations from Asia and Latin-America (makes U.S. demographics more diverse/complex)

Intersectionality

a sociological perspective that holds that our multiple group memberships affect our lives in ways that are distinct from single group memberships

sex

the biological and anatomical differences distinguishing females from males

gender

social expectations about behavior regarded as appropriate for the members of each sex

gender role socialization

the learning of gender roles through social factors such as schooling, the media, and family

social construction of gender

the learning of gender roles through socialization and interaction with others

hegemonic masculinity

social norms dictating that men should be strong, self-reliant, and unemotional

intersex

an individual possessing both male and female genitalia

feminist theory

a sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the uniqueness of the experience of women

liberal feminism

the form of feminist theory that posits that gender inequality is produced by unequal access to civil rights and certain social resources (education, employment, etc.)

radical feminism

Form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is the result of male domination in all aspects of social and economic life

patriarchy

the dominance of men over women

Black feminism

a strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of non-white women

transnational feminism

A branch of feminist theory that highlights the way that global processes, including colonialism, racism, and imperialism, shape gender relations and hierarchies

postmodern feminism

the feminist perspective that challenges the idea of a unitary basis of identity and experience shared by all women

gender typing

women holding occupations of lower status and pay, such as secretarial and retail positions, and men holding jobs of higher status and pay, such as managerial and professional positions

glass ceiling

a promotion barrier that prevents a woman's upward mobility within an organization

sex segregation

the concentration of men and women in different occupations

human capital theory

the argument that individuals make investments in their own "human capital" in order to increase their productivity and earnings

"doing" gender

creating gender through interactions in particular social settings

Functionalist View on Gender Differences

gender differences are necessary to maintain society; genders play different roles

First Wave of Feminism

(19th—early 20th centuries)
women's place in society, voting (suffragists), ownership & economic independence

Second Wave of Feminism

(1960s-1980s)
focused on inequalities and patriarchies in general

Third Wave of Feminism

(1990s-present)
focuses on non-Whites, queers, and includes transgender movement

intersectionality

gender cuts across race and class to affect life chances; different means of domination overlap for women of color or marginalized women

family

a group of individuals related to one another by blood ties, marriage, or adoption, who form an economic unit, the adult members of which are responsible for the upbringing of children

nuclear family

a family group consisting of two adults and dependent children

kinship

a relation that links individuals through blood ties, marriage, or adoption

marriage

A socially approved sexual relationship between two individuals

extended family

a family group consisting of more than two generations of relatives living either within the same household or very close to one another

families of orientation

the families into which individuals are born

families of procreation

the families individuals initiate through marriage, cohabitation, or by having children

monogamy

a form of marriage in which each married partner is allowed only one spouse at any given time

polygamy

A form of marriage in which a person may have two or more spouses simultaneously.

polygyny

a form of marriage in which a man is married to more than one woman

polyandry

a form of marriage in which a woman may simultaneously have two or more husbands

primary socialization

the process by which children learn the cultural norms of the society into which they are born

stepfamily

a family in which at least one partner has children from a previous marriage, living either in the home or nearby

cohabitation

two people living together in a sexual relationship of some permanence without being married to one another

endogamy

marriage between people of the same social category

exogamy

marriage between people of different social categories

Divorce Trend

- has leveled off after an increase in recent years
- remarriage rate high
- 43% first marriages ended in divorce within 15 years

Single Parent Households Trend

- increasing (31% all families
- likely to be headed by women and poorer
- births to unmarried women have increased

Cohabitation Trend

- general increase since 80s
- less stable than marriage
- 51% who cohabit before marriage are divorced within 15 years

Emerging Forms of Family

- couples without children
- stepfamilies
- LGBTQ+ families
- adoption in families

Functionalist Perspective (families)

the sexual division of labor provides benefits to society
- husband and wife fulfill separate functions
- families perform basic functions essential to human survival and the maintenance of society

Feminist (conflict) Perspective (families)

the institution of marriage ensures the domination of women by men
- sexual division of labor is a product of industrial capitalism
- focus on unequal power relationships within families (domestic abuse)

Interactionist Perspective (families)

analysis of interactions
- family form is a matter of social definition

the Second Shift

in dual-career families, women work a "second shift"
- women do majority of house work
- many household tasks have remained gender-specific

middle-class parenting style

emphasis on autonomy, critical thinking
- extracurricular activities
- "concerted cultivation"

working-class parenting style

emphasis on obedience to authority
- few organized activities outside of school
- "natural growth"

achievement gap

disparity in terms of a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially those defined by gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status