Social Inequalities and Social Change Midterm II Study Guide

Identity

a person’s location in social life and their sense of self; sense of “who

they are

Social Identity

sense of self that is built up over time as a person

participates in social life and identifies with a community of others with

whom there is a feeling of similarity and common purpose

Situated Identity

the sense of self tied to roles we play in specific,

immediate social situations

Personal Identity

sense of separateness established over time as the

person pursues his/her own goals that differ from those of the community

Racial identity

social membership in a particular racial group, both the

sense of belonging one has, and how others feel about their proper fit

within a racial group

Gender identity

one’s internal sense of being male, female, neither, or a

different gender classification

Sexual orientation

an individual’s physical or emotional attraction

to another individual or group

Constructivist approach to sexuality

sexuality is culturally defined and our understanding is a product of culture

Essentialist approach to sexuality

sexuality is inherent to the person; biological

Conjoint approach to sexuality

sexuality is not a choice but biological, the way we behave towards sexual identities are socially defined—heavily influenced by gender norms and sexual scripts

Nationality

a system of classification determined by one fulfilling the criteria for

membership to a specific nation state(s)

Immigration

the movement of persons into a non-native country

Emigration

the movement of persons out of a native country

Naturalization

the process by which U.S. citizenship is

granted to a lawful permanent resident after meeting the

requirements established by law

Master status

the tendency of observers to believe that one label or demographic

category is more significant than any other aspect of the observed person's

background, behavior or performance

Intersectionality

the unique experiences of individuals as determined by the

combination of identities they possess and the ways in which social structures

shape the life chances of that combination of identities

Double Standard

when similar behavior is held differently accountable

based on the identity of the performer

Power

the ability of people or groups to realize their will over the will of others

Authority

power that is accepted as legitimate (just)

Rational-legal authority

power that is legitimized by law or

written rules and regulations in organizations

Charismatic authority

power that is legitimized on the

basis of a leader’s exceptional personal qualities or the

demonstration of extraordinary insight and accomplishment

that inspires loyalty and obedience from followers

Traditional authority

power that is legitimized on the basis

of long-standing customs, handed down from generation to

generation

Coercion

power that people do not accept as legitimate

(illegitimate, unjust, power)

Power elite

power is concentrated in the hands of a circle of corporate, political,

and military leaders who dominate and control the political agenda

Diversity in Power Elite

the power elite has become diversified in terms

of gender, race, ethnicity, but everyone still passes through elite schools

and elite social space, and comes to represent the interests of elites

Pluralist position

a view of society as divided among varying interest groups, all

of which are jockeying for power and position, with the ultimate decisions

depending on who can build the winning coalition of voters

Special Interest Groups

political coalitions made up of individuals or

groups that share a specific interest that they wish to protect or advance

Total Institutions

a place where people are isolated from the rest of society for a

set period of time while the institutions regulates and controls all activities

-All aspects of life are conducted in the same place and are under

the control of the institution

-Activities within the institution are conducted in the company of

others in the same circumstances

-The institution creates rules and schedules activities without

consulting the participants

-All aspects of life within a total institution are designed to fulfill

the purpose of the institution → Involves stripping away prior

identities

Outsourcing

the shifting of production or work to a subcontractor, often in a low-

wage country

Globalization

the development of an increasingly integrated global

economy marked by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of

cheaper foreign labor markets

GDP

the total value of goods and services produced in a nation

Morbidity

the amount of disease, impairment, and accident in a

population

Mortality

the number of deaths in a population

Modernization

a school of thought that stresses the transition from

traditional society to modern society and the need for modern ideas,

technology, and institutions for a society to advance economically

Dependency theory

an approach to global inequality that stresses a global

structure where poor nations are dependent on the economic and political

power of richer nations

Neoliberalism

view of economics that emphasizes limited government,

privatization, free markets, and free trade

World systems theory

theory of the modern global economic system that

divides the world into core, semiperiphery, and periphery nations and

argues that core countries will continue to prosper while countries in the

periphery will be impoverished by world trade

Social movements

ongoing efforts by groups to promote (or prevent) social

change

Collective action

people coming together in both planned and

spontaneous actions and demonstrations

Resource mobilization

social movements are successful to the extent they

can acquire and use key resources

Political process model

movements are successful to the extent that

broader social conditions, such as the political climate, are supportive of

the movement

Relative deprivation

the discontent that people feel when they compare

their situation to similar others who are better off

Recruitment through Networks

people are recruited to movements

through pre-existing networks with current movement members

Frame alignment

the interactive process in which movement leaders

frame (define) their movement in a way that reaches potential followers

and motivates them to join the movement