Sociology of Families and Social Issues

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Sociology of Families, Social Issues, and related sociological theories.

Nostalgia Trap

When you idealize the past so much that you stop appreciating or improving your current life.

Traditional Family

A family structure common in the mid-1900s, typically consisting of a two-parent household with a working father and a homemaking mother.

Nuclear Family

A small family unit consisting of two parents and their children living together.

Cohabitation Revolution

The rapid rise in couples living together without being married.

Wedding Industrial Complex

The pressure from companies and the wedding industry to spend excessively on weddings, which can cost between $20,000 and $50,000.

Women’s Second Shift

The phenomenon where women work outside the home and then return to perform the majority of housework and childcare.

Intimate Partner Violence

Encompasses physical, sexual, stalking, and psychological violence, often perpetuated by economic and financial factors.

First-Generation Immigrants

Individuals born in one country who have moved to live in another country.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

A landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Cognitive Labor/Mental Load

The unseen work involved in planning and organizing tasks necessary to run a household.

Cohabitation Effect

The increased risk of divorce or lower relationship stability for couples who live together before marriage.

Implicit Bias

Unconscious associations and attitudes we hold about different groups of people.

Stereotypes

Widely-held beliefs about the characteristics or abilities of members of a particular group.

Social Control

Methods used by societies to influence members' behavior and maintain social order.

Labeling Theory

The concept that deviance is created through societal reactions and labels placed on individuals.

Strain Theory

Functionalist theory that describes adaptations to strain such as conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.

Hegemony

A form of domination in which the dominant group secures consent and support from subordinate groups.

Cultural Appropriation

When members of a dominant culture adopt cultural elements from another group, often for profit.

Socialization

The process through which individuals acquire the values and practices of their culture.

Tracking

The practice of sorting students into different groups based on perceived ability or achievement levels.

Medialization

The process by which everyday experiences and phenomena are defined in medical terms.