SOCL 3501 final exam (LSU stevenson)

Pornography

sexually explicit material intended to produce sexual arousal; debated for moral harm, objectification, and free expression.

Sexual harassment

Unwanted sexual behavior or attention that creates a hostile environment; rooted in power and gender inequality.

Prostitution hierarchy

Streetworkers → Bar/Hotel workers → Brothel workers → Escorts; each level varies in safety, income, autonomy, and stigma.

Streetworker risks

Face violence, arrest, exploitation, homelessness, lack of screening, and high STD risk.

Why people enter prostitution

Poverty, lack of jobs, homelessness, drug use, higher income than low-wage work.

Why customers hire sex workers

Fantasy, convenience, no emotional expectations, control, loneliness.

Underage prostitution prevalence

Serious issue but less common than adult prostitution; often linked to homelessness and trafficking.

Role of a pimp

Controls workers, claims to provide protection, often exploitative, takes a large cut of earnings.

Where brothels are legal

Rural Nevada counties only.

Brothel vs street conditions

Brothels have security, health checks, screening, and regulated environment unlike dangerous street work.

Role of a madam

Manages brothel, schedules, enforces rules, provides safety oversight.

Escorts

Highest-status sex workers with safer, private, scheduled client interactions; highest income level.

Percent of men visiting prostitutes

About 10–20% of U.S. men have hired a sex worker at least once.

Occasional Johns

Greenwald's term for infrequent customers, often during travel or emotional events.

Functionalist theory of prostitution

Prostitution serves social and sexual functions, maintaining social stability.

Conflict/feminist theory of prostitution

Prostitution reflects patriarchy, exploitation, and gender inequality.

Symbolic interaction theory of prostitution

Labels and interactions shape identity; “prostitute” becomes a stigmatized role.

Arguments for criminalization

Moral protection, reduce exploitation, control public behavior.

Arguments against criminalization

Increases danger, reduces reporting of violence, pushes sex work underground.

Global prostitution and poverty

Poverty is the strongest predictor of entering sex work globally.

Stigma

A socially discrediting attribute that reduces acceptance.

Cisgender

Identity matches sex assigned at birth.

Heteronormativity

Assumption that heterosexuality is normal or superior.

Gender identity

A person’s internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither.

Sexual identity

Who a person is romantically/sexually attracted to

Gender as a master status

Gender shapes most interactions and overrides other social identities.

Stonewall Riots 1969

uprising marking the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Removal from DSM

Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973.

Marriage equality nationwide

Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

Myths about LGBTQ people

Myths include instability, confusion, predatory behavior—none supported by research.

Four stages of coming out

Sensitization → Identity confusion → Identity assumption → Commitment.

Dimensions of sexual orientation

Behavior, attraction, and identity

Kinsey scale

Sexuality exists on a continuum from 0–6.

Rates of LGBTQ identity

About 3–7% identify as LGBTQ, higher among younger generations.

Trades

Straight-identified men who have sex with men for resources or money.

Hustlers

Young men who sell sex to men.

Situationals

Same-sex behavior only in specific environments (e.g., prisons).

Consequences of homophobia

Violence, discrimination, mental health disparities, reduced access to resources.

Heterosexism

Institutional preference for heterosexuals; unequal policies or benefits.

Stigma of disability

Results in exclusion, discrimination, and reduced employment opportunities.

Obesity stigma

Increased in recent years; leads to discrimination and biased medical treatment.

Tattoo stigma

Decreased among youth but still present in professional settings

Drug use measurement

NSDUH, Monitoring the Future, and arrest data.

Most common illegal drug

Marijuana

Drug classifications

Stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, opioids, cannabis.

Factors affecting drug effects

Dose, purity, tolerance, body size, method of use, setting.

Causes of opioid epidemic

Overprescribing, pharmaceutical misleading, shift to heroin, fentanyl surge.

Dangers of fentanyl

Highly potent synthetic opioid with high overdose risk.

Drug use by age

Highest among ages 18–25.

Drug use by race

Whites use more drugs; Black communities more policed.

Drug use and SES

High SES more use; low SES more negative consequences.

Economic deprivation theory

Poverty increases likelihood of joining drug markets.

Cognitive association theory

Drugs become associated with relief and coping.

Enslavement theory

Addiction leads to crime to support habit.

Predisposition theory

People with deviant traits are predisposed to both drug use and crime.

Intensification theory

Drug use worsens or accelerates existing criminal behavior.

Punitive drug policies

War on Drugs, arrests, incarceration.

Supportive drug policies

Treatment-focused, harm reduction, rehab.

Treatment for addiction

Rehab, counseling, medication-assisted therapy, support groups, long-term care.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Medical diagnosis involving dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal.

Prevalence of alcohol use

Most commonly used drug in the U.S.

Factors influencing intoxication

Weight, sex, food intake, speed of drinking.

Alcohol’s mental impacts

Impaired judgment, memory issues, depression.

Alcohol’s physical impacts

Liver disease, cancer risk, organ damage.

Alcohol’s social impacts

Violence, job issues, family conflict.

Alcohol patterns by gender

Men drink more; women experience more damage.

Alcohol patterns by SES

Higher SES drink more; lower SES have more related problems.

Stages of alcoholism

Pre-alcoholic → Early dependence → Crucial → Chronic.

Alcohol effects on women

Women reach higher BAC; more organ damage; higher health risk.

Binge drinking

Four to five drinks in two hours; common among college students.

Who binge drinks most

White, male, fraternity/sorority, freshman students.

Global alcohol patterns

Europe has the highest global alcohol consumption.

Best supported alcoholism theory

Biological/genetic model has strongest research support.

Prohibition 1920–1933

U.S. ban on alcohol; increased illegal markets.

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)

12-step spiritual and support-based abstinence program.