KN

SOC 1000

Race and Identity Classifications

  • Blood Quantum Rule
    • Definition: Requirement of a specific percentage of Native ancestry to qualify for certain programs aimed at Native Americans.
    • Implication: Determines eligibility based on ancestry percentage.
  • One Drop Rule
    • Definition: Concept that any individual with even a small amount of African American ancestry is considered Black.
    • Implication: Classification includes all individuals with trace Black heritage regardless of the extent of ancestry.
  • Purpose of Classification
    • Both rules serve as bases for identity creation and classification within society.
    • Aim to distinguish individuals based on perceived racial identity.

Gender Identity

  • Assigned Sex at Birth
    • Typically based on visible characteristics (genitalia).
    • Categories: Male or Female.
  • Cisgender
    • Definition: Gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth.
  • Transgender
    • Definition: Gender identity diverges from the sex assigned at birth.
    • Example: Assigned female but identifies more closely with men.
  • Sex vs. Gender
    • Sex: Biological attributes (e.g., chromosomes, reproductive organs).
    • Gender: Socially constructed roles and expressions (e.g., masculinity, femininity).
    • Sociologists emphasize the distinction using the phrase "sex is male/female; gender is men/women, masculine/feminine."

Norms and Deviance

  • Mores
    • Definition: Norms that carry moral significance and may threaten societal stability if violated.
    • Example: Dangerous speeding that endangers others is a moral violation of societal norms.
  • Taboos
    • Definition: Strongly prohibited social behaviors, often tied to moral outrage.
    • Example: Cannibalism and incest.
  • Folkways
    • Definition: Mild social norms that dictate everyday behavior.
    • Example: Picking your nose in public; results in strange looks but not severe consequences.

Research Methods in Sociology

  • Short Answer Questions on Methods: Students may be asked to apply sociological research methods to scenarios.
    • Example scenario: Conducting a study regarding college student opinions on climate change.
  • Sociological Sympathy
    • Definition: Approach toward studying any group in an unbiased manner; observing without imposing personal norms.

Accounts and Disclaimers

  • Account
    • Definition: Explanation provided after violating a social norm.
    • Example: Apologizing for speeding and justifying behavior by referencing a distracting song.
  • Disclaimer
    • Definition: Statement made prior to a potential norm violation to preempt judgment.
    • Example: Asking, "Can I be mean for a second?" before delivering a critical comment.
  • Cooling Out
    • Definition: Adjusting to the emotional fallout after being rejected or experiencing embarrassment.

Sociological Imagination

  • Definition: Concept introduced by C. Wright Mills, emphasizing the connection between personal biography and historical context.
  • Example: Student loan debt as a personal issue versus a societal problem impacting many individuals' lives.

Doing Identity

  • Definition: Performing one's identity through specific behaviors and social markers.
  • Examples:
    • Gender expression through clothing and behavior.
    • Socially acceptable behaviors for different genders, varying over time (e.g., women's suits becoming more accepted).

Sociological Paradigms

  • Three Main Paradigms:

    1. Symbolic Interactionism: Focuses on micro-level interactions and the meanings derived from socialization processes.
    2. Conflict Theory: Analyzes society through power struggles between groups (e.g., the bourgeoisie and the proletariat).
    3. Structural Functionalism: Views society like an organism, where different institutions work together to maintain stability and address dysfunctions.

  • Paradigms Defined: Broad frameworks for understanding how knowledge is constructed and understood in sociology.

Emancipatory Research**

  • Definition: Pursuit of social justice through sociological research as advocated by W.E.B. Du Bois.

Content Analysis**

  • Definition: Qualitative research method analyzing written or spoken texts to identify patterns.
    • Example Projects: Analyzing media representations of environmental disasters.

Looking Glass Self**

  • Definition: Concept that emphasizes self-perception based on how one believes others perceive them.
    • Application: Influences behavior in various social contexts, such as job interviews or classroom settings.

Impressions and Impression Management**

  • Definition: Process of forming opinions about others and managing how one presents oneself.
    • Example: Strategic self-presentation during interviews or social interactions.

Sanctions**

  • Definition: Reactions to the violation of social norms, which can be formal or informal.
    • Formal Sanction Example: Arrest for criminal behavior.
    • Informal Sanction Example: Social reprimand for talking in class.

Agents of Socialization**

  • Definition: Entities or factors that influence social norms, values, and expectations (e.g., family, peers, media).

Social Constructs and Social Issues**

  • Binary Constructs: Framework for understanding social issues through dichotomies (e.g., pro-choice vs. pro-life).