Sociology Test 2

Front 1

What is the nature/nurture debate and what is the sociological response to this debate.

Back 1

Nature is based on our genetic potential whereas nurture refers to how we are affected by our environment including family as well as society at large.

Front 2

What mean when we say that the self is “both an active source and a passive object?

Back 2

Our active self can initiate action, it can perceive others, talk to them and influence the events around us as well as inside of ourselves such as self motivation. We also have a passive self that is being perceived by and acted upon by others active selves. We are simultaneously the seen and the seer.

Front 3

What are the core sociological processes in developing a sense of “self” (that is, what are “nature rather than the nature dynamics)? The development of self:

Back 3

-The stages of play: The play stage, children don’t understand the larger strategy or social structure they are living inside of. They are only perceiving the roles that they are expected to play with the people that are with them in any given moment moment.
The Game stage The generalized other: ( some think that only in this stage are we really human) children become aware of the larger network of roles being played and how they fit into this. During the game stage the attitudes and expectations of the generalized other become part of values and self concept.-how the looking glass self operates: Our self is developed by how others perceive us. We use their reaction to our behavior like a mirror to see our own self.
-An example of reflexive behavior: To plan, observe, gide and respond to ones own behavior.
-the relationship of these terms to role taking: We developed a heightened sensitivity to the expectations and needs of others that developing our role in relationship with them.

Front 4

What are examples of agents of socialization?

Back 4

Family, education, peers, religion, school, guvernment, media, work, club/social groups.

Front 5

What is the difference between re-socialization and socialization?

Back 5

Socialization is the process by which children are conditioned to fit into a society from birth. Re-socialization comes through out life as we move from one context to another such as a new job or living location. It can also include forced re-socialization into a total institution (an environment where people are separated from the greater society against their will).

Front 6

An example of total institution.

Back 6

religious boarding schools for native americans, insanasilems, military.

Front 7

How are individualist societies and collectivist societies different?

Back 7

Individualistic societies tend to focus on and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals especially if they achieved this alone. Collective societies celebrate the forgoing of individual desire for the greater good.

Front 8

An example of how social class. race/ethnicity and sex/gender shape identity and experience?

Back 8

These things shape our identity on many levels. Our assigned gender shapes the way we dress, express ourselves, the activities or jobs we perceive to be available to us and the way we behave socially. Class can affect our parenting styles, our race can affect how we learn about authority and society.

Front 9

How does the institution of education condition conformity?

Back 9

They teach children how they are expected to behave socially as well as as teaching them skills that will help them to fulfill different roles in society. They are also taught about the cultural values and morals of the society they live in. Learn social conformity- raising your hand, pledge of allegiance. Tracking into certain jobs.

Front 10

What evidence do we have that religion remain a major socializing agent?

Back 10

Although there has been a decline in the membership of many of the primary christian groups in the US and an increase in people changing their birth religion, at the same time there has been an increase in other christian and non christian religion with the majority of americans rating themselves as religious or somewhat religious.

Front 11

How successful has the media been in countering gender stereotypes?

Back 11

Media is one of the most influential conditioning forces of gender stereotypes.

Front 12

What are different ways that social group membership is conveyed to others?

Back 12

Age, sex, a certain amount of ethnicity based on appearance, language such as grammar or accent, mannerisms, physical appearance (beauty, weight ect.) personal style or dress. Class can be seen by one’s teeth.

Front 13

How does Newman intersect culture evaluations of being overweight to larger dynamics of class/race/gender?

Back 13

Women are targeted by pressures to look thin to get respect and privilege in society. There are higher rates of obesity among low income and communities of color due to poor access to healthy affordable food and access to safe areas to move and exercise. There is a lot of prejudice that comes with this including judgments about gluttony, laziness and neglect when it comes to children.

Front 14

What is Goffman's dramaturgical approach and what core concepts are tied to this approach?

Back 14

Front stage, back stage, props,

Front 15

How are impression formation and impression management different concepts?

Back 15

Impression formation is the impressions others form of us. Impression management is the way we try to manages the impression of others.

Front 16

What might be an example of a “performance team and how is embarrassment and stigma tied to these concepts?

Back 16

A performance team is a team that work together to manage the impression of a certain organization, community or partnership. It is the job of this group to keep the front and back stage separate. Embarrassment is not permanent, it is fleeting disruption of impression management. Others help to make things right. Stigma is when there is a permanent of identity - mental health, obesity, disabilities.

Front 17

What are examples of aligning actions and why are aligning actions interesting to sociology?

Back 17

The way that others try to realign when social norms are disrupted. Damage control disclaimers, excuses or account, apologies, validations.

Front 18

Know examples of endogamy and exogamy.

Back 18

Endogamy is Marrying within one’s social group such as religions or racial. Exogamy is marrying outside one’s social group. We are much more likely to marry outside of religious or races now than in the past. However, marrying out of class has declined, maybe because women are making more money and not needing to marry up.

Front 19

What are some recent trends in US: family structure, household size, and divorce and what do these trends tell us about change and stability in the American family?

Back 19

Since the 1950’s Family structure- household size is decreasing. People moving out and living on their own, more single parent households. Divorce: a third of marriages will end in divorce -the financial situation of women will get much worse after divorce and men’s get better.

Front 20

Know key cultural variations in marriage patterns and family living arrangements

Back 20

Polygamy (more than one wife or husband), l, neo-local (couple moves away and makes their own life), patrilocal (couple moves in with the fathers family), matrilocal (couples more in with the mother’s family).

Front 21

Be able to cite examples of how the institution of the family is impacted by other social institutions such as law/politics, religion and economics.

Back 21

Law of family who is allowed to be married. Religious - dictates people's behavior such as gender roles using birth control, having sex outside of marriage, divorce ect, economics- money is closely tied to marital happiness, divorce and marriage goes down when the economy is down.

Front 22

Why would sociologists be interested in studying divorce?

Back 22

Restructures identities, marriage has health protections, marriage has economic effects.

Front 23

What do we mean when we state that intimate violence has a “cultural context”? What are typical individualistic explanations for the persistence of intimate violence

Back 23

Culture of violence- language, film, television, video games. Patriarchal conditioning that men are suppose to be in charge and punish women for stepping out of line. Economic dependence of women and children and not enough systematic support. Stress, money problems, alcohol and drug use often are things that push people over the edge into violence. Policy, economics, privacy, gender dynamics.

Front 24

How is an absolute and a relativist definition of deviance different in its focus?

Back 24

Absolut: there are things that are right and wrong. when something is considered wrong it is considered fundamentally not right, outside of societies rules. Relative: taking into the context of the event, situational or cultural relevance is taken into account.

Front 25

When sociologists use the term “deviant” are they making a value judgment (why or why not?) What are the three critical elements in the sociological definition of deviance?

Back 25

No they are measuring the act against social construction of wright and wrong.
1) There has to be a rule to brake.
2) There has to be people that break it or are perceived to break it.
3) people that respond such as the police or others that punish or shun the deviant individual.

Front 26

Be able to compare and contrast the explanation of deviance from a deterrence approach and a labeling approach.

Back 26

Deterrence: One way that societies can organize around deviance is to make the punishment very severe. To do this the punishment must be 1) swift, 2) certain, 3) public. Labeling: social control through the the tarnishing of one’s identity. Linked to stigma. This can backfire in two different ways: 1) socio psychological - by being called a criminal, a deviant person become more deviant because it has become part of their identity. 2) structural or opportunistic - the effects of stigma restrict one’s opportunities. One gets cornered into being more deviant because it is the only option open to them.

Front 27

What did we learn from Nancy Herman’s study of ex-mental patients?

Back 27

Even after completing treatment or stabilizing ex-mental health patients still suffer from stigma and discrimination that can make it really hard to live a normal life.

Front 28

What do we mean by the terms “criminalization of deviance” and “medicalization of deviance” and why does Newman caution us about these processes?

Back 28

The criminalization of crime is the act of convicting and punishing people for a deviant act. The medicalization of deviance argues that peoples misconduct is due to psychological problems and should be treated with drugs rather than punished by law. The problem with both of these reactions to deviant crime is that it places the focus on the individual rather than looking at the larger social problems that might be leading to the deviant act such as poverty, lack of education, social pressure to succeed and drug and alcohol addiction.

Front 29

Why do Americans seem so ambivalent to the real harms of corporate crimes?

Back 29

Media plays a large role in perpetuating stereotypes about what a criminal looks like often harping on racial and class stereotypes. People tend to feel that people are more evil that commit crimes that directly affect people such as robbing and individual than people that indirectly affect people (embezzling money) even when the indirect crime affects more people or causes more harm. The indirectness of white collar crime as well as the way it is not often talked about in the media makes it hard for people to understand or hear about the crimes.

Front 30

Be able to recognize examples of a “social dilemma.” What are some typical ways of addressing social dilemmas?

Back 30

Pollution, global warming, contributing money for better street lighting. This can be addressed by 1) privatizing resources hoping that private interest would serve to protect them, but greed can be a problem. 2) creating better communication and transparency between members of a society (seeing what others are using or contributing and having others see what you are). 3) central control such as a government or a mandatory union.

Front 31

As defined by Weber, what are the dynamics of bureaucracies? What concerned Weber about the rise of bureaucracies?

Back 31

A bureaucratic system is one that is hierarchical in nature with set roles that are highly specialized. Each role is designed to be impersonal so that any qualified person can fill the spot. They are very efficient in some ways but also can foster compliance and rule following and reduce critical thinking and engagement making for worker that are more interested in making sure everybody is following the rules than in doing what is needed.

Front 32

What is the McDonaldization of society? What is the appeal and why is it so prevalent? What is the downside of this?

Back 32

The efficiency, speed, predictability, where you can walk into an establishment anywhere and find things running just the same as establishment somewhere else. It however makes life more homogeneous, more rigid and less personal, authentic and genuine.

Front 33

What are the differences between strata (upper echelon, middle ground, lower echelon) in hierarchical organizations?

Back 33

The upper echelons: People at the top have the most prestige and benefits. 88% are white and 75% are men. This is due to prejudice in hiring and promotion practises as well as the fact that there is no clearly defined set of tasks that are performed by an executive thus making it hard to have clear promotion qualifications. The biggest qualification is being able to communicate and win acceptance in social circles leading to a certain type of person “fitting” the job. The middle Echelons: Has a little power but is driven by the small possibility of moving up. Believes that having a strong loyalty to the company, working long hours, sacrificing one’s personal life and believes and diligently following the rules will lead to recognition. Most often live their whole life without moving up. This can lead to resentment and abuse of the little power they have. The younger generations feel less loyalty and pressure to sacrifice their life for a company. In part because of the economy and the common events such as mergers and layoffs. The lower Echelons: Are paid the least, valued the least and are the most despendible. They have the least autonomy, freedom or influence. Technology has made many jobs that once required human skill or training almost automated. Thus low level workers are valued by working long hours and obeying the rules. Some organizations are experimenting with diversifying tasks and increasing autonomy. This leads to fewer turnovers and more job satisfaction. Unions and other things can improve workers conditions and give a sense of control over how one is being treated.

Front 34

Why would sociologists be interested in the dynamic of de-skilling? What does Newman mean when he discusses the “pressures towards similarity” in organizations?

Back 34

For an organization to work well all people involved must abide by the same rules and speak the same language such as lingo.