-
What
is the definition of social problem
- a.
- Social condition or pattern of behavior that
- people believe warrants public concern and collective action to bring about
- change.
-
1.
What are the two elements in the definition of a Social Problem?
- a.
- Objective reality – existence of social
- condition
- b.
- Subjective perception – belief the condition is
- harmful to society.
-
1.
What are norms?
- a.
- Behavior guidelines, socially defined rules of
- behavior
-
1.
Define and differentiate the two subtypes of
norms.
- a.
- Folkways – manors and customs, minor norms
- b.
- Mores - Strongly held norms that have moral
- connotations
-
1.
What is social structure?
- a.
- The way society is organized
-
Status
- position
- within a social group
-
Role
- set
- of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a status
-
-
achieved
status
- what
- you have acquired by choice
-
Define
social institutions
- An
- established and enduring pattern of social relationships
-
Name
the five major social institutions in our society
-
1.
What is social marginality?
- State
- of being placed outside the main stream in social settings
-
How
does social marginality help us better understand social problems
- Allows
- us to look in from the outside to see how society is set up
-
Compare
and contrast the macro level and micro level of sociological
analyses
- a.
- Macro – focuses on social processes within or
- between social institutions
- b.
- Micro – focuses on social behavior &
- interactions among individuals
-
1.
Briefly describe how the
structural-functional perspective explains social problems.
- a.
- Society is a system of interconnected parts that
- work together to maintain the stability of the whole.
-
-
latent
function
- unintended
- positive outcome
-
-
Name
the two explanations of social problems provided by the structural-
functionalists
- a.
- Social pathology – malfunctions of institutions
- b.
- Social disorganization – rapid social change
-
1.
How can social problems be solved according to
the structural-functionalists?
- a.
- Repair weak institutions
- b.
- Restore shared values and norms
-
1.
Briefly describe how the conflict perspective
explains social problems.
- a.
- Society is comprised of different groups and
- interests that compete for power and scarce resources.
-
Economic
determinism
- structure
- of economy shapes all other aspects of society.
- Those who own the power of production over lap those who own money,
- power, and prestige.
-
Class
Conflict
- Ruling
- class posess the means of production.
- Workers must sell labor to make a living.
-
Alienation
- a
- feeling of powerlessness & meaninglessness.
-
How
is the view of Dahrendorf different from Marxism?
- a.
- Because of different groups with opposing values
- and interests.
-
How
can social problems be solved according to the conflict theorists?
- Reduce
- inequalities & competition at the macro level in society
-
What
is Thomas’ theorem?
- If
- situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences
-
Briefly
describe the Symbolic Interactionists’ explanation on social problems by using
the concepts such as labeling and self-fulfilling prophecy.
- a.
- Labels are created and reacted to by society as
- such.
- b.
- Self-fulfilling prophecy – the prophecy by which
- belief / prediction results in behavior that makes the original conception come
- true.
-
1.
How can social problems be solved according to
the symbolic interactionists?
- a.
- Through negotiations and change of definitions.
-
absolute
poverty
- lacking
- the means to secure the most basic necessities of life.
-
relative
poverty
- having
- deficiencies in resources compared with other members of society.
-
1.
How is income different from
wealth?
- Income
- is earnings where wealth is total assets minus debts
-
1.
Briefly describe how the Davis-Moore Thesis
explains social stratification.
- a.
- Meritocracy – stratification based on personal
- merit.
- b.
- Functions as a reward system for vital social
- roles
- ii.
- Promotion of equal opportunities
-
1.
Name the age group that has the highest rate of
poverty in the U.S.
-
What proportion does this age group represent in the U.S.
poverty population?
-
Describe
what “feminization of poverty” means, then briefly explain the mechanism
through which this phenomenon occurs in society.
a. 2/3 of adult poor population is female
- b. They
- are young, less educated, and bearing children.
-
What
is poverty rate?
- percentage
- of population below the government’s poverty line, currently 12% (12.5%)
-
Describe how the U.S. poverty line is currently
calculated.
- established
- by SS admin in 1965, assumes average family spends 1/3 total income on food.
-
What
is the current federal minimum wage?
$7.25
-
Define
working poor.
- .
- Those who spend more than 27 weeks a year in the labor force and whose income
- falls below poverty line.
-
Why
does intergenerational poverty occur?
- more
- likely to be in poverty if you were raised in poverty
-
Compare
and contrast 1) cultural explanation and 2) structural explanation
of a cycle of poverty.
- a. cultural – transmission of cultural traits which produce
- poverty
- b.
- deteriorating neighborhoods abandoned by legitimate businesses
-
means
tested
- eligibility
- based on income
-
age
tested
benefits at a certain age by having paid into the program.
-
Identify
the year of welfare reform.
1996
-
Name
the program that replaced the previous program for families in poverty (i.e.,
Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and identify the two major reforms of
the new program as discussed in the lecture.
a. Temporary assistance to needy families.
- i.
- requirements for evidence of efforts to leave welfare
-
Identify
the major problem that the U.S. public housing assistance has been
facing?
- social
- disorder and crime.
-
What
is the major obstacle to employment among U.S. single parents?
-
race
- Race
- is based on physical characteristics
-
ethnicity.
- ethnicity
- is based on cultural characteristics.
-
Classification
of people has significant consequences on our perception. Name two
consequences that lead us to make inaccurate judgment on people
- a.
- overgeneralization – all members
- b. illusion
- of out-group homogeneity
-
stereotypes
- set
- of characteristics attributed to all members of a social category
-
prejudice
- attitude
- toward or strong disliking for members of a certain group
-
ethnocentrism
- judging
- other groups with reference to one’s own group
-
Define minority group.
- a.
- category of people who have unequal access to resources in society and who tend
- to be the target of prejudice and discrimination.
-
What
does U.S. Census classification tell us about the state of U.S. diversity?
- .
- It reflects public awareness of diversity.
-
assimilation
- members
- of a subordinate group become absorbed into the dominant culture
-
Amalgamation
- cultural attributes of diverse groups are blended together
- to form a new society incorporating the unique contributions of each other.
-
pluralism
- a
- state in which groups maintain their distinctness but respect each other and
- have equal access to social resources.
-
Primary
assimilation
- in
- personal / intimate relationships
-
Secondary
assimilation
in public areas and social institutions.
-
60.
Define racism.
- a.
- Linking the biological conditions with alleged
- socio-cultural capabilities and behavior to assert the superiority of one race.
-
-
modern
racism
- because
- laws and policies prohibit discrimination any social disadvantages of
- minorities must be their own fault.
-
individual
discrimination
- based
- on individual prejudices
-
institutional
discrimination
- a.
- normal operations and procedures of social
- institutions result in unequal treatment of minorities
-
overt
discrimination
- based
- on a persons own prejudices
-
adaptive
discrimination.
- based
- on prejudices of others (restaurant owner example)
-
60.
What are the three factors discussed in class
that contribute to the lower levels of education achieved by racial/ethnic
minorities compared to non-Hispanic whites?
- a.
- Employment – lower incomes on average
- b.
- Education – residential segregation – inadequate
- funding in economy for disadvantaged areas
- c.
- Segregation in school system increasing since
- 1990s
-
66.
Define segregation.
- a.
- Spatial and social separation of categories of
- people by social characteristics
-
-
-
66.
What are the two factors that contribute to
persistent housing segregation in the U.S.?
-
Redlining
- loans
- denied for the purchase of housing in minority neighborhoods
-
Geographic
steering
- realtors
- showing homes only in minority neighborhoods
-
66.
What is affirmative action?
- a.
- Policies and practices in the work place and
- educational institutions to promote equal opportunity as well as diversity
-
66.
Briefly describe the history of U.S. affirmative
action between 1974 and 2003.
- Moving
- away from traditional AA and claiming reverse discrimination
-
66.
Briefly describe the current U.S. public
attitudes toward affirmative action.
- a.
- Little more than 50% support AA
-
66.
Which minority group constitutes the largest
beneficiary of affirmative action policies?
|
|
