Social Institutions 04 15 2014 What are Social Institutions Systems and structures that shape activities of groups and individuals in society You cant visit a social institution it is a structure not a place o EX Politics education religion What is Education Education o The process by which a society transmits knowledge values and expectations to its members so they can function in society Schooling serves a number of important functions for society o Keeps you out of trouble interaction with peers transmission of knowledge learning to follow society s rules to respect authority being socialized to develop other qualities that will eventually make us efficient obedient workers o Help reproduce and produce the inequality seen in society The Hidden Curriculum Values and behaviors that students learn indirectly over the course of their schooling o The educational system s structure and teaching methods Learn rules routines and regulations o Produce a submissive and obedient workforce prepared to take orders and perform repetitive tasks o Teaches gender roles Education and Social Mobility Education is a mechanism through which social mobility is possible o Public K 12 education a human right in this country o Meritocracy Equal education opportunities Social Reproduction Savage Inequality Jonathan Kozol 1991 o Ethnography of public schools in east St Louis Chicago New York City Camden Cincinnati Washington D C o Discusses the disparities in education between schools of different classes and races o Main argument Property taxes play a vital part in schools Because schools are funded by local taxes children in poor neighborhoods are trapped in poor schools which reinforces inequality Social Reproduction Tracking Tracking o Placement of students into educational tracks or programs of study that determine types of classes students take o Separates students by academic ability into groups for all subjects or certain classes o May be referred to as streaming or phasing o Students attend academic classes only with students whose overall academic abilities is the same as their own o Students in academically advanced tracks require Advance academic training Higher level math More foreign language More literature o Less academic tracks acquire Vocational skills welding cosmetology Business skills typing bookkeeping Educational outcomes Higher SES better academic performance Possible reasons o Quality of schools o Affordability of educational services o Higher property taxes o Black students lag behind white students academically Partially explain by social class o What factors may explain black students doing poorer in school on average Black white achievement gap Pygmalion effect teachers attitudes about their students unintentionally influence their academic performances Similar to labeling theory Discounted acting white Tracking Stereotype threat o Situation arises when an individual has the potential to confirm negative stereotype about their social group How schools really matter Downey and Gibbs 2010 challenge the notion that school produce social inequalities o If we lived in a world with no schools at all inequality would be much worse This does not suggest that school quality does not play a role Emphasize contextual factors outside of school o Ex Families neighborhoods seasonal patterns summer Typical 18 year old American has spent just 13 of his or her waking hours in school WRONG Schools are the great equalizer or schools provide equal opportunity INSTEAD schools help lessen some of the inequalities based on social class or without schools the achievement gap would be wider Based on what we learned Wed how do we know that the first statement is not correct 04 15 2014 What is Health 04 15 2014 Cambridge dictionary Condition of the body and the degree to which it is free from illness or the state of well being Health absence of illness Davey et al 1984 The ability for the individuals to function in a way which is acceptable to the group from which they belong Health contextual and socially constructed World health organization a complete physical metal and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity o Health a state separate from illness and disease Sociology of health and illness Contest health merely being an attribute of biological or natural conditions o Understand health in a social context o Understand health as being impacted by social conditions and society Health and illness are social constructs whatever we define health as see as being healthy o What it means to be healthy or sick is determined by society Causes of Health Proximate vs Distal o Proximate directly linked to health o Behaviors to health of illness o Examples Sex without a condom Distal indirectly linked to health o Usually explains why people do things that affect their health o Examples Individual vs Structural o Individual a persons attributes that explain health o EX behavior Structural social attributes to explain health EX Institutions Health Inequality Differences in health A mere difference in health by social group unlinked to social or economic factors EX Male female differences in breast or testicular cancer Health disparity inequality inequity A type of diff in health that is closely linked with social or economic disadvantage EX Blacks have higher mortality and lower life expectancy relative to whites Health inequity the opportunity to attain their full health potential no one is disadvantages from achieving this potential because of their social position Disparities of Health ethnicity immigration Immigrants relative to US born same race counterparts have better health outcomes health advantage lessens the longer they are in the US Native americans relative to all other racial ethnic groups o Have the highest rate of committed suicide Explaining health disparities Stress process stress theory Social status and social stress are negatively correlated o The lower ones social status the more stress they face o Types of stress o Ambient o Status related sexism microagressions racism o Realm specific Stress exposure explains health disparities o Health is compromised when an individuals stressful experiences exceed their ability to buffer the stress