SOC 100 Brouillette Final Exam Chapter 11 Race a socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important It is a social definition that is classified by physical characteristics Knowing a person s race gives us no information about them however they create a hierarchy Ethnicity a shared cultural heritage that is based on common ancestry language and religion Based on cultural traits Minorities any category of people distinguished by physical or cultural difference that a society sets apart and subordinates Can be based on ethnicity race or both By 2042 minorities are likely to form a majority in the U S Two important characteristics of minorities o Distinctive identity o Subordination Based on physical or cultural traits Placing them in a lower social rank Prejudice a rigid and unfair generalization that can be positive or negative about an entire category of people Stereotype a simplified description applied to every person in some category Example minorities are viewed as incompetent in comparison to majorities in the work place Bogardus Social Distance Research A way to measure prejudice that indicates that today s students tend to see fewer differences between various categories of people Example the terrorist attacks of 9 11 reduced social acceptance of Arabs and Muslims Racism the belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another Theories of prejudice Scapegoat Theory o A person or a category of people typically with little power whom people unfairly blame for their troubles Authoritarian Personality Theory o The idea that some people are naturally better like themselves than the weaker minorities Culture Theory Conflict Theory o Prejudice is found in everyone and a part of culture o Prejudice is a tool used by powerful people to oppress others Discrimination unequal treatment positive or negative of various categories of people Institutional Prejudice and Discrimination bias built into the operation of society s institutions including schools hospitals etc Prejudice and discrimination reinforce each other the vicious circle Pluralism a stage in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing The U S is not completely pluralistic Assimilation the process by which minorities gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture Miscegenation reproduction by partners of different racial categories It is becoming more common Segregation the physical and social separation of categories of people Although cleaning still continues Genocide the systematic killing of one category of people by another Continues in modern world Social standings in the U S Highest Income Chinese Poverty Native Americans College Education Korean The elderly can be seen as a minority The age group with the most poverty is 18 and younger True or false FALSE The elderly are always sick most are in nursing homes FALSE The elderly are dangerous drivers and have a lot of wrecks FALSE The elderly are inefficient employees FALSE The elderly are not politically active FALSE The elderly cannot adapt to new working conditions What age group is least likely to vote What class thinks 18 21 year olds Functionalist Perspective The disengagement theory is the idea that society enhances its orderly operation by disengaging people from positions of responsibility as they reach old age The activity theory is the idea that a high level of activity enhances personal Symbolic Interaction Perspective satisfaction in old age Conflict Perspective Aging is problematic in contemporary capitalistic societies As people grow older their power tends to diminish unless they are able to What is the best time of your life by age maintain wealth Age 18 29 20 s Age 30 44 30 s Age 45 59 20 s 60 Retirement Chapter 12 Social institutions major spheres of social life or societal subsystems organized to meet human needs Everything it takes to meet the major needs of society The economy is a social institution that organizes a society s production distribution and consumption of goods and services Care for children assure that the society has the appropriate number of Basic social needs people Transmit cultural knowledge to the young Share community vales and solidarity Take care of sick people prevent illness and injury Produce and distribute goods and services provide employment Distribute power maintain order Defend against enemies of the state How society attempts to meet its basic social needs Replace members family Teach new members education Produce distribute goods economy Take care of the sick health Preserve order political Sectors of the economy Primary environment Secondary o The extraction of raw materials and natural resources from the o Agriculture raising animals fishing forestry and mining o The processing of raw materials from the primary sector into finished goods o Industrialization o Refining petroleum into gasoline and turning metals into tools and automobiles Tertiary o The provision of services rather than goods o Food services secretarial and clerical jobs health care etc As countries become richer the primary sector becomes a smaller part of the economy and the tertiary or service sector becomes larger Economy in the U S o 1900 primary was most common o 1955 secondary was most common o 2010 tertiary was most common Compared to a century ago when the economy involved a larger share of factory and farm work making a living in the United States now involves mostly white collar service jobs Capitalism an economic system in which natural resources and the means of producing goods and services are privately owned A ideal capitalist economy has three distinctive features o Private ownership o Pursuit of personal profit o Competition and consumer choice Socialism an economic system in which natural resources and the means of producing goods and services are collectively owned An ideal socialists economy has three distinctive features o Collective ownership of property o Pursuit of collective goals o Government control of the economy Capitalist s societies have a higher gross domestic product a higher ratio to poor and they focus on self interest in comparison to socialist Capitalism and socialism comparison Capitalist economies produce a higher overall standard of living but also generate greater income disparity than do socialist economies Capitalism emphasizes freedom to pursue one s self