Final Review Understand sociological Theories for each chapter topic Chapter 1 Sociology the systematic study of human societies Social problem a condition that undermines the well being of some or all members of a society and is usually controversial Sociological imagination point of view that highlights how society affects the experiences we have the choices we make Claims making the process of convincing the public important public officials that a particular issue or situation should be defined as a social problem Social movements an organized effort at claims making that tries to shape the way people think about an issue in order to encourage or discourage social change 4 stages emergence coalescence formalization decline 3 theoretical approaches structural functionalism sees society as as complex system of many different parts many interrelated parts social conflict feminism highlights social inequality based on class race ethnicity sees society as divided by inequality and conflict highlights social inequality based on gender seeks equality for men women links problems to mens domination of women symbolic interactionist helps us understand how people experience social problems in their routine everyday actions sees society as the product of individuals interacting with one another Feminization of poverty the trend of women making up an increasing share of the poor Underclass people who live in areas with high concentrations of poverty limited opportunities for schooling or work cultural capital skills values attitudes schooling that increase a persons chances of success Chapter 3 Race is not biological socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of society define as important Ethnicity is shared cultural characteristics ancestry heritage Minorities any category of people identified by physical or cultural traits that a society subjects to disadvantages Genocide mass killing of a certain group or type of people Segregation legally or socially enforced separation of African Americans from other races but also applies to the general discrimination against people of color by white communities Assimilation the process by which minorities gradually adapt to the cultural patterns of the dominant group Stereotype an exaggerated description applied to every person in a social category Eurocentrism the practice of using European cultural standards to judge everyone Social constructionist approach holds that a social problem is created as society defines some condition as undesirable and in need of change Multiculturalism educational programs designed to recognize cultural diversity in the US and to promote respect for all cultural traditions Empirical research qualitative and qualitative Field research allows a researcher to observe people over a long period of time while joining them in their everyday activities Chapter 2 Income salary or wages from a job plus earnings from investments and other sources vs wealth the value of all the economic assets owned by a person or family minus any debts Income inequality currently increasing to levels similar to great depression Poverty gap income for the avg poor fam in the us is about 11 000 less than the poverty line difference between the actual income of the typical poor household the official poverty line Prejudice Unfounded generalization about an entire category of people Discrimination unequal treatment of social categories of people Institutional discrimination built into systems Conservatives believe that social standing is a matter of personal responsibility people can escape poverty by taking advantage of the opportunities the us society offers Liberals believe that poverty is a societal problem stemming mostly from a lack of good jobs Radicals on left claim that poverty results from the normal operation of the capitalist economy which benefits capitalist elite Chapter 4 Gender stereotypes one form of prejudice against women which devalues what a society defines as feminine 3 perspectives on gender Education Gender stereotyping steers women away from fields of study such as engineering and physics considered masculine Despite policies against gender bias in college sports men s sports typically receive more funding and public attention Mass media Historically televisions and film have cast women mainly in supporting roles Advertising reinforces gender stereotypes by pitching certain products such as household cleansers to women and others such as cars and banking services to men Politics women only hold 21 of seats in the world s parliament In the united states until 1920 women were banned from voting in national elections In 2012 a record number of women were elected to congress Religion Traditional religions allow only men to be leaders Many religious writings teach women to submit to social dominance of men Military Until recently the claim that women are not as strong as men has allowed the military to bar women from certain assignments Women represent 15 of the U S armed forces Sexual assault directed at women is a serious problem in today s military Family In poor countries the world over parents value sons more than daughters encouraging selective abortions and in some cases female infanticide In the U S gender shapes people s experiences of marriage which is often an unequal partnership that favors the man Patriarchy a social pattern in which males dominate females Sexism is the assertion that one sex is less worthy than or even innately inferior to the other Housework is still performed mainly by women despite the fact that women have been entering the labor force in record numbers in recent years Vertical Segregation the situation where people cannot get jobs above a certain rank based on their sex gender etc Horizontal Segregation the fact that there are more men than women doing a type of job and that there are more women than men doing the other type of job Paid vs unpaid labor paid labor is what a job is but unpaid labor is considered to be done by the person who stays home and tends to the children and household which is typically the mother Women s movement began in 1840 s as a spinoff of efforts to abolish slavery 1st wave Women s Suffrage 1910 1920 Used different Frames Patriotic vs Difference Suffragists upper class white women Radical at the time WCTU 1873 largest womens org Suffrage 19th amendment aug 18 1920 Labor movement because WWI WWII created need for