Gender Distinguishing concepts o Sex o Gender Biological characteristics with which we were born Learned attitudes and behaviors that characterize people of one sex or the other Social and cultural expectations o Gender identity o Gender roles A perception of self as either male or female Characteristics attitudes feelings and behaviors that society expects of males and females o Gender stereotype Expectations about how people will look act think and feel based on their sex Gender Inequality Sexism o An attitude or behavior that discriminates against one sex usually women based on assumed superiority of the other sex o People s unequal access to wealth power status prestige and other valued resources Gender stratification Gender Pay Gap o Refers to the income difference between males and females o Pay gap increases as the level of education increases o Example of pay gap Women may choose fields with lower earnings jobs requiring nurturing Mena re more routinely promoted Mothers are more likely than fathers to make work adjustments for children Sexual Harassment o Any unwanted sexual advance request for sexual favors or other conduct of a sexual Verbal behavior demands of sexual favors in exchange for promotion nature Nonverbal behavior suggestive gestures postures Physical contact unwanted touching o Two or more people who live together and who are related by blood marriage or Family U S Census Bureau adoption Family Functions o Sexual regulation o Reproduction and socialization Religion o Economic security o Emotional support Marriage o A socially adopted mating relationship that people expect to be stable and enduring o Endogamy practice of selecting mates from within one s social group o Exogamy practice of selecting mates from outside one s group o Nuclear family families made up of parents and their biological or adopted children o Extended families parents and children as well as other kin such as grandparents Family types Residence patterns o Patrilocal a newly married couple lives with the husband s family o Matrilocal lives with the wife s family o Neolocal sets up its own residence Boomerang Generation o Young adults move back into parents house or never leave it o Recent phenomenon in industrialized nations o Adultolescents have been out in adult world but return to dependency Religion social institution that involves shared beliefs values and practices based on the supernatural and unites behavior in a community Sacred and Secular o Durkheim distinguished between Sacred anything that people see as mysterious awe inspiring or extraordinary Profane everyday activities anything not related to religion o Secular term sociologists use instead of profane Religiosity and Spirituality o Religiosity the ways people demonstrate their religious beliefs o Spirituality a personal quest connected to a reality greater than self Cults o Religious group devoted to beliefs and practices out of the mainstream society also called new religious movement o Usually organized around a charismatic leader whom followers see as having exceptional or super human powers and abilities Functionalism o Considers the benefit of religion o Belonging and identity o Meaning purpose and emotional comfort o Social services o Social conflict Religion and Social Change Ghandi o Religion usually supports the status quo but can be used to push for social change MLK Dysfunctions of Religion o Conflict between groups o Justifying attacks o Allowing abuse o Increasing anxiety about death Conflict Theory Opium of the People o Argues religion promotes social inequality o Marx viewed the religion as a form of false consciousness o False consciousness an acceptance of a system that prevents people from protesting o Study the ways in which religion provides meaning to everyday life o Religion is a social product that is taught through symbols rituals and beliefs oppression Symbolic Interaction Education Education and Schooling o Education the social institution through which society provides its members with important knowledge basic facts job skills and culture o Schooling formal training and instruction in a classroom Changes in US Education o Universal education has expanded o Community colleges have flourished o Student diversity has increased o Public higher education has burgeoned Functionalism Functions of Schooling jobs and values Latent Functions o Emphasizes the benefits if education o Looks at how education fits with the rest of society and helps meet society s needs o Socialization teachers pass on specialized knowledge that adults will need for future o Cultural innovation faculty invent culture and pass it along to students o Social integration schools mold a diverse population into one society sharing norms o Social placement schools identify talent and match instruction by ability o Providing child care o Providing social services o Matchmaking o Decreasing job competition o Creating social networks o Creating business opportunities Conflict Theory Social Class Gatekeeping and jobs o Addresses ways education promotes social inequality o Asks why education benefits some more than others o Social class predicts educational attainment o Access to capital reinforces and reproduces the existing class structure Economic capital income and monetary assets Cultural capital social assets such as education and attitudes Social capital social networks o Conflict theory points to gatekeeping when those in power control access to education o Intelligence quotient IQ an index of an individual s performance on a standardized test relative to the performance level of others o Gatekeeping Tools Credentialism IQ tests SAT Advanced Placement AP classes o Conflict theory also points to the use of credentialism in maintaining social class o Credentialism refers to the increasing demand for certificates and degrees o Symbolic interaction theories consider how social contexts affect the process of o Looks at tracking labeling and student engagement Symbolic Interaction distinctions education Tracking o Tracking streaming ability grouping assigning students to specific educational programs and classes o Sometimes based on stereotypes and results in labeling o Tracing creates a self fulfilling prophecy Students achieve what is expected of them Quantity and Quality of Schooling o Students from other countries outperform US students in science and math o US schools have shorter school days o Many US schools suffer from