Exam 1 Flashcards
(60 cards)
List three goals of social science
1) explain why something happens
2) make generalizations
3) analyze patterns to predict and resolve the future
Define sociology
The study of social life, social chg, social causes and consequences of human behavior
Social scientists use what two things
Common science and scientific evidence
What role does common sense play in the execution of social science research?
Commonsense allows social scientists to make assumptions for instance … One may think it’s common sense for the average American to get a job in this day and age
What is the significance and scientific evidence (in the social sciences)?
It allows social scientists to gather and analyse information in a scientific way for instance saying many Americans don’t have jobs and research shows that both individual and social factors play a role
What is the sociological imagination ? Give an applied example with issues of poverty & affluence.
Sociological imagination is -our personal experiences are linked to the world around us. (we are a product of society society influences our decisions and our outcomes)
And the example: Graph showing gender pay gap
List factors of gender pay gap
1) employer preference/discrimination construction workers
2) Cultural expectation of female caretaker and male breadwinner
3) General labour market structure pink collar professions nursing daycare providers
4) Within job profession gender discrimination surgeons versus pediatrician
5) early childhood socialisation males taught to be assertive females frail and submissive
Apply the sociological imagination to dropout rate graph of US
Peer pressure
Teen pregnancy rates are epidemic
Education level of parents/family history/financial conflicts
Education system not culturally sensitive
Domestic difficulties
Labour market opportunities farming
Government legislation (under 16 must go to school)
What are the main ideas and conclusions of the stories presented in Chapter 1
Story of D and Claire is about the feminization of poverty
Partner violence low pay no childcare didn’t want to be seen as welfare recipient irregular work schedule
Kate Tony breadwinner homemaker model had kids Kate quit job divorce Kate outside job market after divorce
Maria Robert breadwinner homemaker economic recession lack of affordable childcare loss of health insurance medical bills pile up
What is poverty define the two different kinds and give examples of each
Poverty is the inability to sustain an adequate standard of living
Two types of poverty are
Absolute-(objective measurement) determined by federal government by the federal poverty line. Unable to meet basic needs (ie food clothing)
Relative poverty-subjective measurement used to compare groups of people (poverty in Asia versus poverty in Africa)
How is poverty measured?
In this country poverty is measured by federal poverty line of threshold established in 1964 by the Social Security Administration used to determine who is in absolute poverty
What are the concerns about how poverty is measured?
The federal poverty line doesn’t account for state or regional individual income
Can’t count homeless or illegal aliens
Also did the federal poverty line was created in a time when the largest expense was food and now the largest expense is housing
How long does poverty tend to Last? what can explain this trend?
59% of the population is in poverty for one year or less. This is because the threshold definition of poverty skews the statistic. Typically people are in and out of poverty cycles.
How do poverty rates differ by age?
There are more poor under 18 years old then there were in 1960 there are no less poor elderly now than there were 1960
Which regions of the United States are more poor?
The southern states have more poverty
What can explain all the patterns in the United States of poverty?
Factors include
1)under educated: southern states
3) Rural areas are more likely to be under educated as opposed to urban populations
2) single mothers creates the feminization of poverty
3) children under 18
Those that live predominantly in agricultural areas tend to have more children and fewer resources
4) those in urban populations tend to live in cities with overpopulation competition for resources, cost of living is greater, less quality education
What is a social theory and why do we need series?
Social theory is a general explanation of how facts are related to one another in the context of human behavior
Because series explain how we relate to other human beings and the context in which information is passed
What are the basic tenets of symbolic interactionism functionalism and conflict theory
Symbolic interactionism
microlevel-
it focuses on the interpretation of symbols and interactions. Examples would be namebrand of shoes, prescription drugs versus generic all of these change how we view things people and status symbolic interaction. A Louis Vuitton bag equals money and status
Functionalism- macrolevel
Positive approach focus is on how different parts of society work together to fulfill order and stability
Examples include mass media, government, law, family, workplace, religion, education, sports and economy ***these are the nine agents of socialization.
For example when family is stable it creates stability in society
Conflict theory analysis-is a negative approach that focus is on how competing groups of people struggle for scarce resources i.e. money material goods power
A good example of conflict theory says that the 1% a.k.a. corporate will exploit any use workers to make a larger profit for themselves
Who is in conflict with whom: workers with the CEOs or employers
What is the conflict about
Workers don’t have a say in salary when employers set wages.
What is the feminization of poverty what are its implications?
Women are more likely to be poor
The idea that poverty is a woman’s issue
How are the working poor near poor and severely poor similar or different from one another
All three are greatly affected by structural causes
The cycle of poverty
Most have a few savings live in suburbs and cities close enough to crime don’t have adequate health care and have children who go to underperforming schools
What are the common themes found in the stories in eitzen/smith chapter 1 which Theory or theory can best explain the circumstances presented?
Despite the richness in the United States it has a serious problem with poverty .
Many social factors play a part in poverty in the United States.
Poverty is a complex matter it involves both social factors and individual factors
Feminist theory-feeling trapped
Racial/ethnic theory-
Define income versus wealth
Income refers to wages or earnings from employment or investment
Wealth is the total value of money and other assets minus any outstanding debts. Wealth may include such items as stocks bonds and real estate
What are the six rungs of the social ladder define each one in great detail
From top of the ladder to the bottom of the ladder
1) capitalist-prestigious university education-investors errors top executives-1%
2) upper middle class-college university postgrad education-professionals and upper managers-15%
3) lower middle-class-high school or college maybe apprenticeship-semi professional and lower managers craftspeople ,foreman-34%
4) working class-high school-factory workers clerical workers low-paid retail and crafts people-30%
5) working poor-some high school-laborers service workers low-paid sales people-16%
6) underclass-some high school-unemployed and part time on welfare-4%
Define social mobility
Movement by an individual from one social class to another
What factors are linked to social mobility? What is the likelihood of experiencing social mobility in the United States social class system
Factors linked to social mobility Opportunities, goals, achievements and constraints are shaped by the environment in which a person is raised (norms that are learned and constraints/ privileges each person is raised with.) Although theoretically Americans can be anything they want to be in reality there is little substantial upward social mobility or upward movement from one class to another people usually live out their lives in the same social class which they come from because the norms that are learned and the constraints and privileges they experience.
