Psch/Soc Content Review

Question 1

What is social reproduction?

Answer 1

The generational wealth or poverty extending to future generations

Question 2

Intersectionality considers?

Answer 2

All aspects of discrimination.

Question 3

What is an example of the social disorganization theory?

Answer 3

The broken window hypothesis.

Maintaining and monitoring urban enviroments prevent small crimes such as vandalism to creat the atmosphere of order and to deter more serious crimes

Question 4

What is the general theory of Functionalism?

Answer 4

Every structure has a function that meets the needs of a society and all the structures work together to maintain social equilibrium

Question 5

What is one of the problems with Functionalism?

Answer 5

It focuses completely on institutions with little regard for the importance of the individual and is unable to explain social change

Question 6

What is Conflict theory?

Answer 6

A theory that focuses on the inequalities on society, especially between the bourgeoise and the proletarat. There is always a thesis (someone is happy) and an antithesis (someone is upset) and even if they synthesize a new antithesis will be formed.

Question 7

What is class conciousness?

Answer 7

A sense of solidarity within one’s own class and if struggling the class with obtain the means of production.

*Marxist theory

Question 8

What is false conciousness?

Answer 8

Workers are not able to see their own opposition/oppression. Owners generally feeding this to workers, even giving the idea that one or two can break through

(Think American’s current capitalism even though this is a Marxist theory)

Question 9

What are the problems with Conflict theory?

Answer 9

It doesn’t explain how society can be functional

Question 10

What is the theory of social constructionism?

Answer 10

Knowledge that the things around us are not ‘real” in and of themselves, but instead only exist because we give them reality based on social agreements

Question 11

What are the two threads of social contructionism?

Answer 11

1) Weak thread which relies on brute facts

2) Strong thread which the whole of reality is dependent on language and social habits and does not consider brute facts

Question 12

What are the problems with social constructionism?

Answer 12

It doesn’t consider the effect of natural phenomenon in society

Question 13

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 13

Explains the indivdual and their interactions with others

Question 14

What are the 3 tenets of symbolic interactionism?

Answer 14

1) We act based of the meaning we have given something
2) We give meaning to this things based of our social interactions
3) The meaning we give something is not permanent and can change with everyday life

Question 15

What us the rational choice theory?

Answer 15

The idea that everything people do is fundamentally rational

Question 16

What are the 3 assumptions of rational choice theory?

Answer 16

1) Every action can be ranked
2)Transivity- if A>B and B>C then A>C
3) Independence of irrelavent alternitives
If A>B, but I suddenly have choice X, it won’t change the ranking of the first three options

Question 17

What is Exchange theory?

Answer 17

Looks at society as a series of interactions between individuals that weigh the pros and cons of each decision

Question 18

What are the considerations of Exchange theory?

Answer 18

1) People maximize the profits
2) Rewarding behavior is repeated
3) Operates within social norms

Question 19

What are the problems with rational choice exchange theory?

Answer 19

They assume that people make rational choices, and also cannot explain any sort of altruism

Question 20

What is the Life course theory?

Answer 20

Aging is a social, psychological and biological process that begins from birth until death

Question 21

What is age stratification?

Answer 21

Looks at age as a way of regulating the behavior of a generation

Question 22

What is disingagement theory?

Answer 22

A theory that says that older adults and society separate (like when someone retires) and it assumes that people become more self absorbed as they age and this seperation allows for self reflection

Question 23

What is continutity theory?

Answer 23

A theory that suggests that people try to maintain the same basic structure for their lives over time

Question 24

An ethnic group is defined as?

Answer 24

groups with shared language, religion, nationality, history, or some other cultural factor

Question 25

What is the definition of a minority?

Answer 25

A minority consists of a group that makes up less than half the total population and treated differently because of it

Question 26

What are the 5 different topics when discussing sex, gender, and sexual orientation?

Answer 26

Biological, identity, expression, attraction, and fornication

Question 27

What is cultural relavitism?

Answer 27

Refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong, strange or normal