soc 102 study guide Flashcards
what is critical thinking
it is a collection of skills that we use everyday that is necessary for our full intellectual development
requires learning on how to think then simply what to think
what are the characteristics of critical thinkers
creavtity, open mildness, logical reasoning , decision making , inference ,objectivity , curiosity, analytic reasoning
what are the 3 stages of cognitive development
dualism - a belief that all problems have correct answers and that authorities have these answers
relativism - that there is no such thing as an objective truth only opinions which differ from person to person our society to society
commitment - seek out a diversity of opinions and used that information to make a decision.
what is cognitive dissonance
a sense of disorientation that occurs in situations where new ideas directly conflict with a person’s worldview
name and define different forms of narrow- mindedness
Narrow mindedness – rigid beliefs that interfere with critical analysis or worldviews
stubborn or intolerant
dectarism and bigotry, parochialism
different forms of resistance
Resistance – the use of immature defense mechanisms that are rigid and impulsive and maladaptive and nonanalytical
Avoidance – rather than seeking out different points of view we may avoid certain people and situations
Anger – people with physical and social power are more likely than those without it to use anger to silence those who disagree with them
Cliches – keeps us from critically examining our own life choices
Denial – people who drink and drive may often deny that they are drunk
Ignorance – is when we avoid learning about a particular issue about which information is readily available in order to get out of having to think or talk about it for example it can be used as an excuse or inaction
Conformity – many people fear that they will not be accepted by their peers if they disagree with them
define ethnocentrism
the process of judging other peoples and their customs and norms an inferior to one’s own people customs and norms
Ethnocentrism hinders such understanding because it means we are viewing society x in terms of our own society
what are inconvenient facts examples
examples of inconvenient facts
friendships between people of different races are as stable as friendships between people of the same race and the majority of adults who sexually abuse children are heterosexual
definition -pieces of evidence that contradict what you have always believed and/or want to believe about the social world (e.g. immigration is good for the country)
cultural relativism
the belief that other people and their ways of doing things can be understood only in terms of the cultural context of those people (e.g. not being able to relate with the people who supported Hitler back in WWII unless truly there)
what makes statistic’s good or bad
good statistics helps you with being critical thinkers and how to ask questions by looking at the numbers
bad statistics - can be used to stir up public outrage or fear they can distort our understanding of our world and they can lead us to make poor policy choices
how should we approach statistics as critical thinkers
we need good statistics to think critically about the statistics at least critical enough to suspect that the number of children gunned down hasn’t doubled
what is deviance and why do sociologists argue that deviance is socially constructed
Any behavior that departs from society or group norms. What is considered deviant varies across time and place.
examples : weed can be legal in Amsterdam but not in the U.S
What was Becker’s theory of marijuana use and how did it change dominant perceptions about deviance?
individuals will form new meanings for an activity through experiences with other people that lead to a new conception of marijuana use
he talks about how it focuses on a sequence of communicate experiences that lead to drugs rather then predisposing traits
Becker showed that deviance is learned.
Becker showed that people who smoked marijuana were not fundamentally different from those who did not.
differential association theory
when one learns criminal attitudes and behaviors through those around them
what is strain and how does it explain crime
when individuals are faced with a gap between their goals usually finances and money related and their current status
it states that certain strains or stressors increased the likelihood of crime , it can lead to such emotions such as frustration and anger.
conformists
accept cultural goals and the limited mean of achieving them
most people in our society are conformists
innovators
accept culturally approved values but use illegitimate or illegal means to follow them
most criminals who are looking to acquire wealth
ritualist
Conform to socially accepted standards even though they have lost sight of the values behind the standards
- Will stay in a boring job even though there are no career prospects and few rewards
retreatists
- Have abandoned the competitive outlook altogether, rejecting
the dominant values and the approved means of achieving them - Ex. People in a commune
rebels
- Reject both the exiting values and the means of pursuing them
- Seek to actively substitute new values and reconstruct the social
system
social disorganization theory
a theoretical perspective that explains ecological differences in levels of crime based on structural and cultural factors shaping the nature of the social order across communities.
concentrated poverty
Growing income inequality, coupled with public policies that tend to block lower-income households from living in middle and upper-income areas
