Ch. 3&4 Identity, Intersectionality, & Interaction Flashcards
Exam 2
What are social identities?
Socially constructed categories and subcategories of ppl in which we place ourselves or are placed by others
How are our identities social constructs?
Our cultures (and society) invent them, provide subcategories, and give meaning/value
What types of social identities are sociologists most interested in? Why would they be important to study?
race, citizenship, class, age, religion, etc.
Certain social identities can give advantages or disadvantages
What is distinction?
Active efforts to affirm categories and place ourselves & others into subcategories.
What is positive distinction?
Thinking that our group is superior to another group
What can positive distinction lead to?
In group bias: preferential treatment of members of own group & mistreatment of others
Key takeaway from in-group bias
People are quick to form groups and punish others
What is the minimal group paradigm?
The tendency of ppl to form groups and actively distinguish themselves from others for trivial reasons
What is the social identity theory?
People are inclined to form social groups, incorporate membership into identity and take steps to enforce group boundaries
MAXIMIZES: + distinction & in-group bias
Steps to socially construct an identity
- Invent
- Divide
- Stereotype
- Perform
- Rank
What does inventing mean? Give an example.
Establishing something as part of an identity. Moves from behavior –> identity
Ex: same-sex sexuality
- Organizational changes: urbanization, industrialization, WW2, openly gay bar –> changed society
What are sexual minorities?
gays, lesbians, anyone BUT heterosexuals
What does dividing mean? Give an example.
Deciding what will differentiate people within identity subcategories
Ex: Racial categories and subgroups
Are racial groups biological facts?
No, but still a social fact.
NOTE: more diversity within racial groups than between groups.
What is the distinction between race and ethnicity?
Race: A socially meaningful set of artificial distinctions falsely based on superficial and imagined biological differences.
Ethnicity: An identity based on collective memories of a shared history and distinctive culture.
What is a psychological wage?
Non-economic good given to one group as a measure of superiority over other groups
Division with Race and Ethnicity: One-drop rule
Idea that anyone with any trace of Black ancestry should be considered Black
Division with Race and Ethnicity: Blood Quantum Rule
A law limiting legal recognition of American Indians to those who have at least a certain level of Indigenous ancestry
What does stereotype mean? Give an example.
Giving identity subcategories different symbolic meanings
Ex: Gender
What is the distinction between gender and sex?
Gender: ideas, traits, interest, skills that we associate with being biologically male or female
Sex: Physical traits related to sexual reproduction, hormones, body shapes, etc.
What is the distinction between gender binary, intersex, or nonbinary?
Binary: Idea that people come in 2 and only 2 types (males = masculine; females = feminine)
Intersex: Ppl with both male and female physical characteristics
Nonbinary: Identify as both M/F OR as neither
What is a stereotype?
Clusters of ideas attached by social convention to people with specific social identities
EX: Masculinity to males and femininity to females
What is content analysis?
A research method that involves counting and describing patterns in the media (i.e., watching TV)
Are stereotypes accurate?
No
What does doing (performing) mean? Give an example.
Acting on social identities in consistent with stereotypes.
Ex: Aging, performing your age by what is expected (clothing, behavior, how we spend time)
What is doing identity?
Acting as you should be.
Why is aging stigmatized?
Americans generally consider it better to be young than old
Ex: High school as being the “golden age”
What does ranking mean? Give an example.
Elevating some identity subcategories over other
Ex: Fat loving and Fat hating shift
(shifting from large body sizes being the standard to hating on bigger people)
What does body size show?
Self control to control desires vs access to food (like before)
NOTE: 2-part solution of the rich to separate themselves from the middle/working classes.
What is conspicuous consumption?
Spending elaborately on items and services with the sole purpose of displaying wealth
What is stigma?
A personal attribute that is widely devalued by members of society
Ex: being fat
What are controlling images?
Pervasive negative stereotypes that serve to justify or uphold inequality
What are high-status identities?
Identities with high regard are seen as generally more valuable
What are status beliefs?
Collectively shared ideas about which social groups are more or less deserving of esteem
What is intersectionality?
The recognition that our lives are shaped by multiple interacting identities
THINK: interaction AKA multiplying
Ex: race and gender NOT just race OR gender
What is a norm?
A shared expectation of behavior
What is a social interaction?
Moments we share with other people
Social interactions are _____ things and _____
living; delicate
What are social rules?
Culturally specific norms, policies, and laws that guide our behavior.
Types of social rules: Prescriptive vs proscriptive
Prescriptive: telling us what to do
Proscriptive: telling us what not to do
Types of social rules: Folkways
Loosely enforced norms
Ex: jaywalking
Types of social rules: Mores
Tightly enforced norma that carries moral significance (i.e, something that makes you a bad person)
- character component to it
Ex: murder
Types of social rules: Taboos
Social prohibitions so strong that the thought of violating can be sickening
Ex: incest
Types of social rules: Policies
Rules that are made and enforced by orgs
Ex: SLU’s plagiarizing rule
Types of social rules: Laws
Rules that are made and enforced by state and fed gov’s
What are social sanctions?
Reactions by others aimed at promoting conformity (usually neg reaction)
- rewards or discourages rule breaking by punishing it
A world without deviance is impossible, diviations reminds us why sanctions exist
What are accounts?
An excuse that explains our rule breajing but also affirms that the rule is good and right
Two parts:
- acknowledgement that rule is valid
- explination for why we broke it
What is impression management?
Efforts to control how we’re perceived by others….(controling what other ppl think of us)
Does offering an account mean a complete rejection of the rule?
No
What is symbolic interactionism?
Theory that social interaction depends on the social construction of reality
*1. we give meaning (to behaviors)
2. Things have meaning
3. Act on mean
What is needed for a successful social interaction?
Depends on everyone involved agreeing and cooperating
What is dramaturgy?
the practice of looking at social life as a series of performances in which we’re actors on metaphorical stages
Set: situation
Roles: relative positions
Props: symbols
Impression Management: Face
A version of ourselves that we want to project in a specific setting?
- diff personas depending on the situation
Impression Management: Front stage vs back stage behavior
Front: public sphere
Back: private sphere
What is the difference between marked and unmarked identities?
Marked: Cannot be used universally, non-standard
Unmarked: Generalized, standard/norm
EX: guys = ppl BUT girls/ladies /=/ does not
Situations matter and the identities that are marked or unmarked depend on the ____
context
How do we learn role-identity associations?
Through socialization
What two symbols are important in role play?
- Symbols related to identity
- Symbols related to interactions (actions & context)
What is medical mistrust?
Pt’s mistrust of doctors due to biases
What is interpersonal discrimination?
Discrimination that happens between people based on someone’s social identity (prejudice)
What are field experiments?
A type of experiment that involves a test of a hypothesis outside of a laboratory
What are discriminatory conditions?
The specific intersection of identities for why ppl are discriminated against
EX; gender & class; race & class
Factors affecting discrimination (4)
- # of low-status identities we carry
- intersection of identities
- if roles and identities match
- situations we find ourselves in
