Exam 2 Flashcards
Surveillance
pervasive and self monitoring, record keeping, disciplining and punishments, hierarchy of surveillance
Class system
Wright says Form of social stratification based on income, education, and occupation.
Society divided into different social classes based on these factors
Marx’s View on Class
Depends on relationship to means of production (tools, capital use, factory, wealth)
False Consciousness
Marx’s thoughts that attitudes held by a class that do not represent their social position
Class Consciousness
Marx’s views on a class’ awareness of common interests and the need for collective action for change
Weber’s View on class
Power: The ability to control others
Property: Wealth
Prestige: Admiration and Fame
Wrights view on class
More class positions than Marx thought
ppl can vary in their ownership and their control over others’ labor
(petit Bourgeoise: self employed capitalists)
Contradictory Class positions: class position with elements that may not match up
Social Stratification
division of large numbers of people into layers divded by power, prestige, property
can relate to people within or between societies
Why is stratification universal?
Davis & Moore Functionalists perspective,
Tumin Critical Perspective, and Mosca’s conflict perspective
Davis & Moore Functionalists Perspective
certain positions must be filled, some positions are more important, more important positions require qualifications, rewards must be offered for motivation
Tumin Critical Perspective
are high reward positions more important? Is society really meritocratic? Says social stratification is dysfunctional
Mosca’s Conflict Perspective
society must be organized by leadership, leadership requires inequality, humans are selfish– rewards are hoarded
Low Social Status Consequences
poorer physical health, poorer mental health, family life issues, decreased access to education, less involvement in politics, in whole less life opportunities
Social Mobility
The ability to move up and down the ladders between social classes
Intergenerational Mobility
change family members make in social class that changes from one generation to the next
Structural mobility
changes in society let large numbers of people to move up or down social class ladders
Exchange mobility
large numbers move down the ladder while large numbers move up, exchanging positions so social class system show little change
Horatio-Alger myth
If you work hard enough anyone can get ahead
Culture of Poverty
the belief that the behavior/values of poor are largely responsible for their poverty and parents for passing it on
Global Stratification theories
Colonialism: European countries invaded and exploited other countries for their labor and natural resources, making “economic colonies”
World Systems Theories: There is a world system where some countries exploit others
Culture of Poverty: Cultures of least industrialized nations hold back their development
Neocolonialism
The most industrialized countries have economic and political dominance over the least. (not military)
Multinational corporations
most industrialized nations benefit most, though elites in most industrialized nations can form partnerships with corporations for gain
World Systems Theory
Wallerstein
countries regions split:
core: technologically advanced industrial capitalist nations
periphery: poor countries that primarily subsist by exporting primary products
semi-periphery: countries that act as a mediator between core and periphery
world system maintains dominance of the core
Power Elites
C. Wright Mills
power: the ability to carry out your will, even over the resistance of others
power elite: the top people in US constitutions, military and politics that make decisions
members know each other and view themselves as an elite
iron law of oligarchy
principle that states any thing democratically run will end up as a bureaucracy with a few elites in power in charge.
Macro sociology
Sociology studied over the majority
Micro sociology
How people interact with each other (small scale)
Dramaturgy (Goffman)
Goffman says individuals act like they are on a stage performing when they act in everyday life.
What contributes to teenage consumerism
Ads targeting teenagers, and the need for teenagers to fit in by consuming latest products to show their status
Kinds of solidarity (Durkheim)
Mechanical: the unity (shared consciousness) ppl feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks
Organic: interdependence that results from the division of labor, as part of the same unit, we all depend on others to fulfill their jobs
Geimenshchaft
A life that is intimate, everyone knows everyone else and ppl share sense of togetherness
Gehlsellchaft
dominated by impersonal relationships, individual accomplishments and self-interest.
Roles & Status
Roles: parts society expects to play in given status. performing the interpretation you give a role, your style
Status: ascribed, assigned at birth (race, gender) achieved, voluntary (spouse, lawyer) master, overshadows all other statuses (extreme wealth, disability)
Statuses are occupied and roles are played.
Bureaucracies (positive)
Fairness and consistency, efficiency
Promotes systematic functioning
Creates organized framework
Remains stable, resistant to change
Bureaucracies (negative)
Red tape
Alienation
Lack of communication
Iron role of oligarchy (power rests with small amt of ppl)
Disenchantment (Weber)
As technology increases, individuals become less connected with what were doing in daily life. Everything must be able to be comprehended by humans, nothing remains a mystery or an enchanted thought.
4 Dimensions of Mcdonaldization (what gave rise to it)
rationalization!
calculability: quantity over quality
Predictability: standardizing services to ensure consistency
Control- tech and strict procedures to minimize human mistakes
Efficiency- making everything run smooth/quick with repetition
How is Poverty depicted in media?
What is the sociological explanation for why the mai lai massacre happened?
Obedience to authority, group conformity (matching group norms), cultural bias
What do bureaucracies offer?
They are necessary for the function of workers, without it they would not know what to do.
