Exam 2 (Modules 5 - 6) Flashcards
ascribed status
social position based on attributes at birth, over which the individual has little or no control. These might include race and sex
achieved status
a social position that a person assumes as a result of personal choice, merit, or direct effort
social groups (primary groups + secondary groups)
a social group consists of two or more people who interact frequently and share a common identity and a feeling of interdependence
primary groups: family, close friends
secondary: school or work friends, neighbors (can turn into primary)
(interaction is different depending upon whether we are in a primary or secondary group)
role conflict
occurs when incompatible demands are placed on a person by two or more statuses held at the same time
role
the behavior expected of you when you are occupying a particular status
instrumental leaders (task leaders)
leaders that keep the group on task
post-male-dominated - now it’s about equal between men and women
expressive leaders (emotional leaders)
cheerleader and morale officer
female-dominated
social institutions
a social institution is a set of organized beliefs and rules that establishes how a society will attempt to meet its basic social needs
- Family
- Religion
- Education
- Economy
- Government
- Medicine
- Sports and Entertainment
Durkheim’s concepts of mechanical and organic solidarity
What is the “cement” that binds people together?
Mechanical Solidarity: solidarity through shared experience. People are united by traditions and shared values. Characteristic of traditional societies and communities.
Organic Solidarity: people are united by a mutual dependence on one another. Characteristic of modern societies.
total institution
a place of work and residence where a great number of similarly situated people, cut off from the wider community for a considerable time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life
conflict theory perspective on deviance
Crime and punishment are influenced by inequality
Economic conditions of the lower classes lead to behavior defined as criminal
Class interests dictate who shall be defined as deviant and how severely they shall be punished
structural-functionalism perspective on deviance
according to Emile Durkheim, deviance serves some positive functions:
- Deviance clarifies rules
- Deviance unites a group
- Deviance promotes social change
what are “victimless crimes”?
Do not involve a clearly defined victim and are less likely to be reported
Examples: Prostitution, Illegal drug use
what are “white-collar crimes”?
Crime committed by respectable people of high status in the course of their occupation.
Often unreported and difficult to detect.
Economic, environmental, and social costs are far greater than all street crime combined but typically punished less severely than street criminals.
May lead to an underestimate of middle and upper-class criminality.
Examples: Embezzlement, Stock fraud
strain theory (Robert Merton)
Believes deviance occurs when culturally approved goals cannot be reached by culturally approved means. This generally happens when there is a disparity between these goals and one’s realistic chances of achieving them through accepted behaviors
there is a “strain” between the means and the goals
differential association theory (Edwin Sutherland)
Believes deviance is learned through 2 mechanisms:
- Interacting with others who hold deviant norms.
- Adopting those norms because we get approval from people in that deviant subculture.
what are “moral entrepreneurs”?
“Moral Entrepreneurs” can create definitions of what constitutes “deviance”
“Moral Entrepreneurs” sell their own brand of “morality:
Example: Prohibition
what is meant by the “medicalization of deviant behavior”? examples?
The cultural trend of labeling behaviors formally viewed as deviant as being medical conditions
Some forms of deviance that were formerly viewed as crimes or just “bad behavior” are now viewed as “sickness”
Example: Alcoholism, ADD
internal social control
takes place when individuals internalize norms and values and follow those norms and values in their lives. This can be viewed as self-control based on our conscience
external social control (including informal and formal forms of external social control)
involves punishing behavior that breaks the rules
formal: punishment by an authority figure
informal: punishment by social pressure (ex. peers or no authorizes), “what will they think of me”
what is the “broken window” theory?
Asserts that something as small as a broken window sends signals to those who pass by.
The unrepaired window means that no one cares here, that no one is in charge and invites more serious infractions.
what is meant by “social bond theory”?
Believes the probability of deviant behavior increases when a person’s ties to society are weakened or broken. This also applies to neighborhoods and communities.
Social bonding consists of:
- attachment to other people
- involvement in conventional activities
- belief in the legitimacy of conventional norms
what percentage of criminal cases are resolved by plea bargaining?
90% of criminal cases are never tried in a court of law. Instead, they are resolved by plea bargaining.
97% of criminal convictions are the result of plea bargaining.
“front stage” vs “backstage” behavior
front stage behavior reflects internalized norms and expectations for behavior shaped partly by the setting
backstage behavior allows you to be free of the expectations and norms that dictate front stage behavior
positive functions of deviance
Postivativ functions include:
- Deviance clarifies rules
- Deviance unites a group
- Deviance promotes social change
Examples: Speed limit
