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Sociology 1002 > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

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1
Q

Reasons for Resistance to Change (to what)

A

(1) Cynicism
(2) Powerlessness
(3) Constraints
(4) Individualism

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2
Q

Cynicism r\

A

-concept of consumerism increasing the distribution of goods, but raises basic and fundamental human rights issues

  • Totalitarian processes-labour
    • -> i.e.) chinese labour force
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3
Q

Cynicism and Denial (culture of cynicism)

A
  • Media focus quickly shifts from human rights issues to other topic (culture of cynicism)
  • Many large corporations will act cynically)
  • China, Bangladesh
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4
Q

cynicism, scandal, and distrust

A

cynical–>distrust the positive motives of others (against human ‘goodness’ as inheritable)

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5
Q

Powerlessness

A

large corporations cannot be changed in the same ways as democratically-elected governments
—> this reinforces cynicism

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6
Q

Constraints

A
  • Proximal problems/reality are usually the sole ways that individuals spend their time
  • paradox of motivations within social movements/likelihood
  • less cynicism allows individuals to better-involve themselves in social activism
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7
Q

Paradox of Constrain and motive

A

-climate change (exemplar) will only be decrease when it affects individuals on a higher-level

  • those with less constraints =investment in social movements=better benefits
    • -> motives of individual affect society’s motives.
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8
Q

Individualism

A

Expansive ideologies of the ‘individual’

- personal troubles=/private problems

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9
Q

Mill: “Sociological Imagination”

A
  • connecting personal problems to larger structures
  • Individuals cannot be solely heal responsible for all actions
  • Recognition of patterns, lining power of situational-basis
    • ->ie) when youth are collectively lacking jobs, the nation suffers
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10
Q

Class, Inequality and power

A

Largely through cultural structures?

individuals must want to change their society/should want to change their society

Different classes= different interests; some are better-reflected

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11
Q

Hegemony: Cultural Domination

A

Hegemony: cultural means that are used to ensure that masses will consent to their own domination, and vote against their economic interests in spite of their superiority in numbers.

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12
Q

Coercive Power of the State

A

Importance of understanding the monopoly over the use of any violence forms

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13
Q

Collection Action (symbolic)

A
  • non-revolutionary and non-violent character-activities

changing others beliefs

social movements today- a cultural war

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14
Q

miltarization of the policing of dissent

A

1990s–> the Anti-Globalization movement

RCMP

Building of walls, barriers and cameras

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15
Q

Occupy (Wall Street)

A

Difficult to obtain hegemony by mass-media

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16
Q

Arab-Spring (2010)

A

market vendor set himself on fire,a fter having his produce wrongfully confiscated by officails of government services.

Economic deterioration wit demonstrations leading to mass arrests –> president forced to flee to Saudi Arabia

“Copy-cat” suicide in Nigeria–> shockwaves

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17
Q

“For richer” –> Paul Krugman (2002) 1/5

A
  1. The disappearing middle
    • a new gilded age
  2. The new gilded age
    • individuals as CEOs have gained increas in $, diminishing the middle class
  3. Undoing the New Deal
    • 3 hypothesis’ created to explain the variance within the distribution of income in America
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18
Q

“For richer” –> Paul Krugman (2002) 2/5

A

a) Globalization
- due to the growth of world-trade/ outsourcing
b) skilled-biased technological change
- due to the demand for skilled/educated increasing with domestic technological innovation(s)
c) Superstar( by sherwin Rosen)
- due to competition with great variance between the rewards give to the “winners” and the “rest”

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19
Q

“For richer” –> Paul Krugman (2002) 3/5

A

The Great Compression

  • substantial reduction in inequality during the New Deal an WWII
    - stresses social norms in setting limits to inequality
  • Gordon Gekko–> the importance of “greed”
    - -> aligning of interests of stockholders and executive to enhace executives performance
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20
Q

“For richer” –> Paul Krugman (2002) 4/5

A
  1. The price of inequality
    • GPD / per capita only increase along with the wealth of the elite
      • -> accusation of ; “Class welfare”
        • lack of trust in investors=cashing out= whole economy suffers.
  2. Inequality and Politics
    • Gramm and Mitchell (a) growing tendency of polarization and (b) policy
    • parties divided on economics too mostly
    • politics in favour of the wealthy (repeal estate tax); $=power in politics
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21
Q

“For richer” –> Paul Krugman (2002) 5/5

A
  1. Plutocracy?
    • america (1920s) =/ a feudal society
    • contrast between vast/inherited; contrasted to miser of those suffering through economies
    • government serves privileged, ignores ‘ordinary’ aspirations
      • -> thus, growing hereditary elite
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22
Q

Chapter 5–> Key points

A
  1. class is important for understanding society
  2. canadian class structure is made up of the owning class and the working class; and the petite bourgeoisie and the lumernproletariate (major/minor groups)
  3. class and social structures in socioeconomic status are codependent, but are different
  4. the middle class is a group of people with improved life chances, not a class
  5. classes are relational,structurally in conflict, are not monolithic, change over time–> linked to power/material resources, objective and subjective
  6. Sociology is divided into stratification theorists (SES) and Marxist oriented theorists (ownership–>a productive property)
  7. Values, beliefs, and interests are common in classes; where the degree of class consciousness within the own class=high
  8. the working class=all people that survive by means of a wage
  9. Divisions of classes hinder the ability of groups to unionize.
  10. Post WWII; middle strata expansion (people had disbelieved Marxism); mid-1970s–> the middle strata decreased in the developed capital world
  11. Class consciousness in the Canadian working class is low; but it can change.
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23
Q

Marxist Class Analysis

A
  1. Dialects (philosophical approach to the evolution of ideas)
    a) everything is related
    b) change is constant
    c) opposites
  2. Materialism–> the capitalist and the working classes
  3. Consciousness–> subjective elements of class membership
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24
Q

Dialects

A
  • George Wilheim Freichrich Hegel (177-1831)
    • > Germany; “Continental Philosophy”
  • People are drive by an “idea” (“spirited/”spirit of the age”)
    - ->representative of truth and consciousness (“Zeitgeist)

-“Zeitgeist” –> the spirit/genius that most influences the way(s) people think/feel in a given period of time.

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25
Q

Marx’s “Materialist” Dialects

A

(1) Humans are unique in that they have needs and wants
(2) Social existence determines consciousness
- means for one’s survival (“I am …, so i think…”)
- culture=application of human intelligence in production and need to communicate

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26
Q

Mode of Production

A

(1) “Means of Production” ( Physical)
(2) “Relations of Production (Social)

  • “Base” –> the mode of production
  • “superstructure”–> religion , politics, values, culture, law
  • dialectical relationship between the base and superstructure.
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27
Q

1a) Relational Dialectics

A
  • everything is related; nothing is isolated
  • dependency is inclusive too
  • advances in communications and information technology; lowers #of managers
    • ->more subordinate workers with more direct control from the fewer number of managers.
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28
Q

1b) Change is constant

A

nothing=definitive

change is quantitative-qualitative

some minor modifications change to create something new/of distinctive quality and value(S)

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29
Q

1c) Unity and Struggle of Opposites

A

The common sense Idea(s) –> one way/ another

Dialectics–> things can be 2 ways at once
–> tensions exist therefore change is then caused

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30
Q

2) Materialism

A

class is determined by one’s relationship to the mean’s of production (power)

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31
Q

Unity of Capitalist and Working Class

A

Capitalist (dominant) class

Power and wealth control(s)

rise of the capitalist class leads to the rise of the working class, which is developed due to the capitalist class

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32
Q

class struggle: exploitation

A

capitalist class thrives off of the working class

Marxism: labour of the worker that creates the value that is recorded as profit (by the capitalist class)

Competition in the capitalist class leads to more workers

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33
Q

4-classes

A
  1. capitalist class
    • -> owns means of production
  2. working class
    • -> must work to survive, do not own production
  3. Petite bourgeoisie
    • ownership in small amounts, but must exploit labour
  4. Lumenproletariat –> unemployed and outside societal norms.
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34
Q

Class consciousness

A

subjective element of belonging to a class
–> degree to which a person understands their place in a society’s class-structure (having shared interests with others in their class)

Marxism–> understanding of relationship to the means of production

class, interests, and allies (working class lacks these)

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35
Q

Pre-capitalist societies

A

do not have classes (Marx)

more complex hierarchies

statuses are ascribed; divisions are less-rigid

36
Q

Middle class society? class vs. status

A

middle-class is a class under an SES (marx)

37
Q

social stratification theory

A

1945-1970–> capitalist societies increase living standards/expansions

  • ->Parsons, Davis , Moore
  • ->(taken from) Max Weber’s critiques of Marxism to development the social stratification theory for/of social inequality too)
38
Q

The Golden Age of Capitalism (1945-1970)

A
  • Post WWII: largest sustained global economic boom
    • capitalism (dramatic rise in material standard of living)

Labour Peace: a truce between labour unions,governments, and the wealthy corporations.

Capital(mental) intensive in the society

39
Q

Webers Theory

A
  1. Economic Class–> ability to acquire material goods and services
  2. Social Status–> attainment of prestigious social positions
  3. Finding Inner-satisfaction –> symbolic /activism power(s)
40
Q

4 major classes (Weber)

A
  1. Working class
  2. petite Bourgeousie (strong economic assets, but limited levels of education/satisfaction)
  3. intelligentsia and professionals (high symbolic power, prestige, limited/less consequential economic assets)
  4. Ruling class (economic power, high political influence, less moral authority.
41
Q

Social Stratification and Inequality

A

one’s class, status, and symbolism create complex layers of social inequality
–> not marxist theories (more relative differences)

  1. Inequality is just
  2. social inequality is inevitable;inequality of opportunity=problematic for society
42
Q

Meritocracy (The North American Dream)

A

a social system in which the greatest rewards, power, and privilege go to those who possess the most talent, skill, and ability or those who are willing to work the hardest and take the greatest risk. Meritocracy is the “North American Dream” ideal

43
Q

Meritocracy–> Justification of Social Inequality

A
  1. Most deserving receiving the greatest rewards

2. Social inequality (necessary) to push people to strive towards excellence.

44
Q

Sport and Meritocracy

A

high performance sport appears meritocratic (victory= skill/effort)

45
Q

Bell Hooks: The Problem with Sports

A

-sport serves to reinforce 2 problems:

  1. Exaggeration/Romanticization of NA social mobility
  2. Blames poor for social circumstances
  • stereotypes exclusions, “lottery ticket” for black/young males
  • hockey= more $
  • conservative, and not progressive
46
Q

Bell Hooks: Sport, Culture, and Norms

A

wealth, individualism, competition –> detracts community’s “wholeness”

47
Q

Chapter 10 –> key points

A
  1. society emphasizes the individual and connecting social inequalities to individual characteristics, rather than to structural arrangements
  2. Humans use symbols; thus in capitalist societies, mass advertising attempts to sell symbols of a high status (social)
  3. Liberalism, (dominant capitalist ideologies), stresses fairness and equality of opportunity, thus masking social inequality
  4. Functionalist theories argue that unequal allocation of societal rewards is both universal and necessary, in all societies. Change theorists argue that structured inequality unfairly advantages a select few at the “top” . From the class perspective, a true meritocracy cannot exist (in capitalist societies)
  5. Social mobility occurs mostly within the “mass middle”
  6. Education sustains pre-existing inequalities (SES, class, race, gender, etc. )
  7. Poverty is multi-definitive within Canada
  8. Poverty is discriminatory against marginalized Canadians
  9. Poverty is the inevitable result of the economic arrangements (capitalism)
  10. governments can aid poverty
  11. on a global scale, class relations are used to understand inequalities, much like nation-states
48
Q

The Inequality Crisis–> Stewart Lansley (2013)

A
  • increasing recognition –> inequality
  • ‘U’- shaped income levels; due to the output (shares of wages too
  • “distribution Question” –> wages and profits –> balanced?
  • Growing gap between increasing productivity and wages
    • -> “the economic implosion”
      (1) demand –> not enough $ to buy output(s) =debt
      (2) Bubble economies –> money is not used in aids –> wealth diversion
      (3) Regulatory capture –> biases in top 11 and government
  • therefore grow is wage-led not profit-led
    • -> poor wealth distribution=lack of growth
  • demand deflation, asset appreciation and difficulty in the productive sectors within the economy
  • works with and without skills (Globalization and Technology)
    (1) Bargaining Power of Labour
    (2) Financialization and relative bargaining
    * capital and labour-balances are essential (Lansley)
49
Q

Liberalism and Political Mainstream

A

Meritocracy deeply rooted in liberalism (philosophy)

  • -> emergency of capitalism
    (1) left-wing and welfare state architects are “social” liberals
    (2) Right-wing is “neo-liberalism)
50
Q

Liberalism, Meritocracy, Morality

A

Liberalism:individual freedom and limited government

Rising Capitalist class should be free to buy/sell labour without much of a governmental influence.

New morality –> inequality: justifiable insofar as everyone cold be on a level playing field
–>prefers achieved status’ over scribed status’

51
Q

Liberalism: RAdical and Conservative

A
  • conservative –> new capitalist class saw itself as deserving (wealth=merit)
  • Radical–> class used liberalism against the capitalist class to argue against structural inequality. inherited power (aristocracy)
52
Q

Social Stratification (and status)

A

based on max weber

Status: one’s position in society, or a position within a social structure.

(1) ascribed status - birth
(2) achieved status * - obtained/ changeable statuses
53
Q

Social stratification and occupation

A

(1) Property –> economic
(2) Prestige –> Social
(3) Power–> socialization

1,2,3 –> degree of autonomy

54
Q

Davis and Moore: The Function of Inequality

A
  • Functionalism: must be unequal rewards to motivate individuals to compete for power
    • -> social inequality is functional; serves a purpose
      • power is given to those with merit
55
Q

Circularity: the Problem with Functionalism

A

Money =/ value/worth and higher-paid occupations =/ higher importance/difficulty

56
Q

Social Inequality: Income vs. Wealth

A

Marxist Analysis –> wealth (top 1%)

  • social stratification –> income (moderate inequality, larger middle-class)
57
Q

Is Inequality a Social Problem?

A
  1. Legitimacy of Capitalist Economy and Social structure is tied to social mobility.
    - deepening social inequality –. mobility
    - toleration for inequality is determined by opportunities for social mobility
    - if education ceases to proved social mobility; then it will undermine the legitimacy of the given social structure(s) present.
  2. Erosion of Worker’s Rights
    • 1970 –> arguments that workers/union take away from the power of the corporations
      - -> declining unionization, and stagnant real wages to people.
58
Q

Why is Inequality Increasing?

A
  1. Neo-Liberalism
    (a) Privatization
    (b) Deregularization
    (c) Tax-Reform
    (d) Cuts to social-programs (which assist social mobility)
59
Q

Poverty

A
  1. Absolute Poverty: Individuals are unable to meet their basic needs
  2. Relative Poverty: household/individual income far-below the average in a geographical area.
60
Q

Lines within Poverty

A

(a) LICO (low income cut off)
- -> spend too much on their basic needs
(b) LIM (low-income measure)
- -> income= less than 1/2 median nationally
(c) MBM (market-based measure)
- -> comparison of wages to costs of items
* basket-cost idea(s)

61
Q

What causes poverty?

A
  1. Low wages
  2. unemployment
  3. gender inequality
  4. social norms
62
Q

Can poverty be eliminated?

A

NO, but it can be moderated by government (s)

63
Q

Fast food strike

A
  • 5th December, 2013
    • -> Thousand’s of fast food worker’s strike
    (1) want congress to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $15/hour
    (2) Asking for the right to form unions without employer interference(s)
64
Q

Chapter 8 –> key points

A
  1. state structures arose with the growth of surplus and the consequent development of classes and exploitation
  2. In capitalist societies, the economic and political spheres come to be separated. the appropriating class gains an enormous control over the productive process, while the state is assigned the social or the public, activities formerly carned out directly by the owning class
  3. order theories focus on pluralism; while change theories focus on the class approach
  4. Pluralism’s key function of the state is mediation while class analysis sees the state providing the accumulation, coercion, and legitimation function s(on behalf of the dominant class)
  5. Capitalist democracy is understood in class relations of power.
  6. Capitalist economies require active intervention from the state.
  7. Canada–> regressive forms of taxation (a mjor shift)
  8. All Canadian levels of Government aid large corporations (finances)
  9. The CDN Government supports the military- industrial complex ideas
  10. all capitalist states have a coercion function. NO ruling class could retain its power without the ability to resort to the coercive component of the state, when it is necessary.
  11. although all Canadians are, in theory, equal before the law, corporations are not held responsible for criminal activities the same as individuals, advantageous due to money and influence within the criminal justice system.
  12. REcent increase in the criminalization of dissent in Canada
  13. Capitalism in its most repressive, undemocratic, and militaristic form is fascism; which any capitalist society can shift to under specific political/ societal conditions.
65
Q

The State

A
  • an organized political structure
    • -> handles warfare, trade relations
      • class relations (capitalism) –> conflict and inequality

-Monopoly over legitimate violence

66
Q

Public Sphere and Private Sphere

A

(1) Pre-capitalist: state= private
economy= public

(2) Capitalist: State= Public
Economy= Private

67
Q

Pluralist State theory

A

-Mediation*
-must balance conflicting interests
-maintain social order and needs
“common-sense ideas”

68
Q

Pluralist Theory–> Economic Growth

A

(1) State has a high degree of autonomy
(2) Corporations have more influence
(3) State–> promote the economic growth*
(4) Economic growth is necessary to balance interests
meet needs too, and maintain order

69
Q

Critical State Theory

A
  • State has a low degree of autonomy from the ruling class, corporations, capital and economic power
  • state serves the ruling class
  • importance of the states coercive rule in power
70
Q

Turning Economic Power into Political Influence

A
  1. corporations an wealth individuals finance candidates who policies serve their economic interests
  2. lobby groups, public relations, advertising campaigns and the think tanks
    (a) informal social networking between ruling class, lobbyists, and high ranking politicians
    (b) research that influences government policy
    (c) sway public opinion through mass media/marketing
  3. the ruling class, large and powerful corporations can threaten the state by promising to slow economic growth
    (a) slow investment
    (b) shrink credit extended to the citizen;s
    (c) layoffs and job cuts
    (d) cancel resource exploration , research and development
    (e) move manufacturing and production overseas
71
Q

Critical Theory: 3 elements of the state

A
  1. Repressive Agencies
    • -> army, police, judiciary, courts, penal system, prisons, jails, and detention centres
  2. Government
    • -> administrative bodies, legislatures, councils and the civil service or bureaucracy
  3. State-owned institutions and corporations
    • -> crown corporations, education system, health care system, CBC
72
Q

Function of the State (3)

A
  1. Accumulation function of the State
  2. Legitimating Function of the state
  3. Repressive Function of the state
73
Q

(1) Accumulation Function of the State

A

capitalism is unstable and crisis-prone, so state intervention=essential (by industry to suit economy) to mediate various types of conflicts present

74
Q

(2) Legitimating Function of the State

A

-states build legitimacy through positive ‘daily’ interactions with it’s citizens; democratic system helps maintain social peace despite growing inequality.

  • Appearance of political equality: universal suffrage
    • -> 1 person-1 vote (promote: national allegiance over class politics)
  • Narrow range of parties/ narrow confinement of democracy to the political sphere, private and authoritarian economic sphere
75
Q

(3) Repressive Function of the State

A
  • to protect the “owners” from the “non-owners”
    -coercive arm of the state; serves ruling class and corporations interests
    (Smedley Bulter–> war is a racket; 1935)
76
Q

Criminalization of Dissent

A
  1. Target Hardening
  2. Surveillance
  3. Militarization

1,2,3 –> protect ruling class

77
Q

MainstreamNarrative: good vs. evil

A

Nazi’s

  1. Historians–> defective cultural characters
  2. circular–> evil people do evil
  3. comforting–> we’re the “good guys”
78
Q

Zygmunt Bauman (sociologist)

A
  • simple narratives of good versus evil and circular arguments do not tell us much
  • need to move beyond “ individual motives” too
  • ordinary citizens –> actions?
79
Q

Nazis, Fascism, and Modernity

A

Modernized cross of Christianity by removing the axes and replacing them with smooth black lines (steel –> The “Modern Age”)

80
Q

Fascism and Modernity

A
  • symbolism of modernity, industry, speed, progress, science, technological progress crucial to Nazi propaganda
  • Mussolini and the train
  • Hitler: airplanes and BMW’s
81
Q

Bauman: Modernity and the holocaust

A

Problem: Germany was widely considered to be one of the most advanced and civilized societies at the time

Question: What can the holocaust teach us about the dangers inherent in our modern society and its forms of social organization?

82
Q

“abstract Categories” - Bauman

A
  • A categorical murder (Holocaust) –> a collective punishment
  • extermination of “Jewry” (Nazi regime category)
  • all modern societies have a tendency to create abstract categories of people; based on arbitrarily selected criteria, for political and administrative purposes
    • -> race on faith, physicalities
      • similar to Rwandan Genocide
83
Q

Max Weber –> Power and Institutions

A

-Power–> ability to exercise ones will over another person in spite of the possibility of resistance

  • Authority–> legitimate exercise of power
    1. Traditional Authority –> inherited
    2. Charismatic Authority –> personality
    3. Rational-legal authority
84
Q

(3) Rational-Legal Authority

A

Bureaucratic Institutions elements:

  1. complex specialization and division of tasks/function
  2. power is a multi-level hierarchy
  3. code of rules/regulations that are strictly followed
  4. employees have a basis of expertise (certification/credentials)
  5. personal and official =separated
  6. decisions based in the rational calculation of the optimal means to reach organizational goals.
85
Q

Weber’s Criticism of Bureaucracy

A

Bauman: a Nazi genocide machine

  1. dehumanization
  2. means over ends
  3. oligarchy(those in power–> powerful)
86
Q

Stanley Milgram Experiment

A

test subjects told to give a “voltage shock” to learners who answers questions incorrectly, increasing each time up to 450 volts
–> 26/40 did up to 450 volts

87
Q

Drones

A
  • unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV- militarial)
  • controlled not on-site
  • controversies on “targeted killing”

Sociology 1002 (1 decks)

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