Sociology Flashcards
1
Q
_________________ is the process by which people learn what they know to become a member of society
A
Socialization
2
Q
_________________: People/institutions that shape someone’s social development
A
Agents of socialization
3
Q
What is the primary agent of socialization?
A
The family
4
Q
How does family shape social development?
A
- Shapes behaviours throughout life
- Teaches us how to behave in society
- Instills values and belief systems
5
Q
How do low-income families act as an agent of socialization?
A
- Value + promote obedience, neatness and cleanliness
- Restrictive, avoid “spoiling”
- More corporal punishment
- Lead to sense of powerlessness, obey authority
6
Q
How do upper-middle income families act as an agent of socialization?
A
- Value curiosity, happiness + self control
- Allow freedom to explore, sense of control over own life
- More verbal interactions (praise, ask questions, explain w/ discipline)
7
Q
Impact of individualistic family culture on socialization
A
- Self-promotion and self-sufficiency
- Emphasis on individual achievement and competition
- Direct and honest speech
8
Q
Impact of collectivistic family culture on socialization
A
- Identity from group membership
- Emphasis on duty & obligation to family
- Emphasis on group achievement & harmony
- Indirect speech to maintain harmony - Communication apprehension - anxiety about speaking in public because it draws attention to the self
9
Q
Difference between how North Americans + Asian cultures see school achievements and success
A
- North Americans - school success due to innate ability (IQ), children socialized to believe they have no control over school achievements
- Asian cultures - school success due to effort, children socialized to believe they are in control of school achievements
10
Q
Secondary agents of socialization
A
- School
- Peer groups
- Media
- Religion
11
Q
How school acts as an agent of socialization
A
- Teaches a curriculum
- Hidden curriculum (e.g. punctuality, teamwork)
12
Q
How peer groups act as an agent of socialization
A
- During adolescence - more important than family
- Acts as school’s social curriculum - peers teach each other about gender and culture
- Media influences values and beliefs of adolescent peer group
13
Q
How media acts as an agent of socialization
A
- Influences what we wear, how we act & what we aspire to
- Reinforces gender stereotypes
- Socializes teens to value fame & fortune, limits capacity to develop empathy
14
Q
How religion acts as an agent of socialization
A
- Establishes moral code
- Set standards of behaviour for its members
- Promotes values & beliefs about responsibility to others (charity, volunteering, etc)
15
Q
_____________: Genes and heredity
_____________: Socialization & environment
A
Nature, nurture
16
Q
2 pieces of evidence that development & behaviour is determined by nature
A
- Identical twins raised separately still develop similar personality traits & IQ
- Paul Ekman - facial expression are universal and therefore biological
17
Q
2 pieces of evidence that development & behaviour is determined by nurture
A
- Isolates & feral children (Ramu was raised by wolves - couldn’t walk, drank by lapping w/ his tongue & preferred raw meat)
- Alfred Adler (student of Freud) suggested birth order influences personality
18
Q
First borns tend to be perfectionistic, cautious and obedient. Why?
A
Parents are inexperienced, anxious & strict
19
Q
First borns tend to have leadership skills and be more intelligent + controlling. Why?
A
Parents make eldest responsible for younger siblings
20
Q
Middle borns tend to be more rebellious and social, and maintain peace. Why?
A
Parents are more focused on oldest and youngest
21
Q
Last borns tend to be less rule-oriented and more unconventional. Why?
A
Parents are relaxed and lenient
22
Q
Last borns tend to be more charming and dependent on others
A
Parents indulge the youngest
23
Q
3 human abilities determined by nature
A
- Basic survival instincts (eat, sleep, search for food)
- Can communicate through basic sounds that convey emotional state (e.g. screaming when in pain)
- Basic gross motor skills (e.g. crawling)
24
Q
4 human abilities determined by nurture
A
- Use language
- Bipedalism (walking upright)
- Fine motor skills (e.g. use fork and knife)
- Complex social interactions, learning social norms and showing empathy
25
2 pieces of evidence that gender differences are due to nature (biology)
- Hormones
- Brain differences
26
Difference in hormones in males + females
1) Injecting male hormones into newborn female animals leads to...
More aggressive play, display of male sexual behaviour, reduction in maternal caregiving
27
Difference in hormones in males + females
2) Boys have less _________ (bonding chemical) and need more structured ways to bond
Oxytocin
28
Difference in hormones in males + females
3) Girls have more _________ (calming chemical), allowing them to stay focused & attentive for longer
Serotonin
29
Brain differences between males + females
1) Female brain
- Has greater ____________________ of surroundings
- Memory centres are more active during ____________________
sensorial experiences
emotional & relational experiences
30
Brain differences between males + females
2) Male brain
- More _____________ in right hemisphere (greater focus on an object's movement)
- _____________ less active
- _____________ more active
neural centres
hippocampus (memory)
amygdala (aggression-emotion) - use of aggression as a way to bond
31
2 pieces of evidence that gender differences are due to nurture (socialization)
- Margaret Mead's study of Pacific Islanders
- Parental socialization
32
In Margaret Mead's study of Pacific Islanders, which group describes the following?
Both men and women were treated warmly and involved in childcare, aggression was unacceptable
Arapesh
33
In Margaret Mead's study of Pacific Islanders, which group describes the following?
Both men and women were treated harshly and grew up to be hostile, gentleness was not useful
Mundagumor
34
In Margaret Mead's study of Pacific Islanders, which group describes the following?
Women were tough, men were passive and tended to the house
Tchambuli
35
Parental socialization: Parents of newborn babies were asked to describe their infants.
______ were described as softer, finer featured, less alert, weaker and more delicate
______ were described as firmer, larger featured, better coordinated, more alert, and stronger + hardier
girls, boys
36
Social group
2 or more ppl that interact and are aware they have something in common
37
How do groups function?
- group norms (rules on how members should behave)
- roles (behaviours members are expected to perform to uphold group norms)
- sanctions (used to encourage/discourage certain kinds of behaviour - e.g. detention)
38
__________ group: small group whose members have personal + emotional relationships w/ each other (long-term relationship)
__________ group: impersonal/formal group where members are judged by what they can do, must earn their way in (short-term)
Primary group
Secondary group
39
2 leadership styles
Instrumental
Expressive
40
Instrumental leadership style
Organizes a group in pursuit of goals
Efficient + focused, can alienate group members
41
Expressive leadership style
Creates harmony + solidarity
May lack efficiency + organizational skills
42
3 types of decision-making styles
Autocratic
Laissez-faire
Democratic
43
This type of decision-making style makes all major decisions + demands compliance from the group
Autocratic
44
This type of decision-making style is effective in emergencies + when efficiency is necessary
Autocratic
45
This type of decision-making style makes little attempt to direct/organize the group; the group functions on its own
Laissez-faire
46
This type of decision-making style is effective when group members know + execute their roles; otherwise, it can lead to disorganization and inefficiency
Laissez-faire
47
This type of decision-making style attempts to win consensus on goals + teaches members to take responsibility for actions & decisions
Democratic
48
A(n) _________ crowd is a loose collection of ppl who react very little to each other (e.g. pedestrians, TTC riders)
casual crowd
49
A(n) _________ crowd is a group of ppl who have gathered for a specific event (e.g. theatre performance, baseball game)
conventional crowd
50
Members of this crowd usually conform to norms that are considered appropriate to the situation
conventional crowd
51
A(n) _________ crowd is a gathering of people at an event that has emotional appeal (e.g. protest, political rally)
expressive crowd
52
This type of crowd can generate great excitement and energy. If emotional energy is high, it may become an acting crowd.
expressive crowd
53
The 2 types of acting crowds are _________ and _________
mobs, riots
54
Mob vs. riot
Mob: Emotional crowd that pursues a violent goal
Riot: Frenzied crowd without a purpose/goal; unorganized, emotional + causing random acts of violence
55
________ behaviour is short-term, has loose norms & no leader and is open to all
Collective behaviour (unlike group behaviour)
56
________ behaviour is spontaneous and unstructured behaviour of a group of ppl in response to the same vent, situation or problem
Collective behaviou
57
Collective behaviour often relies on personal communication through ________ or ________
mass media (print, radio, TV)
the internet
58
8 types of collective behaviour
rumour
gossip
public opinion
social movements
panic
mass hysteria
fashion
fads
59
Rumour vs. gossip
Rumour: Unsupported information ppl spread informally, changes as it spreads
Gossip: TYPE of rumour that deals with personal information about a person/small group
60
Widespread attitude about a specific issue that can exert a strong influence over gov't action/policies
public opinion
61
Ppl promoting/resisting change to some aspect of society, goals are to change society in a fundamental way
social movements
62
Panic vs. mass hysteria
- Panic: ppl react to a threat in an emotional, irrational & sometimes self-destructive way (e.g. panic stampede)
- Mass hysteria: ppl respond w/ irrational and frantic behaviour BUT have little/no direct contact w/ each other
63
- Social pattern adopted by a large number of ppl usually for a short period of time
- Changes rapidly in industrialized societies
- Conveys one's status
Fashion
64
Social pattern that ppl follow briefly but enthusiastically, usually strange + outside of cultural norm
Fad
65
In ______________ societies, conformity is values; it suggests tolerance, self-control, communal sensitivity and maturity
collectivistic
66
In ______________ societies, conformity carries a negative value; it suggests submission & compliance
individualistic
67
__(confederates/subjects)__ are hired by the experimenter, are aware of the study's goals and are usually asked to perform a role (actors)
confederates
68
__(confederates/subjects)__ are recruited to participate in a study and are unaware of the variables in the study. They are usually university students.
subjects
69
Which experiment does the following describe?
- Subjects were shown a line segment and then asked to choose the matching line
- 4-5 confederates in the group consistently gave the wrong answer
- Subjects conformed 37% of the time
- Proves that we conform to the group
Asch's line experiment
70
What did Gregory Berns do?
- Conducted Asch's experiment but also scanned subjects' brains
- Found brain activity in occipital (visual perception) and parietal (spacial perception) lobes, and frontal lobe (decision-making) when subjects analyzed the lines on their own
- When subjects conformed w/ the group's incorrect response, only occipital & parietal lobes were activated, which means that the frontal lobe was deactivated
71
Which experiment does the following describe?
- 2 participants (the confederate was the "learner" and the subject was the "teacher"
- "Teacher" asked to shock "learner" each time her makes a mistake
- Shocks began at 15 volts & gradually increased to 450 volts
- 100% continued to 300 volts, 65% continued to 450 volts
- Proves that we conform to authority figures
Milgram's shock experiment
72
5 reasons why ppl conform
- Group size
- Unanimity
- Cohesion
- Status
- Public response
73
What experiment does the following describe?
- Some subjects played prisoners, some played guards
- Guards became aggressive & abusive toward prisoners, prisoners became passive & depressed
- Proves that we conform to roles that we are given
- Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment
74
2 recruitment strategies that cultists use
1) Compliance breeds acceptance
2) Foot in the door phenomenon
75
The leader of a cult must be ____________
charismatic
76
Jim Jones used _____________ to establish credibility
psychic readings
77
Recruits to cults are often young people (<25) because...
their values and attitudes aren't fully formed
78
Potential converts are usually at a turning point in their lives. Why?
They are vulnerable and need direction
79
3 levels of social norms
Folkways
Mores
Laws
80
This level of social norm describes informal practices based on tradition/accepted group behaviours (e.g. taking off your hat indoors)
Folkways
81
This level of social norm involves moral/ethical judgments (not bullying, not lying, etc.)
Mores
82
This level of social norm encompasses formal rules enforced by threat of punishment by designated individuals within a society
Laws
83
2 types of social norms
- Prescriptive norms (tell us what to do - e.g. paying our taxes)
- Proscriptive norms (tells us what NOT to do - e.g. not drunk driving)
84
____________ is behaviour that differs from the social norms of the group.
Deviance
What is considered deviant varies over time.
Deviance can promote social change over time
85
2 types of deviance
- Formal deviance (violation of formally enacted laws)
- Informal deviance (violation of informal social norms)
86
____________: Attempts by society to regulate ppl's thoughts & behaviours in ways that limit or punish deviance
Social control
87
Negative vs. positive sanctions
Negative sanctions: negative reactions to deviance
Positive sanctions: affirmative reactions to conformity
88
2 causes of deviance
- Cesare Lombroso - believed their were anatomical differences between criminals & honest men (criminals biologically similar to primitive humans/inferior animals and could be identified in the population)
- Deviance is a result of failed/improper socialization
89
2 sociological theories related to deviance (structural functionalism)
- Emile Durkheim - since deviance exists in every society, it must serve a function
- Robert Merton - Social Strain Theory
90
How does deviance serve a function in society, according to Durkheim?
- Helps define cultural values + norms
- Can encourage social change
- Society's response to deviance clarifies moral boundaries and brings society together
91
_______________ states that the amount of deviance depends on whether society has provided sufficient means to achieve culturally defined goals (conform) - e.g. going to university to get a good paying job
Social Strain Theory
92
_____________: Using unconventional/deviant means to achieve these culturally defined goals (e.g. joining a gang to gain power & money)
Innovation
93
_____________: Deep devotion to the roles (e.g. if you can't afford college, work at a low-paying job)
Ritualism
94
_____________: When a person "drops out" of society and rejects conventional means & goals
Retreatism
95
_____________: Rejection of goals and means but in the context of counterculture; supports pursuit of new goals according to new means
Rebellion
96
2 theories related to deviance (symbolic interactionism)
- Labelling theory
- Control theory
97
_____________:
- Authority figures (teachers, police, etc.) may assign labels that can lead to stigma. This label becomes a self fulfilling prophecy
Labelling theory
98
_____________: Past behaviours are reinterpreted in accordance with the stigma
Retrospective labelling
99
_____________: Future behaviour is predicted based on the stigma
Prospective labelling
100
_____________:
- People display deviant behaviour if
1) they experience an absence of social control
2) the rewards for such behaviour are more certain than the punishment
Control theory
101
How does conflict theory explain deviance?
Norms and laws reflect the interests of the powerful. The powerful can maintain heir power by labelling anything that threatens their power as deviant.
