Sociology EXAM Flashcards
How are advertisements used as an agent of socialization?
they demonstrate what is trending at the time, persuade people to buy their products
Discuss the purpose and responsibilities that families have in society by answering the question, “Why are families important?”
they are the primary agents of socialization and teach one how to act from a young age, they are key in healthy socialization, good habit building and manners
Explain why it is important for sociologists to understand the histories of the societies they study.
gives context on why the society is the way it is. Helps them understand and compare societies
Discuss some of the reasons why oppression exists in our society.
in order for some people t be higher up their mkusta also be some people who are also lower, ethcentrosim is huge and it is human intenict to feel that you are better then others. Humans sometimes sturggle to put themselves in the shoes of others.
Compare and contrast the macrosociological and micro sociological approaches to society.
the Macrosociological approahc looks at society as a whole while the micro looks nly at specific interaction they can both be useful for studing differnet topics.
ex. greetings as whole vs. gretting between mother and child
How are mass media and social media used as a form of social control? Use examples in your reasoning.
they can be used for propaganada and lies and it is easy to make it seem very beliviable. The mass could be fake but people just want to fit in.
For society to function properly, why are prescriptive and proscriptive norms equally important to have?
Prescriptive norms are the “dos”: the good behaviours that society expects from us due to their positive impact. Proscriptive norms are often harsher and have drastic consequences when not followed. Stealing, for instance, has greater ramifications than giving money to someone in need.
they create balance
Using a chart, list and briefly describe the differences between the 5 agents of sociology.
Which of the 4 main approaches to sociology do you identify with most? Why? Explain. Do you agree that families today are not successful in socializing their children? Explain
Choose a social issue and create a mind map explaining the factors that contribute to the social issue, who it affects, and the agencies that deal with the issue.
Why do sociologists study inequality?
Of the four theories that cause prejudice, which do you believe has the most impact on society today?
‘A person’s status is always based on their achievement rather than their ascribed status?’ Agree or disagree.
‘A person’s status is always based on their achievement rather than their ascribed status?’ Agree or disagree.
Is Canada a true meritocracy? Explain.
Explain how social customs in Canada are changing because of technology.
Describe the effects that assimilation and multiculturalism have on culture.
Women are more likely to be impoverished than men. Why is this the case?
Explain the relation between prejudice and discrimination as well as the differences.
Do you agree with bystander apathy? Why is it so hard to help another person out in a crowd?
List and describe the ingroups and outgroups at your school.
Examine the differences among the conflict, structural functional, and symbolic interactionist explanation for social stratification. Which one do you think is most useful for sociological inquiry?
What is the difference between being a leader in a group and controlling a group?
Recall Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment and the Asch Experiment. Do their findings favour human behaviour as a result of nature or nurture? Explain.
Prejudice attitudes lead to discrimination. Agree or disagree?
Abnormal Socialization
Primary Agents
family
Secondary Agents
school setting
Anticipatory Socialization
Learning how to plan the way to behave in new situations
Using prior knowledge you can anticipate the type of clothing to wear or language to use in a situation
Values, Rules and Norms
Values: shared ideas and standards that are considered acceptable and binding
Norms: expectations about how people should
behave
Role: expected behaviour of a person in a
particular social position
Gender Socialization
Sociologists have concluded that gender is a social construct.
From a very early age, boys and girls tend to display differences in behaviours, attitudes, abilities and interest.
Girls playing with dolls and boys playing with trucks is typical for North American and the Western world, not all cultures designate toys this way.
Religious traditions or harsh economic realities play a role in what toys children play with.
Stereotypes
Discrimination (kinds of)
- treating people differently based on ethnicity, race, religion, or culture.
Avoiding eye contact
Denying positions
Types;
islamaphobia, sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, classism and ableism
Prejudice
- A judgment, opinion, or attitude that is formed on insufficient grounds before facts are known or in disregard of facts that contradict it.
learned and can be unlearned.
Collective Behaviour
We modify our behaviour depending on the social context in which we find ourselves
We behave one way at home and in the company of friends and another way when we are in larger groups or in unknown circumstances.
Our behaviour is altered to suit the personal sphere or the social sphere
Eg. Shouting obscenities in a church is not appropriate but it is perfectly normal to scream at the television when the Maple Leafs lose another game
any group behavior that is not mandated or regulated by an institution
Conformity
the process whereby people change their beliefs, attitudes, actions, or perceptions to more closely match those held by groups to which they belong or want to belong or by groups whose approval they desire
Racial Profiling
Racial profiling involves discrimination against minority populations and often builds on negative stereotypes of the targeted demographic.
Clark Doll Experiment
1939 test on 6-9 year old black children to see their self-image related to race
Compared results of segregated vs. integrated schools
“Give me the doll that looks most like you” caused the most stress (7 questions)
Mainly chose white doll as nice and black as bad (Mainly from segregated school)
Many children drew pictures of themselves much lighter than they were
Children had internalised racism due to segregation
Case study cited when segregation was ended
Some said the Clark’s were biassed and the research wasn’t rigorous enough
2010 study attempted to see how much had changed in 70 years
133 black and white children from urban + rural, New York + Georgia
Early childhood (4-5) and middle childhood (9-10)
Instead of dolls it used identical pictures where the only difference was the skin colours
Asked 22 questions (like, who’s dumb, smart, ugly, nice, mean…)
White children had high rates of white bias
Black children described their own skin colour with positive attributes
Some children refused to answer as they didn’t have enough information
Bystanders
A Bystander is defined as a person who does not take action, particularly when the easiest thing to do is nothing.
Scapegoating
A scapegoat is a specific person or group who become target of hatred or blame for hardship of others.
Learned Theory
Suggests that discriminatory behaviour is not innate.
Children imitate both positive and negative actions/beliefs of parents.
Prejudice views are passed down and will stick to children until their adolescent years where they decided to abandon them or not.
This decision is often based on quality of secondary and anticipatory socializing agents.
Unethical Experiments
Frustration - Aggression Theory
Negative individual experiences may lead to displacement of one’s frustration to a target group.
People in this situation act out on those they consider to be ‘other’.
The most dangerous outcomes of this theory is the creation of a scapegoat.
Ignorance theory
Lack of personal/life experiences lead to incorrect assumptions.
When we refuse to learn about a group we remain unaware of how/why they function the way they do.
It is fear of unfamiliar practices that guides discriminatory behaviour.
Ethnocentrism is the leading cause of this rationale for discrimination.
competition theory
Prejudice exists among non-Caucasian immigrants in Canada even though this country advocates for multiculturalism.
Economic competition among native born Canadians and immigrants arouse this distrust.
The unemployed may feel like a potential job for them has been taken by a newcomer and as a result resent them.
They may also believe that newcomers put unnecessary strain on our social and health systems.
Frame of Reference vs. Bias
The difference between the frame of reference and bias is that frame of reference is the cognitive thinking or perception of something that creates a meaning whereas Bias is an impicit or explicit perfernce for or against it.
Restorative Justice Systems
Social Customs
An accepted, established, or expected pattern of behaviour. Social customs guide behaviour and can replace the need to make choices. For example, it is a social custom in many countries that a man should open a door for a woman.
Informal Justice Systems
Theoretical Perspectives of Ethnicity (Stage Model Theory, Acculturation Theory)
Difference between intercultural and multicultural
Symbolic Ethnicity
Cross Cultural Psychology
Effect of Media on Socialization
Conformity (Asch’s Experiment)
The Bystander Effect
Prejudice (ingroup/outgroup)
a religious person might view members of their religion as being a part of their ingroup, while viewing members of other religions as being a part of their outgroup.
Achieved versus ascribed status
ascribed : Status that is assigned to a person at birth or through aging.
vs
STATUS BASED LARGELY UPON ACHIEVEMENT
Microaggression
subtle prejustice- everyday slights and comments that relate to various aspects of one’s appearance or identity such as class, gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, mother tongue, age, body shape, disability, or religion, among others.
The Legacy of Colonization
the thing it left behind Environmental degradation, economic underdevelopment, racial profiling, systemic racism, and poor social infrastructure manifested in unequal access to health care, education and social justice were among the effects of colonialism, she added.
Jordan River Anderson
The Cultural genocide of People Indigenous to Canada
In the face of widespread oppression, poverty, and violence, First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Aboriginal peoples across Canada continue to fight for their rights. They are challenging the systems and attitudes that have perpetuated their oppression in order to realize their full rights and achieve equality.
Poorer health.
Lower levels of education.
Inadequate housing and crowded living conditions.
Lower income levels.
Higher rates of unemployment.
Higher levels of incarceration.
Higher death rate among children and youth due unintentional injuries.
Higher rates of suicide.
Talcott Parsons
Parsons developed the structural functionalist school of thought in the United States
He concluded that; although people act in their own self interest, there is still a strong desire to among people to get along with each other and cooperate to achieve goals based on shared values.
He believed in social evolution and social Darwinism.
His ideas were controversial because they suggest that the negative aspects of society, such as discrimination serve a purpose.
Emile Durkheim
French sociologist influenced by Comte
Formally established sociology as a discipline
Studied the forces that unite individuals in society. He observed that humans are social creatures and define themselves by their social interactions at home, work, play and worship
Durkheim researched the reasons why people commit suicide in his book called Suicide
He studied social facts (values, norms and social structures )and concluded that although in the end it is the individuals decision to commit suicide, the causes of suicide are rooted deeply in society.
Karl Marx
Marx: German philosopher interested in economic history
His theories concentrate on; class conflict and it’s role in social evolution and it’s usefulness in studying social issues
During the Industrial Revolution Marx saw how factory owners exploited their workers, he predicted that one day the workers would revolt
According to Marx, class conflict equals change and the evolution of one system to the next.
For example; feudal societies becoming capitalist, capitalist societies become communist.
Dorothy Smith
Dorothy Smith: women are “alienated from their experiences”
feminist sociologist
Max Weber
Charles Cooley
George Herbert Mead
Socialization
Socialization is the process of learning behavioural patterns, skills and values in a society
Values and norms may vary between cultures, but the process of socialization is the same.
process
1. Basic skills: taking care of oneself
2. Socially accepted goals: marriage, employment
3. Roles and behaviours: how to act in specific situations
