Sociology midterm-deck2 Flashcards
Socialization
the process by which a person internalizes the
larger values and beliefs of society, and
learns how to function within it
Sociological perspective
locates individual in time and space we are shaped by historical and social contexts our identities are gendered what we see could be something else social interactions make us who we are society provides script for interactions
self-fulfilling prophesy
statement/belief may alter our actions and become true as a result
we become what we practice being
gender socialization
gender is sex-based, but socially constructed
based on gender stereotypes
tendency to favor same-sex activities over those of the other sex
a performance, something you “do”
Gender social constraints
control males and females
females controlled by attire/beauty/thinness
males constrained by lack of emotion, pressure to be breadwinners
nature/nurture debate concerning males vs. females
nature: gender shaped by genetics, different body structure, differences in hormones based on sex
nurture: effect of socialization shapes the gender of people
Deviance
non-conforming attitudes, behaviors, conditions
Crime
non-legal attitudes, behaviors, condtions
Society of Saints (Durkheim)
Imagine a world without deviance or crime
Society w/o crime not possible
Behavior on a bell curve- would increase sensitivity to what defined as crime
We would just adjust the bar to what is crime
we need crime in order to know what the rules are in society
Formal sanctions
crime may lead to prosecution which then can result in consequences such as prison
Prisons as Total Institutions
Isolation
Total control
Total authority
Discredited deviant stigma
when you’ve been caught for deviance; label already applied
Discreditable deviant stigma
deviant hasn’t yet been discovered for deviance
Deviance of an eating disorder
- Primary deviance-denial of label
- secondary- acceptance of label
- tertiary- embracement of label
Crime
act or omission that violates criminal law
punishable by state
Types of crime
violent crime
crime against property
victimless crime
Act requirement
mind and body must be working together
has to be an action-just having a status is not illegal
failure to act can also be a crime
Legal Requirement
act must be legislated against prior to action
Harm Requirement
law created to avoid detrimental consequences
Causation Requirement
actor must cause the result (harm) through their own efforts
has to be direct result, not intervening variable
Mens Rea requirement
must have knowledge of act as unlawful
“guilty mind”
except for strict liability laws that govern murder, rape, bad crimes
Concurrence requirement
criminal act must be accompanied with equally criminal mind, many exceptions
Punishment requirement
punishable by state
Measuring crime
Official statistics: Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
victimization survey
self-report surveys
Index crimes (where most stats come from)
homocide, rape, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson
Dark figure
Most crime goes unrecognized, underreported, unrecorded
left with data that leaves out much of crime
estimated 3x more crime than reported
Functionalist perspective on crime
Crime necessary for social order
If it didn’t “work” for society, it wouldn’t exist
Crime leads to punishment which results in society majority accepting moral rules
Conflict perspective on crime
criminal law intertwined with political power and economic resources
laws against acts that threaten the elite
Consensus perspective on crime
law reflects broad agreements
represents shared values and norms
interest of public, not elite
Social constructionist perspective on crime
different groups use resources to gain ownership over an issue
crime defined through interaction, not looking at behavior objectively
whether or not something is right/wrong depends on situation
U.S. Prison Population
larger amount per capita than anywhere else
due to war on drugs and long sentence for other non-violent crimes
Social stratification
systematic inequalities between groups of people
study of who gets what and why
how resources and outcomes are distributed among different groups
how different forms of inequality overlap (race, class, gender)
based on economic standing, power, and prestige
trait of society, not individual differences
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
individual’s position in hierarchical social order
based on education, occupation, and income
Class systems
based on birth and achievement
ascribed vs. achieved status
Meritocracy
In industrial societies
stratification of status based on personal merit
why is social inequality underestimated?
laws supposed to give everyone equal standing
all think of ourselves as middle class
tend to interact with people like ourselves
our culture celebrates individual achievement
Bell Curve Debate
explanations for differences in status involve judgement of others
argued that poor/black are poor because they are lazy
people get what they deserve
Principles of Stratification
society must place individuals in social positions and motivate them to work
some positions-more important and require more talent
society attempts to place appropriate people in these positions and motivates them with rewards
Why middle class is shrinking
disappearing opportunities for those with little education
global competition and increased technology
growing dependence on temporary workforce
Absolute poverty
severe deprivation of basic human needs
Relative Poverty
standard of deprivation based on disadvantage to nation as a whole
