unit 3

Question 1

Definition of Social Class

Answer 1

Segments of society whose members hold similar amounts of resources and often share values, norms, lifestyle, education, and type of work.

Question 2

Ascribed Status

Answer 2

Status that is assigned to people based on their innate traits such as gender, race, or age.

Question 3

Meritocracy

Answer 3

A society where we earn rewards through personal merit based on the assumption that we are all given equal opportunity.

Question 4

List of Social Classes

Answer 4

Upper Class - Good connections, lots of money and power, usually inherited wealth
Middle Class - Traditional work with high paying secure occupations
Working Class - Traditional work either with jobs that require little training or high education
Lower Class - Lowest or no income, most of income is spent on basic necessities

Question 5

Types of Stratification Systems

Answer 5

Closed System: Allows for very minimal change in social position, boundaries between stratification are very clear and very different, usually based on ascribed status, very little regard for individual characteristics or talentsOpen System: Allows for more flexibility between social positions, usually based on achieved status rather than ascribed status

Question 6

Social Mobility

Answer 6

The movement of individuals or groups from one stratification to another, can be upwards or downwards

Question 7

Intergenerational Mobility

Answer 7

Social mobility experienced from one generation to the next (“Inter” meaning between)

Question 8

Intragenerational Mobility

Answer 8

Social mobility of an individual within their own lifetime (“Intra” meaning within)

Question 9

Vertical Mobility

Answer 9

When people experience a change in position that causes movement in their place in the class structure

Question 10

Horizontal Mobility

Answer 10

When people experience a change in position that does not cause movement in their place in class structure

Question 11

Social Inequity

Answer 11

Lack of fairness or justice, unequal distribution of resources and opportunities

Question 12

Economic Inequality

Answer 12

Unequal distribution of income (amount of money received from job), wealth (economic resources that are possessed), and disposable income (income that is left over after paying for necessities)

Question 13

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore Five Aspects of Social Inequality

Answer 13

1. All societies have important tasks that must be accomplished
2. Some positions are more important for survival than others
3. Important positions must be filled by qualified people
4. Important positions will be more highly rewarded
5. Most highly rewarded positions should be functionally unique since other people rely on their expertise

Question 14

Melvin Tumin Principles of Social Stratification

Answer 14

High salary does not determine the importance of a position, ability does not determine an individual’s success. People place more value on entertainment

Question 15

George H Mead Symbolic Interactionism (Social Systems)

Answer 15

Power is relative between people and can be negotiated, we determine who and what gets power

Question 16

Types of Ascription

Answer 16

Ethnicity and Race
Social Background
Sex and Gender
Age
Physical and Mental Disability

Question 17

Social Justice

Answer 17

The condition of being equal especially regarding status, rights, and opportunities

Question 18

Luigi Capparelli

Answer 18

Coined the term “social justice” to emphasize the social nature of human beings and the importance of social spheres

Question 19

John Rawls Principles of Social Justice

Answer 19

1. The principle of equal basic liberty to all, everyone has an equal right to basic liberties2. Social and economic inequalities can exist in society if they result in benefits for the whole

Question 20

Social Contract

Answer 20

A political philosophy in which individuals implicitly agree to the social terms by which they are governed in society

Question 21

Social Movement

Answer 21

A loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This goal can be either positive or negative change.

Question 22

Aspects of a Social Movement

Answer 22

• Large number of people who share a common goal
• The goal will promote or suppress social change
• Commonly recognized leader
• Activities sustained over a long period of time
• Organically growing

Question 23

Collectivist Behaviour

Answer 23

The spontaneous behavior of people who are responding to a similar stimuli

Question 24

Types of Collectivist Behaviour

Answer 24

Rumor: Widely circulating piece of information that is not verified as being true or false
Urban Legend: A tale that focuses on current concerns an fears of the city or suburban dweller
Fad: An unusual behaviour or pattern that appears and disappears quickly, may reappear later on
Fashion: Widely accepted behaviour that changes periodically
Crowd: A temporary collection of people who share an immediate interest
Mob: An emotional crowd that is ready to use violence for a specific collective purpose, based on emotions where everyone wants to achieve one goal
Riot: An episode of largely random destruction and violence, the overall goal is to create destruction
Social Movement: A movement that is meant to promote or prevent social change

Question 25

David Aberle Types of Social Movements

Answer 25

Revolutionary: Attempts to change society completely Reformative: Attempts to create limited change within one specific aspect of society Redemptive: Changing peoples beliefs rather than changing society Alternative: Limited change in specific groups of people, non-threatening to the status quo

Question 26

Neil Smeltzer Value Added Theory / Social Strain Theory

Answer 26

Six key conditions must be met in order for social movements to occur, where one condition must be met before moving to the next 1. Structural Conduciveness: Environment must be "social movement friendly" 2. Structural Strains: Presence of conflicts, ambiguities, and discrepancies within a society, especially when society fails to meet their expectations or needs 3. Generalized Beliefs: Recognition that there is a problem and agreement that something needs to be done about it 4. Precipitating Factors: Significant event(s) that will occur to spark people into action 5. Mobilization of Participants for Action: Rallies, leaflets, building alliances with sympathetic organizations, this is the stage where people start taking action. 6. Social Control: Actions of institutions lead to the success or failure of a social movement, if the right kind of force is applied to the movement it may be prevented although the first five conditions were met.

Question 27

Resource Mobilization Theory

Answer 27

A lack of the resources that members of a social movement need to advance their cause will cause public change to be unsuccessful

Question 28

Suffragette (Suffrage) Movement

Answer 28

Global movement to achieve voting rights for white women, led by first-generation university graduates, female professionals in medicine, teaching, and journalism.Militant suffragette groups were more violent.Women eventually got the right to vote since men were fighting in WWI, since politicians wanted to be reelected. Women of colour still could not vote.

Question 29

Civil Rights Movement

Answer 29

Following the ending of the American Civil War, Martin Luther King Jr seeked to integrate black people into society as well as reintegrating the Southern states.Little Rock Nine: 9 black students arrived to a high school to begin classes, but were met by a mob and the Arkansas National Guard, they were removed from the school for their safety.Freedom Riders: Seven Black and six White activists did a bus tour to protest segregated bus terminals, but were met by a mob who threw a bomb into the bus, eventually they were arrested but the case was brought to the SCC who reversed the convictions and removed segregated bus terminals.

Question 30

The Umbrella Movement

Answer 30

Hong Kong was originally part of the UK but was handed off to China. Hong Kong had some independence from China but China could still control who can become political candidates in Hong Kong.Umbrellas were used as a passive tool against pepper spray from Hong Kong police while protests were being held.

Question 31

\#MeToo Movement

Answer 31

A movement for survivors of sexual violence, provided resources to survivors, started on social media.

Question 32

Merton's Typology of Deviance

Answer 32

Conformists: Accept cultural goals of society and the means to achieve them Ritualists: Reject cultural goals but accept the means to achieve them Innovators: Accept cultural goals but reject the means to achieve them Retreatists: Reject mainstream culture and reject institutionalized means, disenfranchised by society Rebels: Reject cultural goals and reject the means to achieve them

Question 33

Internal Social Control

Answer 33

Developed during the socialization process, people know that acting certain ways are right or wrong from previous experiences, but does not ensure conformity all the time

Question 34

External Social Control

Answer 34

Based on positive and negative sanctions (positive and negative reinforcements), either formal or informal

Question 35

Robert Merton Strain Theory

Answer 35

When cultural goals are related to the means to achieve them, society functions properly. Deviance is more likely to occur when cultural goals and the means to achieve them are very different.

Question 36

Travis Hirschi Control Theory

Answer 36

Also called Social Bond Theory, conformity to social norms depends on the social bonds between the individual and the society. Individuals who lack any of the social bonds have little incentive to follow social norms.

Question 37

Types of Social Bonds

Answer 37

Attachment: Strength of bonds within an individuals social environment Commitment: The level of dedication invested in conventional standards and goals Involvement: The amount of time spent intensively involved in conventional activities Belief: The internalization of societal values and norms

Question 38

Edwin Sutherland Differential Association Theory

Answer 38

Emphasizes the role of primary and secondary groups in transmitting deviance, people learn deviant behaviour from the people they associate with

Question 39

Conflict Theory Perspective of Deviance

Answer 39

The upper class pass laws to benefit themselves, while lower class individuals are more likely to be defined as criminal

Question 40

Howard Becker Labelling Theory

Answer 40

Also called Social Reaction Theory, people who are labelled as deviant by others are more likely to commit deviant acts.

Question 41

Primary vs Secondary Deviance

Answer 41

Primary Deviance: Involves behaviour that an individual engages in that breaks social norms, but the person that commits the act is not considered deviant Secondary Deviance: Involves behaviour that is a reaction to having been labelled as a deviant, when other people consider as a deviant, they identify themselves as deviant and act accordingly

Question 42

Crime

Answer 42

A deviation from social norms, subject to formal sanctions.

Question 43

Types of Crime

Answer 43

Violent Crimes: Acts against people in which death or physical injury results Property Crimes: Acts that threaten property owned by individuals or by the government Victimless Crimes: Illegal acts where there are no readily apparent victims

Question 44

Significant Factors of Crime

Answer 44

Age: Younger people are more likely to be accused Gender: Males are more likely to be accused Social Class: People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be accused of violent and property crimes Race and Ethnicity: Indigenous and Black people are more likely to be incarcerated

Question 45

Correctional System

Answer 45

Intended to punish and deprive criminals of things of valueRetribution: Imposes a penalty on the offender, the punishment should fit the crimeSocial Protection: The criminal should be unable to commit any more offences while they are incarceratedRehabilitation: The goal of the correctional system is to return offenders to the community as law-abiding citizensDeterrence: Reduce criminal activity by instilling fear of punishment

Question 46

Restorative Justice

Answer 46

Repairing the harm that has been done to the victim and community after a crime has been committed, involves the victim and community to reconcile offenders in order to reintegrate victims and offenders

Question 47

Social Stratification

Answer 47

The ranking of people based on class and status

Question 48

Caste System

Answer 48

A closed system of social inequality in which a person's permanent social status is determine at birth based on their parents' ascribed characteristics.

Question 49

Erving Goffman Stigma

Answer 49

Describes the labels people use to devalue certain groups of people.