WEEK 15 and 16: INSTITUTIONS

Question 1

Definition of families in Canada

Answer 1

married or common law couple, either opposite or same sex, with or without children OR a lone parent living with at least one child, in the same dwelling

Question 2

Monogamy

Answer 2

a form of marriage in which two people are married only to each other

Question 3

serial monogamy

Answer 3

when a person has several spouses in their lifetime but only one spouse at a time

Question 4

Polygamy

Answer 4

when an individual has several husbands or wives simultaneously

Question 5

Polygyny

Answer 5

man married to more than one wife

Question 6

Polyandry

Answer 6

women married to more than one husband

Question 7

Polyamory

Answer 7

multiple partners, no marriage

Question 8

Patriarchy (family structure)

Answer 8

a society in which men dominate in family decision-making

Question 9

Matriarchy (family structure)

Answer 9

a society in which women dominate in family decision-making

Question 10

Egalitarian

Answer 10

Authority pattern in which spouses are regarded as equal

Question 11

Functionalists on family

Answer 11

Focus on what families do for society and their members

According to sociologist William F. Ogburn, there are six main functions of the family :
Reproduction
Socialization
Protection
Regulation of sexual behaviour
Affection and Companionship
Provision of Social Status

Question 12

Critical Perspectives on family (conflict theory, feminism)

Answer 12

Rather than focusing on what families do for society (functionalism), they focus on what families do TO socieites

The types of family structures (patriarchy, matriarchy, egalitarian)

Question 13

Engels on Family

Answer 13

family as the ultimate source of social inequality

Family plays a role in the transfer of power, property and privilege

Many men still make family decisions

Men typically find divorce easier than women in a patriarchal society (eg. Stay-at-home mothers)

Question 14

Symbolic Interactionists on family

Answer 14

Interested in the ways relationships form
Eg. courtship: the period during which a romantic relationship develops
Courtship and shifting interactions with the Internet (tinder)

Question 15

Changes to family over time

Answer 15

social class differences
gender role difference
differences in sexual orientation
and race
changes in marriage trends
child-rearing shifts

Question 16

Purpose of sociology of religion

Answer 16

concerned with how individuals, institutions and cultures construe religious beliefs, how these ideas penetrate public culture and individual lives and with the implications of religious interpretations for individual, institutional and societal processes.

Question 17

The Sacred and The Profane

Answer 17

the sacred: encompasses elements beyond everyday life that inspire respect, awe and even fear, provides believers with meaning, order and coherence

The Profane: ordinary and commonplace elements of life

Question 18

Ecclesia

Answer 18

a religious organization that claims to include most or all of the members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion

Question 19

Denominations

Answer 19

a large, organized religion, not officially linked to the state or the government

Question 20

Sects

Answer 20

a relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the “original vision” of the faith

Question 21

Cults of New Religious Movements (NRM)

Answer 21

a small alternative faith community that represents either a new religion or a major innovation in an existing faith

Question 22

Durkheim on religion (functionalism)

Answer 22

The sacred and the profane

Religion is functional because it:
Gives meaning and purpose to people’s lives
Offers ultimate values to hold in common
Serves to bind people together in times of crisis and confusion

Question 23

Parsons on Religion (Functionalism)

Answer 23

Emphasized the integrative function of religion
Integration: coordination, adjustment and regulation of relationships among various actors within the social system ( a key societal need and pillar that ensures society survival)

Question 24

Marx on Religion

Answer 24

Religion promotes “false consciousness” among disadvantaged people and lessens collective political action
False consciousness: distracts from own circumstances

Religion promotion of social stability helps to perpetuate patterns of social inequality
provisions for addressing inequalities can be taken from the government and put onto religious organizations to deal with
prevents addressing inequalities meaningfully

Question 25

Weber on Religion

Answer 25

Predestination: leads to uncertainty of salvation
Asceticism: leads to denial of pleasure and emphasis on labour
Protestant ethic: work hard and accumulate wealth as a sign of salvation
Over time, this leads to the spirit of capitalism: accumulate wealth for its own sake

Question 26

Secularization Thesis

Answer 26

the heavily debarred theory that religion will decline around the world, making states increasingly secular
Largely due to modernization: changes to state and economic relations that have veered from reliance on the church and traditional values

Question 27

Functionalism view on the family

Answer 27

Performs essential functions for society to ensure its stability:

Families ensure that society has an ongoing supply of new members and is a source of socialization

Provide economic support for their family members, by offering intimacy, warmth, safety and protection

Provide emotional support for family members by offering intimacy, warmth, safety and protection

Question 28

Family Development Theory

Answer 28

Throughout the lifespan, members’ roles, expectations and relationships change largely depending upon how they adapt to the presence or absence of child-rearing responsibilities

Question 29

A schholed society

Answer 29

Growth in modern schooling - mass post-secondary enrolment in Canada

Schooling has become integral to modern life
Unlocks more career opportunities
Can protect people against poverty or unemployment
Creates a more skilled labour force

The forms and functions of education are increasing and diversifying
Now covers phys ed, media literacy, drug and alcohol awareness, sex ed etc

Question 30

Functionalists on education

Answer 30

How does education maintain social order
Transmitting culture
Promoting social integration

Other functions od education
Students learn skills and values essential for the labour force

Transitional agent of social control between parents and employers
Stimulates cultural innovation

Question 31

Conflict theorists on education

Answer 31

Education creates unequal opportunity

Schools tend to preserve social class inequalities in each new generation

Question 32

Streaming (conflict theory)

Answer 32

the practice of putting people in certain curriculum streams based on test scores

Question 33

Credentialism

Answer 33

an increase in the lowest level of education required to enter a particular field of employment

Question 34

The Pygmalion Effect (Interactionalists)

Answer 34

The expectations that teachers have on their students inevitably affect the way that teachers interact with them, which ultimately leads to changes in the student’s behaviours and attitude

Question 35

Feminists on education

Answer 35

The educational system has long been characterized by the discriminatory treatment of women

Increased representation does not equate to equal treatment

Eg sexism in education - stereotyping, pressure to prepare for “women’s work”, unequal funding for athletic programming etc

Question 36

Key Takeaways of Bhopal

Answer 36

Sociologists of education lack intersectional perspectives on inequality

While gender inequality has received significant attention, racial inequality has largely been ignored

The exclusive focus on gender inequality is perpetuated by white privilege

The lack of intersectional approaches greatly impacts Black and Minority Ethnic staff who continue to face institutional inequality