Public24 cardsby @donk

Sociology

Major theoretical perspectives, socialization, social stratification, race and ethnicity, gender, family, education, and deviance.

Cards (24)

1
Front
What are the three major theoretical perspectives in sociology?
Back
Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism.
2
Front
What is the core assumption of functionalism?
Back
Society is a system of interrelated parts that work together to maintain stability and social order; each institution serves a function.
3
Front
What is the core assumption of conflict theory?
Back
Society is characterized by inequality and conflict over scarce resources; powerful groups dominate and exploit less powerful groups.
4
Front
What does symbolic interactionism focus on?
Back
Micro-level face-to-face interactions and the meanings individuals attach to symbols, gestures, and language in everyday life.
5
Front
What is socialization?
Back
The lifelong process through which individuals learn the norms, values, behaviors, and social skills of their culture and society.
6
Front
What is the difference between primary and secondary socialization?
Back
Primary socialization occurs in childhood, mainly through the family; secondary socialization happens later through institutions like schools, peers, and media.
7
Front
What is the looking-glass self?
Back
Charles Cooley's concept that our self-image is shaped by how we imagine others perceive us, including their judgments and our reaction to those judgments.
8
Front
What is George Herbert Mead's concept of the 'generalized other'?
Back
The internalized sense of the overall attitudes, expectations, and norms of one's social community, which guides individual behavior.
9
Front
What is social stratification?
Back
The hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in society based on factors such as wealth, power, and prestige.
10
Front
What distinguishes open from closed stratification systems?
Back
Open systems allow social mobility based on achievement; closed systems (like caste systems) assign rank by birth with little to no mobility.
11
Front
What is the difference between wealth and income in the context of stratification?
Back
Income is the flow of money earned over time (wages, salaries); wealth is the total accumulated assets minus liabilities (net worth).
12
Front
What is the sociological definition of race?
Back
A socially constructed category based on perceived physical differences (e.g., skin color) that carries social significance and consequences.
13
Front
What is ethnicity?
Back
A shared cultural heritage, including language, religion, customs, and ancestry, that distinguishes one group from another.
14
Front
What is institutional racism?
Back
Patterns of racial discrimination embedded in laws, policies, and practices of social institutions, operating independently of individual prejudice.
15
Front
What is the sociological distinction between sex and gender?
Back
Sex refers to biological characteristics (chromosomes, anatomy); gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with being male or female.
16
Front
What is the gender pay gap?
Back
The average difference in earnings between men and women, where women typically earn less than men for comparable work, often attributed to discrimination, occupational segregation, and caregiving roles.
17
Front
What is the concept of the 'second shift'?
Back
Arlie Hochschild's term for the unpaid domestic labor (housework, childcare) that employed women typically perform after completing their paid workday.
18
Front
What are the main functions of the family according to functionalism?
Back
Regulation of sexual behavior, reproduction, socialization of children, economic cooperation, and emotional support.
19
Front
What is the hidden curriculum in education?
Back
The implicit lessons schools teach beyond academics, such as obedience, punctuality, and conformity to authority, which reinforce social norms and inequalities.
20
Front
What is credentialism?
Back
The increasing requirement for formal educational qualifications to obtain jobs, even when the credentials are not directly related to the skills needed.
21
Front
What is deviance in sociology?
Back
Any behavior, belief, or characteristic that violates the norms of a social group and provokes a negative social reaction.
22
Front
What is labeling theory in the study of deviance?
Back
Howard Becker's theory that deviance is not inherent in an act but is defined by society's reaction; being labeled deviant can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
23
Front
What is Robert Merton's strain theory of deviance?
Back
Deviance results from the tension between culturally defined goals (e.g., wealth) and the legitimate means available to achieve them; those blocked from legitimate means may turn to deviant alternatives.
24
Front
What is a manifest function versus a latent function?
Back
A manifest function is an intended, recognized consequence of a social institution; a latent function is an unintended, unrecognized consequence.

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