Unit VI Sociology
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morganbrazell on April 12, 2011
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 social stratification | ranking of individuals or categories of people on the basis of unequal access to scarce resources |
| social inequality | unequal sharing of social rewards and resources |
| caste system | scarce resources and rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed |
| exogamy | marriage outside of one's own social category |
| endogamy | marriage within one's own social category |
| class system | distribution of scarce resources and rewards is determined on the basis of achieved status |
| bourgeoisie | owners of the means |
| proletariat | workers who sell their labor in exchange for wages |
| social reward | anything of value |
| wealth | made up of assets and income |
| assets | value of everything the person ownes |
| income | money earned through salaries and wages |
| power | ability to control behavior of others with or without their consent |
| prestige | respect, honor, and recognition one receives from other members of society |
| functionalist theory | certain roles in society must be performed if the system is to be maintained |
| conflict theory | stratification comes from class exploration |
| reputational method | individuals in the community are asked to rank other community members based on what they know of their character |
| subjective method | individuals are asked to determine their own social rank |
| objective method | define social class in terms |
| upper class | they control the nation's wealth |
| upper-upper | they represent old money |
| old money | wealth is passed down from generation to generation |
| lower-upper | consists of new money |
| new money | acquired wealth through their own effort |
| conspicuous consumption | purchase goods for the status they bring rather than their usefulness |
| upper-middle | high income business and professional people |
| lower-middle | they hold white-collar jobs |
| white-collar | jobs that do not involve manuel labor |
| working class | largest segment of the American population, they hold blue-collar jobs |
| blue-collar | they require manuel labor |
| lower class | consists of people in the lowest paying jobs, unemployed, and unskilled |
| vertical mobility | movement between social classes |
| horizontal mobility | movement within social classes |
| poverty | standard of living that is below the minimum level considered decent and reasonable be society |
| transfer payments | enable the government to redistribute money among various segments of society |
| subsidies | transfer goods and services rather than cash to the poor |
| race | category of people sharing a physical characteristic/cultural practice that is denied equal treatment |
| ethnicity | set of cultural characteristics distinguishing one group from another |
| minortiy group | category of people sharing a physical characteristic/cultural practice that is denied equal treatment |
| discrimination | denial of equal treatment to individuals based on their group membership |
| legal discrimination | unheld by law |
| institutionalized discrimination | discrimination that is an outgrowth of the structure of society |
| prejudice | an unsupported generalization about a category of people |
| racism | belief that one's own race or ethnic group is naturally superior to other races or ethnic groups |
| active bigot | is prejudiced and openly discriminatory |
| timid bigot | is prejudiced but is afraid to discriminate because of societal pressure |
| fair-weather liberal | is not prejudiced but discriminates anyway because of societal pressure |
| all-weather liberal | is not prejudiced and does not discriminate |
| stereotype | an oversimplified, exaggerated, or unfavorable generalization about people |
| scapegoating | placing the blame for one's troubles on an innocent individual or group |
| assimilation | blending of culturally distinct groups into a single group with a common culture and identity |
| cultural pluralism | each group within society keeps its unique identity |
| subjugation | maintaining of control over a group through force |
| slavery | ownership of one group of people by another group |
| segregation | physical separation of a minority group from the dominant group |
| de jure segregation | based on law |
| de facto segregation | segregation where you live |
| genocide | wiping out an entire group of people |
| melting pot | country that welcomes all |
| African Americans | largest minority group in the US |
| Native Americans | most poverty stricken minority |
| white ethnics | white immigrants from the Catholic countries of Ireland, Italy, France, Greece, and Poland |
| gender | behavioral and psychological traits considered appropriate for males and females |
| gender roles | specific behaviors and attitudes society establishes for men and women |
| cross-cultural variation | gender roles are socially created rather than biologically based |
| sexism | one sex is superior than the other sex |
| ageism | belief that one age category is by nature superior to another age group |
| medicare | government sponsored insurance plan for the elderly and disabled |
| AIDS | breakdown of the immune system |
| Medicaid | state and federally funded health insurance program for people with no or little money |
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