Sociology Final Study Guide
SOCIAL INEQUALITY – UNIT 3
SOCIAL STRATIFIATION – CHAPTER 8
Dimensions of Stratification
1. What is social stratification?
2. What resources are generally unequally held by the higher social strata?
3. What is social class?
4. Does the number of social classes tend to vary among societies?
5. What are the 3 broad social classes generally shared by technologically developed countries?
6. Who were the two most significant early contributors to the study of social stratification?
7. What did Karl Marx emphasize in his study of social classes?
8. What did Max Weber emphasize in his study of social classes?
9. What were the two primary social classes the Marx identified in 19th century industrial society?
10. What was Marx’s prediction about the capitalists (bourgeoisie)?
11. What was the only commodity Marx exerted that the working class could sell?
12. What was Marx’s belief regarding control of the economy?
13. What is income?
14. What is wealth?
15. What is power?
16. According to Marx, can you exercise power without being wealthy? Explain why or why not.
17. According to Weber, can you exercise power without being wealthy? Explain why or why not.
18. What is prestige?
19. Is prestige given or claimed?
20. Do those with similar levels of prestige share identifiable lifestyles?
21. For what reason do most achieve prestige in the US?
Explanations of Stratification
22. What is the functionalist theory of stratification?
23. What is the conflict theory of stratification?
24. Define false consciousness.
25. Later conflict sociologists have disagreed with Marx. What have they proposed that stratification is based upon?
26. What is the symbolic interactionist theory of stratification?
Social Classes in America
27. What is class consciousness?
28. When did the United States begin to systematically identify social classes?
29. What is the difficulty in identifying social classes in America?
30. Who comprises the upper class in the US? What is the basis for “membership” in this class?
31. What percentage of the US is in the middle class?
32. How is the statistic for the middle class different than the perceptions that most Americans have?
33. What is the upper middle class?
34. What is the middle-middle class?
35. Who are the members of the working class?
36. Who are the working poor?
37. Who are the members of the underclass?
Poverty in America
38. What is absolute poverty?
39. What is relative poverty?
40. How is poverty measured in the US?
41. How many Americans are poor?
42. How are race and ethnicity related to poverty?
43. How is gender related to poverty?
44. How is age related to poverty?
45. What is the feminization of poverty?
46. Summarize the US government’s role in fighting poverty prior to 1960.
47. Which American President began the “War on Poverty”?
48. What were the goals on the War on Poverty?
49. Summarize the 1996 Welfare Reform.
Social Mobility
50. What is social mobility
51. Define horizontal mobility.
52. Define vertical mobility.
53. Define intergenerational mobility.
54. What is a closed class system?
55. Summarize the caste system of India.
56. How is the caste system kept intact?
57. What is an open class system?
58. What is upward mobility?
59. Give the trend of upward mobility in the United States beginning after World War II through the present.
60. What is downward mobility?
61. What are the social and psychological costs of downward mobility?
INEQUALITIES OF RACE AND ETHNICITY – CHAPTER 9
Minority, Race and Ethnicity
62. Define minority.
63. What are the 5 characteristics of minorities?
64. Define race.
65. List specific examples of the “advantages” of certain physical characteristics associated with a particular race.
66. Define ethnicity.
67. What is an ethnic minority?
68. Why are ethnic minorities often seen as inferior?
69. Look at Figure 9.1 on page 278 in your sociology book. State 3 conclusions from the statistics given.
Racial and Ethnic Relations
70. Define assimilation.
71. What are the 4 patterns of assimilation found in the United States?
72. What is the most common pattern of assimilation?
73. Explain the “melting pot” analogy for assimilation in the United States.
74. Explain the “tossed salad” analogy for assimilation in the United States.
75. What is a synonym for the “tossed salad” method of assimilation in the US?
76. What is accommodation?
77. What are the 3 broad patterns of conflict resulting from tensions in racial and ethnic relations?
78. Define genocide and give 3 historical examples.
79. Define population transfer and give 1 historical example.
80. Define subjugation.
81. Give one example of de jure segregation.
82. Give one example of de facto segregation.
Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination
83. Define prejudice.
84. Define racism.
85. How is discrimination different from prejudice?
86. What are the common forms of discrimination?
87. How are hate crimes different from other crimes?
88. Give the functionalist perspective on hate crimes.
89. Give the conflict perspective on hate crimes.
90. Give the symbolic interactionist perspective on hate crimes.
91. Define stereotype.
92. Summarize the functionalist perspective on prejudice and discrimination.
93. Summarize the conflict perspective on prejudice and discrimination.
94. Summarize the symbolic interactionist perspective on prejudice and discrimination.
Minority Groups in the United States
95. Define institutionalized discrimination.
96. Give 2 examples of institutionalized discrimination.
97. What are the primary barriers to African American assimilation?
98. Compare the average income of African Americans to that of white Americans.
99. In what ways have African Americans advanced in the United States and what barriers remain?
100. Most Latinos living in the United States are descendants from what particular country?
101. Compare education for Latinos living in the United States to those of white Americans.
102. Compare incomes for Latinos and white Americans.
103. Where do Latinos stand politically?
104. How many Native Americans live in the US today?
105. Compare the income of Native Americans to other minority groups living in the US.
106. Summarize the conditions of reservations today.
107. Trace the history of Chinese immigration to the United States.
108. Trace the history of Japanese immigration to the United States.
109. Why have Asian Americans been more successful with upward mobility than other minority groups in the United States.
110. Who are white ethnics?
INEQUALITIES OF GENDER AND AGE–CHAPTER 10
Sex and Gender Identity
111. What is the biological distinction between male and female?
112. Define biological determinism.
113. What is gender identity?
114. How do sociologists view behavior?
115. What did Margaret Mead discover when she studied the Arapesh peoples?
116. What did Margaret Mead discover when she studies the Mundugumor peoples?
117. Based upon her studies what did she conclude about biological determinism?
118. What are the limitations regarding studies that have been performed on male and female behavioral trends?
Theoretical Perspectives in Gender
119. Summarize the Functionalist theory perspective on gender.
120. Summarize the Conflict theory perspective on gender.
121. Summarize the symbolic interactionist perspective theory perspective on gender.
122. What is gender socialization?
123. How do parents contribute to gender socialization?
124. How do schools contribute to gender socialization?
125. How do peers contribute to gender socialization?
Gender Inequality
126. Define sexism.
127. What is occupational sex segregation?
Ageism
128. What is age stratification?
129. Give the Functionalist view on ageism.
130. Give the Conflict theory view on ageism.
131. Give the Symbolic Interactionist view on ageism.
Inequality in America’s Elderly Population
132. Why is poverty measured differently for older Americans?
133. What other factors affect the elderly?
134. Summarize the economic position of older Americans.
135. Compare voter turnout among elderly Americans to other groups of Americans.
136. What interest groups are organized to influence political decision making on behalf of older Americans?
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS – UNIT 4
THE FAMILY – CHAPTER 11
Family and Marriage across Cultures
137. Define family.
138. What is family of orientation?
139. What is family of procreation?
140. Define marriage.
141. What is the difference between a nuclear and an extended family?
142. Summarize the development of family over the course of history.
143. What are the 3 patterns of behavior as it relates to family structure across most societies?
144. What is a patrilineal arrangement of inheritance?
145. What is a matrilineal arrangement of inheritance?
146. What is a bilateral arrangement of inheritance?
147. In the US, which one of the arrangements of inheritance is the most common?
148. In a patriarchy who has the authority over the rest of the family?
149. In a matriarchy who has the authority over the rest of the family?
150. With equalitarian control, who has authority over the rest of the family?
151. Define the patrilocal pattern of households.
152. Define the matrilocal pattern of households.
153. Define the neolocal pattern of households.
154. Define monogamy as it relates to marriage.
155. Define polygamy as it relates to marriage.
156. What is polygyny?
157. What is polyandry?
158. Define exogamy.
159. What are examples of common societal incest taboos?
160. Define endogamy.
161. Define homogamy.
162. Define heterogamy.
Theoretical Perspectives on Family
163. What is the Functionalist Perspective view on the family?
164. What are the 5 functions of the family according to Functionalists?
165. What is the Conflict theory perspective on the family?
166. How do conflict theorists explain gender relationships in the family?
167. What is the Symbolic Interactionist theory in regards to the development of self concept in the family?
Family and Marriage in the United States
168. What is the general trend in American society for the marriage and divorce rates?
169. Is family violence common?
170. In what social classes is family violence more likely to be reported? Why?
171. Besides physical abuse, what other types of abuse exist in families?
172. What is the most common form of family violence?
Changes in Marriage and Family
173. What is a blended family?
174. What is a childless marriage? Do adults tend to be happier in a childless marriage?
175. What is a dual-employed marriage? What are the negative and positive impacts of a dual employed marriage?
176. Define cohabitation.
177. Define same-sex domestic partnerships.
178. Why are more Americans choosing to live the single life?
179. Why are more adult children becoming boomerang kids?
EDUCATION – CHAPTER 12
Development and Structure of Education
180. Explain the argument that schools (formal education) should be standardized.
181. What is the open-classroom reform?
182. What is the cooperative learning reform?
183. What is the integrative curriculum reform?
184. What is the Back-to Basics Movement?
185. What is the voucher system?
186. What are charter schools?
187. What are magnet schools?
188. What are for-profit schools?
189. Explain the Functionalist Perspective on Education (include manifest function, latent function, common identity and tracking)
190. Explain the Conflict Perspective on Education (include meritocracy, competition, educational equality, culturally biased tests, school desegregation, multicultural education and compensatory education)
191. Explain the Symbolic Interactionism Perspective on Education (include hidden curriculum, self-fulfilling prophecy, teacher fostered sexism).