stereotypes (+ or -); a shortcut for making conclusions about a group of people, selectively + example: black athletes prejudice and discrimination prejudice is a belief discrimination is the behavior the expression of racist attitudes or behaviors by individual people personal discrimination racism built into customs and laws, penalizing people by race not just class institutionalized discrimination beliefs that assert the inferiority of one sex and justify discrimination on the basis of this inferiority sexism the privilege of heterosexual relationships in society heterosexism culture in which heterosexuality is accepted as the norm heteronormative belief that humans are subdivided into distinct groups that are different in their social behavior and innate capacities and that can be ranked as superior or inferior racism genetically inherited characteristics race people sharing common origin and culture ethnicity How do social scientists view "race" sociologists view race a social construction a convenient way to categorize people (example: white and asian grouped by continent) panethnic labels a constantly evolving social construction, tied to gov't agendas and demographic shifts, inherently unstable race as a floating signifier a group that is perceived this way and which carries resentment and is confining and oppressive model minority patricia hill collins matrix of domination life chances are influenced not simply by class, race/ethnicity, gender, or sex but also · education, age, religion, talent, beauty, intelligence, charisma or lack thereof matrix of domination socio-cultural constructions maintained through social institutions like the family, religion, education, the state, military, health care, and the mass media sex and gender roles biologically male or female sex masculinity and femininity gender a socially disapproved  behavior - the violation of some agreed upon norm deviance some human behavior is inherently proper and good, while other behavior is obviously improper, immoral, and bad absolutist (ethnocentric) view of deviance socially constructed - deviance is not inherent in any particular act, belief, or condition relativist (culturally relative) view of deviance behavior that was once classified as deviant is now redefined as a psychiatric disease, disorder, or syndrome medicalization of deviance corporate, financial type crimes - more economically costly white collar crime 3 reasons white collar crime is not punished like street crimes penalty doesn't outweigh the crime not investigated or doesn't go to trial just paid off prosecutors come from that world street crime and personal property crimes - more heavily punished blue collar crimes 2 reasons street crimes (blue collar) are more heavily punished than white collar crimes referred to as "class crimes" racism ranking systems for groups of people that perpetuate unequal rewards and life chances (example: defaulting mortgage video) social stratification stratification system based on inherited positions with little movement allowed across strata caste system groups of people who share a similar economic position in society based on their wealth and income industrial and post-industrial service societies movement of people from one class to another social mobility passive income (don't have to work) upper class largest group important in defining US culture (moods, political direction, values) upper and lower defined by status, profession, income middle class factory, clerical, low-paying sales jobs HS education hourly pay working class working poor, minimum wage earners chronically unemployed absolute poverty vs. relative poverty poor or lower class off the economic ladder homeless, panhandlers underclass General trends in immigration · Today: mexico, latin America, china, philipines · Yester year: overwhelmingly from Europe theoretical perspective that views the structure of society as a source of inequality that always benefits some groups at the expense of other groups conflict theory theoretical perspective that posits that social institutions are structured to maintain stability and order in society structural functionism theoretical perspective that explains society and social structure through and examination of the micro-level, personal, day to day exchanges of people as individuals, pairs, or groups symbolic interactionist theory reasons for immigration · Economic opportunity · The lure of employment and a better life = improved life chances · Family reunification · Favored career status · Escape from political/religious persecution Name a few social responses to immigration immigrants built the infrastructure of the USA filled unwanted jobs, improved lives of many potential to create friction between US and immigrants durkheim connected some period of rapid, forced, chaotic migration to ANOMIE people’s lives all around the world become economically, politically, environmentally,and culturally interconnected (travel, internet, media) globalism Cultural significance of ‘middle class’ important in defining US culture (moods, political direction, values…) private ownership of capital. Economic system which production and distribution are privately or corporately owned capitalism accommodations to make workers happy – private, employer-based social welfare provisions (USA) welfare capitalism State ownership of capital (the state owns more) – People’s Republic of China, Czech, East Germany socialism support legal entitlements (universal healthcare, access to housing, workers compensation and education, childcare and elderly care). Pay a lot of taxes but get more benefits. (Europe and Japan) social democracy Name the 4 types of political economic systems capitalism welfare capitalism socialism social democracy belief that poor people, resigned to their position in society, develop a unique value structure to deal with their lack of success culture-of-poverty theory (don't benefit your own class) situation in which people in the lower classes come to accept a belief system that harms them; wealthy influence less wealthy to accept the system which socializes us through social institutions (gov’t, media, law…) false consciousness Developing a sense of your own class. Class acting on behalf of itself (occupy wall street) class consciousness an organization of people committed to create, stop, or reverse social change social movements attempts to change limited aspects of a society but does not seek to alter or replace major social institutions; often seeking inclusion (feminist or gay rights) reform movement designed to prevent or reverse the changes sought or accomplished by an earlier movement (Taliban, ISIS) counter-movement an attempt to overthrow the entire system or a major institution such as government (Cuban revolution) revolutionary movement control of mating to ensure that “defective” genes of troublesome individuals will not be passed on to future generations eugenics refers to people born at roughly the same time tending to experience life course events of social rites of passage (puberty, marriage, childbearing, death…) cohort effects refers to members of the same birth cohort also sharing a common history (place in time and the historical events the members live through) – WWII, 9-11… period effects we carry societal norms in our heads and act according to our social institutions. Socialization makes us good citizens. We calculate the sanctions, risks, and benefits. deterring deviance through social control Name some social constructions of crimes and illegality · crime is determined by those who make laws and wield power · what we regard as illegal depends on how we view the person committing the act · poor and minority tend to be more highly punished