Sociology/Social Problems
This is the dominant perspective in sociological study and especially studying social problems
Conflict Theory/Perspective
According to Marx, conflict arises in society when _____ accumulates at the top and is not shared with those who occupy lower social classes
Capital
Studying the compounding effects of race and class using this framework
Intersectionality
When a country or nation allocates resources to its most needy and vulnerable citizens
Welfare State
Socially constructed ideas about masculinity and femininity
Gender
Recognizing that issues within a society most often have structural causes rather than resulting from personal choices
Sociological Imagination
Which aspects of society can be found in the superstructure?
Anything not related to economics or production (culture, art, government/politics, religion, ideology)
Earlier researchers discussed poverty as being a learned behavior and passed down through generations
Culture of Poverty
What is a complaint about TANF requirements that may negatively effect people seeking assistance
TANF has a 24-month lifetime limit
Women are biologically wired to be nurturing and caring and are therefore best suited to be mothers and take on the task of raising children
Biological Essentialism
The process by which individuals become separated from their work and others under a capitalist system
Alienation
When the beliefs of the ruling class come to be accepted as natural by the rest of society and reproduced over generations
Cultural Hegemony
This theory states that poverty results from lack of jobs, lack of education, discrimination or changes in the economy
Structural Theory of Poverty
According to Gilens, these are the two strongest predictors for opposing welfare spending
1. Belief that those receiving welfare are undeserving and 2. the majority of welfare recipients are black and blacks are lazy/have no work ethic
Describe the Stalled Revolution
Women gained more equality beginning in the 1970s as they joined the labor market in large numbers, but did not receive more equality in the home as they were still responsible for handling the second shift
When discussing poverty, the level of public concern or desire to alleviate symptoms of poverty would describe which aspect of a social problem?
Subjective Aspect (not objective)
Marx describes conflict as happening between two groups; who does what and who gets what. What are the official terms for these groups
Forces of Production and Relations of Production
An ideology which values personal accountability and responsibility which transcends political parties
Neoliberalism
What evidence does Gilens provide to support the claim that Americans believe the majority of welfare recipients are black and that black Americans are lazy
1. Long-lasting stereotypes starting during slavery portraying Blacks as lazy and unintelligent
2. Media portrayal of welfare recipients showing mostly images of black Americans and associating negative stories about welfare with black Americans v positive stories associated with white Americans
List the 4 structural causes of gender inequality in the US
1. Gendered Pay Gap
2. Occupational Segregation
3. Devaluation of Women's work
4. Motherhood Penalty
We can attribute the phenomenon of social problems to the broad social _____ in place which determines how society is organized and creates patterns of behavior and relationships that are difficult to change
Structure (social structure)
Name one prediction made by Karl Marx about the consequences a society will face living under a capitalist system
1. Monopolization
2. Decline in profits
3. Under-consumption/Over-production
4. Increased unemployment
5. Cyclical depressions or recessions
Describe three main consequences of establishing a neoliberal society
1. Decline in collective power of organized labor/labor groups
2. Deregulation of industry
3. Dismantling of the welfare state
4. Shift from manufacturing to service industry-->rise in part time work without benefits
Describe broadly the history of welfare enrollment (who were the intended recipients and what did payment look like?)
When welfare began as a program in the 1930s most black Americans were excluded from applying
"Suitable home" policies allowed states to legally exclude black Americans from welfare benefits
Black Americans who did receive benefits were not entitled to the same payment amounts as whites
Describe the relationship between biological essentialism and hegemonic masculinity as depicted in the movie North Country
Due to biological essentialism, both men and women in the town internalized the belief that men were born with the skills and qualities needed to work in the mine and women did not
These qualities then become the cultural script (or ideal type) for what it means to be masculine; we can assume these qualities are probably: strength, stamina, domineering, quick thinking, calculating and not emotional- and because the mine pays so well for this work, we can add "bread-winner" to hegemonic masculinity
Therefore, the men felt justified in their treatment of the female workers in the mine as well as the townspeople (both men and women) probably felt less sympathy to the women and their plight