Sociology 3:30:16 PDF

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Deviance: The recognized violation of cultural norms. Crime: A form of deviance that violates a society’s formally enacted criminal law. Deviance is not always crime, but crime is always deviant. Rare behavior is often deviant because it is uncommon (statistically deviant) but it doesn't break norms/cultural expectations *social deviance* Social control: Attempts by society to regulate people’s thought and behavior External social control/ formal control: negative sanctions & punishments Internal social control / informal control: socialization. Criminology: systematic study of crime & the criminal justice system: Theories of deviance: biological / psychological / sociological . The biological context: Caesare Lombroso : criminals could be identified by physical traits. William Sheldon: Body shape predicted criminality; ectomorph endomorph: (large plump, jolly, happy rounded) mesomorph. (likely to be criminals) Sheldon & Eleanor Glueck: powerfully built sons grow up less sensitive toward others. No conclusive evidence linking genetics to criminality. Psychological explanations focus on individual abnormality. Walter Reckless & Simon Dinitz found that “good boys” display a strong conscience & “bad boys” demonstrate a weak conscience : containment theory.

There is nothing abnormal about deviance: it exists in every culture - it is universal. Durkheim: it is natural & inevitable part of all society. Deviance is not all bad for society: Deviance affirms cultural values & norms. Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries & promotes unity. Deviance encourages social change. TOO much deviance can be dysfunctional. Structural functional analysis: Robert Merton: Social strain theory - people feel strain when exposed to cultural goals that they are unable to obtain. : conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion. The kind of deviance depends on whether a society provides the means to achieve cultural goals. The strain between our culture’s emphasis on wealth & limited opportunity gives rise to crime. Labeling theory: Deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions.

Primary deviance: (Little effect on a person’s self concept) & secondary deviance (person begins to take on a deviant identity) Sutherland theory: Differential association (one becomes deviant if one associates with deviants) Social conflict analysis: Deviance reflects social inequality. People we commonly consider deviants share the trait of powerlessness. The norms of any society generally reflect the interest of the rich & the powerful. White collar crime, corporate crime. Spitzer: Argues that deviant labels are applied to people who interfere with eh operation of capitalism

Crime stats: Most crimes statistics come from the uniform Crime report (UCR) Published by the FBI Over 60% of crimes are not reported to the police. Victims of crime: Men (with the exception of rape) Young (teens & young adults) Minority Low income (3 times more likely to be robbed, more likely to be assaulted) Rape is the most underreported crime. Committing crimes (correlations) Age - age crime curve Gender - men Race/ ethnicity - young black men - it’s complex guys! Class - street crime more common among lower class Remember the social context around crime stats. How can we change crime through policy?

THE ECONOMY : Historical overview. • The economy = the social institution that organizes social production, distribution, and consumption of goods & services. • Agricultural revolution. • Industrial revolution. • Information revolution. • • • •

Sectors of the economy: The primary sector: draws raw materials from the natural environment. The secondary sector: transforms raw materials into manufactured goods. The tertiary sector: involves services rather than goods.

The Global Economy: World regions specialize in one sector of activity. More & More products pass through several nations National government no longer control economic activity within their borders Small number of businesses control a large share of the planet’s economy.

Sociology and the economy: • Interested in different types of economies and how those systems impact people, shape ideas, etc… • Interesting in interactions between markets and inequalities between markets. • Interested in division of labor, job satisfaction, work/life balance. • Interested in social networks, power, and culture. Division of labor in modern society: • Massive change from simplistic division of labor (hunting/gathering & agrarian societies) to complex division of labor (contemporary society.) • Characterized by specialization. Worker satisfaction: Rate of pay Amount of autonomy Status Amount of trust Level of skills & credentials Job security How america compares: America values “lean production” - Identify continually and reduce constantly costs of production. • New technologies • Waste reduction • Job perks elimination • Involuntary part time work • Outsourcing • Dependence on non-wage needs: healthcare & retirement

American system of work - workers have less power than global counterparts.

Looking ahead: the economy. • Our economy provides better for some than it does for others • Our society must face the challenge of providing millions of people with the computer skills necessary to survive. • In the new century, the economy will also become increasingly global. POWER BEYOND THE RULES. Revolution: over throw one political system to establish another. -rising expectations -unresponsive government -radical leadership by intellectuals Anarchy - ruled by none. Monarchy / dictatorship - one family Oligarchy & Junta - Few Democracy/ direct / representative - All.

Politics in the United States: • U.S political culture - individualism • Derives from the Bill of Rights : guarantees freedom from undue government interference • Welfare state - government agencies and programs that provides benefits to the population. • Participation in political clubs/ organizations is limited. • Voter apathy is widespread in the U.S (particularly among certain demographics_ • Gender, age, and ethnicity are all correlates with the likelihood to participate in our political process. Pre-tax & post tax transfer poverty rate: why are so many Americans poor? -Inability to reduce level of poverty to same degree as other rich countries. Looking ahead: Politics • Inconsistency between our democratic ideals & low public participation in politics • Impact of the information revolution on politics • Danger of war in many parts of the world.

Family & Religion:! Family: A social institution that unites people in cooperative groups to oversee that bearing and raising of children. Kinship: A social bond based on blood, marriage, or adoption. The Family: Global Variations: Family unit: a social group of two or more people, related by blood, marriage, or adoption, who usually live together. The extended family: includes parents & children as well as other kin. The Nuclear family: one or two parents and their children.

Marriage Patterns: • • • •

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Endogamy: Marriage between people of the same social category. Exogamy: Marriage between people different social categories. Monogomy: Marriage that unites two partners. Polygamy: Marriage that unites three or more. polygyny- man & 2+ women polyandry- woman & 2+ men.

Residential patterns: • Patrilocality: Married couple lives with or near the husbands family. • Matrilocality: married couple lives with or near the wife family. • Neolocality: Married couple lives apart from both sets of the family. Patterns of descent: • Descent: the system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations. • Patrilineal descent: tracing kinship through men. • Matrilineal descent: tracing kinship through women. • Bilateral descent: tracing kinship through both men and women. Theoretical analysis of the family: Structural - functional: • The family performs vital tasks: 1. Socialization 2. Regulation of sexual activity 3. Social placement 4. Material & emotional security. • Society depends on families. Social - Conflict: The Family perpetuates social inequality: 1. Property and inheritance. 2. Patriarchy. 3. Racial & ethnic inequality.

Family plays a role in social stratification. Micro - Level Analysis: Symbolic - interaction approach: Examines roles of family members. Explores how individuals shape and experience family life. Social-exchange approach: Family life can be analyzed using social - exchange theory. Stages of family life: Courtship & Romantic love: “Arranged” marriages through socialization & culture. Settling in: Ideal vs. Real Marriage Raising children Family in later life Transitions and problems in Family Life: U.S has a high divorce rate. Causes of divorce: • Individualism • Fading Romantic love • Less dependent women • Marriages stressful • Divorce is socially acceptable • Divorce is easier. Majority of people who divorce, remarry.

RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES: The U.S is a relatively religious nation. Religiosity: the importance in a person’s life. Claiming to be religious and practicing religion are different and difficult to operationalize. Decline of Religion in America: Fastest growing religion in U.S is “no religious preference.” From 2.7% in 1960, and 8% a decade ago, the number of people so identifying themselves has grown to about 20% percent today (Hout, Fischer, and Chaves 2013) Trends among youth aged 18 - 29: Declare themselves as non affiliated. Religion in a changing society: Secularization: The historical decline in the importance of the supernatural and the sacred. Civil Religion (Robert Bella) : A quasi-religious loyalty binding individuals in a basically secular society. Post - denomination society Rodney starks: most known religion sociology philosopher in the U.S/ old professor @ Baylor U.

Education: Hidden curriculum: unspoken and unofficial norms, behaviors, and values in schools. Knowledge/credentials. Economic development: low income countries / high income nations. United states: Goals of mass-education / Mandatory education: 1918 / Effect: economic growth. Earnings: Gap between high school & college graduates. Health: Better mental / emotional health. / increased life expectancy. Family life: Marriage/ children. Education inequality: Racial disparity. Achievement disparity Opportunity disparity....