Sociology 100

PART I.
15 short-answer based questions ½ page. Define, get examples and write answer. If there are 2 sides to a question, mention them. 1. Define feminism and describe how this perspective is useful for sociologists.

Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. In addition, feminism seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist is "an advocate or supporter of the rights and equality of women"
Feminist perspective is to see things from the point-of -view of women. This is relevant to almost everything in a society driven by patriarchy, male chauvinism & male sexist bias. It is to be conscious of and critical towards domination of women by their male counterparts at home, at workplace, in the streets, as regards property rights, right to education, right to justice and others. It implies social activism for the correction of gender imbalances/exploitation such as female foeticide, dowry-related abuse of women, sexual harassment etc. 2. Explain three ways that Max Weber disagreed with Karl Marx. Is this disagreement important? * Look at Weber’s book “Class, status and power.” * Quote Marx (proletariat, and bourgeoisie) workers and owners. * Believes that status come from your work- economically determined. * Earnings are given to owners and not the working class. * Power is owned by bourgeoisie; basic reality of capitalist environment. They own the people who run the state because of their wealth. * Economy- economic analysis: fundamental difference is that class, status and power according to Weber is far more complex than how Marx sees the world. Status means that people could be respected even before wealth. * Marx underplays status, and class is too narrowly minded.
Marx: class comes from haves and have not’s, comes from power. Power comes from wealth. Heavily economically inclined.
Weber: class comes from political parties. Power comes from people collectively working. Relationships between members such as respect, respect comes from spiritual values.
Important because their differentiating views on socials stratification cover an array of ideas that all raise important points. There are multiple ways to look how class, power and status are measured, and these are only 2.

3. Compare the strengths and limitations of both qualitative research and survey (quantitative) research. Methods-> sense data.
Quantitative method- creating data that is numerical (stats). What the problem with this? Lets you come up with figures that appear to satisfy the question. Information, but you pre-package it. You decide in advance to go after particular information so you cut out the rest of reality. Strengths 1. Surveys are particularly useful in describing the characteristics of a large population. 2. Surveys- especially self-administered ones – make large samples feasible. 3. In one sense, surveys are flexible. 4. Standardized questionnaires have an important strength in regard to measurement generally. Weaknesses 1. Surveys often appear superficial in their coverage of complex topics. 2. Similarly, survey research can seldom deal with the context of social life. 3. In many ways, surveys are inflexible. 4. Finally, surveys are subject to artificiality. The problem of artificiality has two aspects: a. The topic of the study may not be amenable to measurement through questionnaires. b. Second, the act of studying that topic- an attitude, for example, may affect it. * Survey research is generally weak on validity but strong on reliability.
Qualitative method- different way of inquiring than surveys. Participation observation. Find out the meanings people have for things, may come up with different study than survey LIMITATIONS
· The problem of adequate validity or reliability is a major criticism. Because of the subjective nature of qualitative data and its origin in single contexts, it is difficult to apply conventional standards of reliability and validity.
· Contexts, situations, events, conditions and interactions cannot be replicated to any extent nor can generalisations be made to a wider context than the one studied with any confidence.
· The time required for data collection, analysis and interpretation is lengthy.
· Researcher's presence has a profound effect on the subjects of study.
· Issues of anonymity and confidentiality present problems when selecting findings.
· The viewpoints of both researcher and participants have to be identified and elucidated because of issues of bias.
STRENGTHS
· Because of close researcher involvement, the researcher gains an insider's view of the field. This allows the researcher to find issues that are often missed (such as subtleties and complexities) by the scientific, more positivistic enquiries.
· Qualitative descriptions can play the important role of suggesting possible relationships, causes, effects and dynamic processes.
· Because statistics are not used, but rather qualitative research uses a more descriptive, narrative style, this research might be of particular benefit to the practitioner as she or he could turn to qualitative reports in order to examine forms of knowledge that might otherwise be unavailable, thereby gaining new insight.
· Qualitative research adds flesh and blood to social analysis. 4. What is culture, what does it include and why is a core concept in sociology?

Culture consists of shared symbols and their definitions that people create to solve real-life problems. Symbols are concrete or abstract terms that represent something else. Gold ring on finger means that person is married, etc. symbols fill human experience. The meaning is not in the symbol; it is what is referred to. A symbols definition tells us what a symbol represents to a culture. Culture is a word for people's 'way of life', meaning the way they do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking, and in what they do.
A culture's values are its ideas about what is good, right, fair, and just. Sociologists disagree, however, on how to conceptualize values. Conflict theory focuses on how values differ between groups within a culture, while functionalism focuses on the shared values within a culture.

5. Compare primary and secondary socialization.
Primary- In your face socialization such as your brothers and sisters. You are beginning to get confidence. It is a much deeper relationship. Primary socialization is characterized as what a person learns from their close family and friends that affects their moral attitude. This type of socialization is a more direct form of socialization, as it comes directly from those closest to a person. For example, a person can receive primary socialization from their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents or other close relatives and friends. During primary socialization a person learns morals, such as manners, that impact the decisions that they make at present and future times.
Secondary- when you start to socialize outside of the family; socializing with kids at daycare. Secondary socialization is characterized as behavior that is reinforced from society. This type of socialization is very complex as it can mean a number of things. During secondary socialization a person is learning what society accepts as decent behavior. For example, when a child does something that is seen as disobedient they may receive disciplinary actions for that behavior to deter them from repeating the same thing. Virtually anyone that is a part of the surrounding society of a person is a participant in secondary socialization, such as teachers, coaches, principals or even politicians.
Although unique in their own rights, each type of socialization is a crucial part of how a person develops and what choices they may make throughout their lifetime. What a person learns during each stage of socialization could potentially remain with them for years to come. 6. Explain what white-collar crime is. Why are the perpetrators not apprehended as systematically as are youth in crime? White-Collar Crime consists of occupational crime and corporate crime. Occupational crime refers to offences committed against legitimate institutions (businesses or government) by those with "respectable" social status. It includes the embezzlement of corporate funds, tax evasion, computer crime and expense-account fraud. Corporate crime refers to offences committed by legitimate institutions to further their own interests and includes conspiring to fix the prices of goods or services, the dumping of pollutants, the payment of kickbacks by manufacturers to retailers, misleading advertising, selling unsafe drugs, etc

7. Has income inequality risen in Canada since the middle of the 1970s?
Yes, Inequality is increasing in Canada since the 80’s because the welfare state is changing. Why is the welfare stat changing? Because the welfare state is a reflection of capitalism; what’s changing in capitalism that would cause the welfare state to change? Debt; what is debt? A deficit.
Household debt increased-> more independent on welfare->
Every time there is a bust in capitalism, more people become in debt, more people are dependent on welfare.
The rich influence gov’t to change the economic model: to get rid of debt, to bring about a change in society.
Understand how the economy works: Means of production & wage of labour >commodities-$
If costs of commodities rise, you have to cut the cost of means of production or wage of labour to be able to make a profit.
Capitalism isn’t helping workers the way it used to. They’re cutting taxes, and taxes are what pay for welfare.
Bigger divide between the rich and the poor because we’re losing jobs.

8. What are some of the typical myths about poor people? * People are poor because they don’t want to work- ignores the fact that many cannot work because of disabilities or because of inadequate child care services leave them no alternative but to take care of their children. Many poor people work full time or part time, but still make less than the low-income cutoff measure. Too many people are working and only earning minimum wage. To meet the goal of low-income, the person must work 40 hours a week for 50 weeks earning $9.18. * Most poor people are immigrants- immigrants who arrived prior to 1980 generally experience poverty at lower rates than native-born Canadians do. Higher poverty rates are among newer immigrants who are less well established, but recent immigrants represent a fraction of all poor people and their economic standings tend to improve the longer they stay in the country. * Most poor people are trapped in poverty- 92% of people in poverty can escape it within 2 years, 80% within a year. Only a small percentage (5%) will live in poverty between 4 and 6 years. People often slip in and out of difficult situations. 9. Compare the main tenets of both modernization theory and dependency theory.
Modern- more like u.s or britian. Modern techniques etc, cant be an indian.
Dependency- undo the damage you’ve done. * Modernization Theory- Modernization Theory refers to the social change, development and improvement in culture, traditions and technology. Modernization theory first appeared in the 1950s and increasingly rose in the 1990s. This theory explain how society progresses. It is a process of social evolution and change, which includes adaption of new technologies, economic growth, and improvement in living standards and infrastructural development in the modern age. New technology is a source of social change. New technologies bring advancements in infrastructure, education employment, and food production. Modernization Theory includes economic development, literacy and cultural development, national identity development. Societies move towards greater equality and transformation from underdeveloped societies to modern societies. : economic underdevelopment results from poor countries lacking Western attributes like Western values, business practices, levels of investment capital, and stable governments. * Western countries should “help” poor countries by transferring Western culture and capital to them: capital to invest in Western-style agriculture and industry, and rational, Western-style business techniques of marketing, accounting, sales, and finance.

Dependency Theory- Dependency theory is used to explain the failure of non-industrialized countries to develop economically in spite of investments from industrial countries. The central argument of this theory is that the world economic system is highly unequal in its distribution of power and resources and places most nations in a dependent position in relation to the industrial powers. Dependency theory views economic underdevelopment as the result of exploitative relations between rich and poor countries. * Views economic underdevelopment as the result of exploitative relations between rich and poor countries. * For the past 500 years, the most powerful countries in the world deliberately impoverished the less powerful countries. * In decades following WWII, nearly all the colonies in the world became politically independent; exploitation by direct political control was soon replaced by new means of achieving the same end: * Substantial foreign investment * Support for authoritarian governments * Mounting debt * Foreign investment: * In the postcolonial era, the debt burden has crippled development efforts of many poor countries. * Modernization theorists want more foreign investment in poor countries and freer trade in order to promote economic growth and general well-being. * Dependency theorists think foreign investment drains wealth out of poor countries. Openness to international trade and foreign investment also increased inequality. Few benefits of economic growth went to the neediest.

10. Within capitalism, what actions of the rich countries would help poor countries achieve economic growth? * Tariffs – Market question. * Poor countries having debt from colonial past * Rich countries giving poor countries debt relief. * Aid- corruption of leaders. Money is used to make regime more oppressed. * Money is tied to the products that the home country is sending. Canada (we give money to these countries based on the corporations needs that are developing in the country) comes to aid for Africa, but it is tied to a strategy of export in Canada. 11. Explain how types of society have changed over time.
Societies have changed in many ways over time. * Foraging societies- * Searching for wild plants and hunting wild animals. * Depended on nature, taking whatever it made available and transforming it slightly to meet their needs. * Built simple tools such as baskets, bows, arrows, spears and digging sticks. * Did not plant crops nor domesticated many animals. * Inequality, division of labour, productivity, and settlement sizes are very low in these societies. * Horticultural societies- * Began to domesticate various wild plants and animals such as cows, camels, pigs, goats, reindeer, sheep and horses. * Used hand tools to garden in highly fertile areas. * People increased the food supply and made it more dependable. * Nature could support more people. * Fewer people had to specialize in making food and more people could make clothing, jewelry, tools, weapons and trading valuable objects. * Some families acquired more domesticated animals and more valuable items. * Developed a higher level of social inequality than was evident in foraging societies. * Agricultural societies- * Plows are animals power is used for increase food supply and dependability as compared to horticultural societies. * Plows allowed farmers to plant crops over large areas and dig below topsoil. * Increase in crops and food supply. * Private property was a development. * Industrial societies- * Used machines and fuel to increase supply of food and goods. * First industrial societies were in Great Britain. * Things could be produced with a smaller amount of effort. * 16-hour days, dangerous conditions, earned barely enough to survive. * Lower costs to produce because they had better ways of organizing and producing. * Manufacturers encouraged everyone to develop their talents and rewarded them with higher salaries. * Class and gender inequality declined as industrial societies matured. * Postindustrial societies- * U.S was first postindustrial society. * Large population of women recruited into service sector. * Helped ensure a gradual increase in equality between women and men in terms of education, income, and many other indicators of rank. * The computer cause rapid change in the labour force. It automated many manufacturing and office procedures. It created jobs in the service sector as quickly as it eliminated them in the manufacturing industry. * The computer is to the service sector what the steam engine was to manufacturing, the plow to intensive agriculture, domestication was to horticulture and the simple hand tools were to foraging. * As society has evolved, human dependency on nature has greatly decreased.

12. Is technology always a means of improving human life or can it be antagonistic to human values? * Can discuss how it’s beneficial and not beneficial. * Have facts that support your opinion. * What technology is? * The tools we use within our social institutions to make a task easier or do-able. It’s cultural. * Look at difference between a club for killing animals, a bow and arrow, and a rifle. All of these things advance, how does it help and how does it hinder. * If you have improved productivity, you lower production costs. The money could be paid back to the workers, or the capitalists get it. * Equality or Productivity. * Cellphones- essential for major corporations. Keeping it touch is a part of a culture. * Some say that computers reduce our work hours, make goods and services cheaper by removing many distribution costs of capitalism, and that computers can also allow us to enjoy more leisure time. 13. Discuss the suggestion that technological innovation and market forces will enable us to overcome environmental problems.
Mechanistic. Means of production; trying to make more efficient.

14. What forces drive the spread of globalization? * Electronic and technological including jets, communications, banking * Political including visas, treaties, English, exchanges, currencies * Economic services, products and corporate efficiencies through integration

15. What are the major sources of inequality within society?
Gender
Race
Religion
Wealth- Wealthy people are the healthiest.

PART II.
10 Essay-based questions 1-2 pages 1. Explain what patriarchy is, how it has been perpetuated over time, and finally what reasons would lead many researchers today to argue that sociological research suffers from a gender-biased perspective?

2. Durkheim believed that suicide was influenced by social factors. Explain his argument. Is his explanation valid today? Give examples of behaviours, other than suicide, that may be influenced by social factors. 3. Explain the existence of social inequality. Compare and contrast three different theoretical approaches (functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist). 4. Use three concepts (culture, diversification, and inequality) to explain the effects of globalization on the lives of various groups of people around the world. In your answer, take a position on the assertion that globalization is / is not another form of imperialism. 5. Apply Charles Horton Cooley’s looking-glass self to a contemporary issue such as eating disorders, elective surgeries, or steroid use.

6. Does bureaucracy dehumanize the work place? In your answer explain how rationality is both the basis for bureaucracy and simultaneously the reason for de-humanization. 7. Argue for and against income redistribution through taxation. Discuss the differences between progressive and regressive taxation and their relative impacts on poverty. 8. In the logic of capitalism what does history teach us about the function of labour, commodities and means of production in increasing profit? For wage workers, what factors (if any) in the logic of capitalism affect increased mobility in social class? 9. Outline the three sets of social forces that influence whom you are likely to fall in love with and marry. * “What’s love got to do with it”
Family (money-social class) * House * Car * Friends * Clubs * Religion * Social class-> * Education * Occupation * Power
10. Quite a few sociologists argue that education reproduces the existing stratification system. What do they mean by this? PART III. One more required question. 1. What other elephant was in the room?
Social patterns- make observations-why do people do the things they do?