Sociology Functions Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What are manifest and latent functions? Provide an example of each.

Manifest Function: Stated and explicitly intended function of a social practice or cultural object. Example: Engagement Ring = getting married. Latent Function: Unstated function of a social practice or cultural object. Example: Engagement Ring = signifies that you are able to provide financially.

What is the McDonaldization of society?

Moving from traditional to rational modes of thought, characterized by efficiency, calculability, predictability, and substitution of humans with nonhuman technology.

What are the key differences between Jihad and McWorld?

Jihad represents tribal fragmentation along parochial ties and is bloody and violent. McWorld is universalizing markets that are generic, uniform, and eliminate local tradition.

What types of events do news media focus on and how does this contribute to misdirecting our fears?

News media focus on exciting, rare news stories, leading people to believe these occurrences happen frequently. This obscures the reality of more mundane dangers. Signup and view all the answers

What substitutes for statistics in the portrayal of social problems?

Dramatic anecdotes and scenarios substitute for facts. Signup and view all the answers

What is the individualization of social problems?

It is the portrayal of problems as caused by bad people instead of examining the broader circumstances and conditions. Signup and view all the answers

How does the democratization of risk distort reality and hinder solutions to social problems?

It makes social problems appear random and equal opportunity, causing people to overreact to smaller issues while neglecting larger systemic dangers. Signup and view all the answers

How does the press conference on crack play into the false democratization of risk?

The president held up crack cocaine to imply that the problem could happen anywhere, suggesting that drug issues affect everyone equally. Signup and view all the answers

How does law behave and who has more law to call upon?

By eliminating laws, you can eliminate crime. Crimes that disrupt social order are punished more strongly than others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point of the article 'Becoming a Marijuana User'?

The experience with drugs is affected by location and social settings, with social contexts enhancing enjoyment. Signup and view all the answers

What is social marking and how is the social marking process uneven?

Social marking involves generalizing populations based on observed behaviors or characteristics, leading to assumptions about individuals. Signup and view all the answers

Provide an example of the one-time rule and the maximum-capacity rule as they apply to 'deviant' identity.

If someone smokes a cigarette once, they are not labeled as a smoker. However, if they repeatedly smoke, they are classified as a smoker. Signup and view all the answers

Provide an example of mental coloring from 'Do the Right Thing'.

In a low-income neighborhood, black individuals are often perceived as irresponsible and deviant due to mental coloring. Signup and view all the answers

What conflicts were portrayed in 'Do the Right Thing'?

The Italian Pizzeria did not display any famous African American portraits, leading to racial conflicts. Signup and view all the answers

Why did many of Milgram's subjects go all the way to administering 450-volt shocks?

Factors include inhumanity from distance, the foot-in-the-door problem, and diffusion of responsibility. Signup and view all the answers

How did modernity contribute to the Holocaust?

Diffusion of responsibility and the pursuit of power facilitated the horrific events of the Holocaust. Signup and view all the answers

How do lifestylers, commuters, and integrators differ from one another?

Lifestylers are committed to their identity long-term, commuters adapt their identity to fit environments, and integrators incorporate choices into everyday life without being defined by them. Signup and view all the answers

What is impression management?

It is a goal-directed process to influence how others perceive a person, object, or event. Signup and view all the answers

What is the girlhunt?

A social occasion where men bond in a way that can appear somewhat homosexual, yet they are ultimately straight and seeking to attract women. Signup and view all the answers

What is a density dispute?

It refers to how intensely someone engages with their identity, with criticisms arising from differing levels of engagement. Signup and view all the answers

What is a duration dispute?

It involves how long someone maintains an identity, often labeling those who only show their identity occasionally as two-faced. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Manifest and Latent Functions

Manifest Function: Clearly defined and intended purpose, such as an engagement ring symbolizing marriage.
Latent Function: Implicit functions and meanings, e.g., an engagement ring signaling financial stability.
SUVs are marketed as large, safe, and luxurious.

McDonaldization of Society

Concept introduced in a book highlighting the shift from traditional to rational thought.
Key characteristics include Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, and the substitution of human labor with technology.
Rational systems can inadvertently lead to irrational results.

Jihad vs. McWorld

Jihad: Focuses on tribalism, ethnic conflict, and is marked by violence and fragmentation.
McWorld: Represents universalizing markets that standardize and erase local traditions.
Both processes undermine national boundaries and operate transnationally.

News Media and Fear

News media emphasizes exciting and rare events, skewing public perception of dangers.
Coverage often sensationalizes unusual occurrences leading to disproportionate fear.
Common risks, like heart attacks, are frequently overlooked in favor of less frequent events.

Dramatic anecdotes often replace empirical data in discussing social issues.
This method fosters fear by highlighting rare incidents instead of presenting the broader context.

Problems are framed as the result of individual actions rather than systemic issues.
Focus shifts to attributing blame to "bad" individuals rather than examining wider societal conditions.

Democratization of Risk

Social problems portrayed as equally affecting everyone, creating a false sense of randomness.
This perspective can lead to irrational fears and distract from addressing root causes.

Press Conference on Crack

A notable example of misleading risk communication, projecting that drug issues can happen anywhere to anyone.
This messaging fosters a panic about drug problems rather than focusing on preventive measures.

Law and Crime

Suggests that the reduction of laws could result in lower crime rates.
Crimes that disrupt social order are often punished more severely than those that do not.

Becoming a Marijuana User

Social settings significantly influence drug experiences; enjoyment is more common in social environments.

Refers to labeling individuals based on generalizations, such as associating certain behaviors with specific groups.
Mental Coloring: The cognitive filter that influences perceptions and judgments about others based on stereotypes.

Deviant Identity Rules

One-time behaviors (e.g., smoking a cigarette) do not typically classify someone as a smoker unless repeated.
A single act of violence (e.g., murder) permanently alters perception, branding the individual with a deviant identity.

Mental Coloring Example from Do the Right Thing

The portrayal of African Americans in low-income neighborhoods can fuel stereotypes of irresponsibility and deviance.

Conflicts in Do the Right Thing

Notable tensions arise from cultural representation, such as the absence of African American art in an Italian pizzeria.

Milgram's Experiment Insights

Participants exhibited extreme obedience due to factors such as distance from the victim and the gradual increase of demands.
The psychology of power dynamics and responsibility plays a critical role in human behavior.

Modernity and the Holocaust

Modern societal structures can facilitate inhumane actions even among "good" people due to social detachment and a thirst for authority.
Awareness of the past does not completely eliminate the risk of repeating history with modern mechanisms.

Lifestylers: Commit to identities throughout their lives.
Commuters: Adjust identities based on context but lack long-term commitment.
Integrators: Embrace commitments while integrating them into daily life.

Impression Management

A process, both conscious and unconscious, where individuals influence others' perceptions of them.
In contexts like the Girlhunt, men seek to enhance masculinity by impressing peers through social interactions.

The Girlhunt

A social gathering where heterosexual bonding occurs with underlying homoerotic dynamics, driving competition among men for female interest.

Density Dispute

Refers to the intensity with which an identity is expressed, with critiques of others' identity engagement based on observed behavior.

Duration Dispute

Concerns the length of time a person identifies with a particular group or lifestyle, categorizing them as part-timers based on their engagement levels.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts in sociology, specifically manifest and latent functions. It also examines the marketing strategies of SUVs, providing examples from lectures and readings. Use these flashcards to test your understanding of these essential sociological ideas.