SOC 270 Notes PDF

SOC 270 notes Lecture 2 What do sociologists do… We explore social issues ○​ Relationships between social structures and individuals. ○​ Make observations. ○​ Have an idea about what is going on (theoretical perspective). ○​ Then create and/or use e...

SOC 270 notes Lecture 2 What do sociologists do… We explore social issues ○​ Relationships between social structures and individuals. ○​ Make observations. ○​ Have an idea about what is going on (theoretical perspective). ○​ Then create and/or use existing data. Methods of data collection and analysis. ​ Statistical analysis of these data (quantitative): ○​ Survey- form with questions ○​ Experiments- manipulate variables. ○​ Automated data - official data or records. ○​ Transform into numerical data. ​ Coding analysis of these data (qualitative): ○​ Participant observation/ ethnography. ○​ Interviews & focus groups. ○​ Field notes and transcripts. ○​ (can also sometimes quantify). Sociology: Study of groups, institutions, processes, societies. Social structures (vs. physical structures) patterns What is a social problem? ​ A condition or pattern behavior that: ○​ Contradicts some other condition and is defined as incompatible with the desired quality of life. ○​ Is caused, facilitated, or prolonged by factors that operate at multiple levels of social life. ○​ Involves inter-groups conflict. ○​ Requires social action to be resolved. Theory ​ A lens of perspective to think about or understand a problem. ​ An approach or idea that has broad assumptions about how society works (think democrat and republican) ​ Has a preferred or implied direction for seeking both the causes and corrections of the social problem. Theories for our course. ​ Social construction (SC) ​ Structural ​ Conflict ​ Symbolic interaction (SI) ​ Critical race theory. Social construction ​ Social problems are socially constructed. ​ Social problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change. ​ In terms of the particular acts and interactions problem participants pursue. ​ And in terms of the process of such activities through time. ​ Helps us understand why/how some social problems are emphasized over others. Questions/assumptions. ​ How do particular conditions and issues come to be widely accepted as problematic? ​ No universal conditions or issue is inherently bad. ○​ Rather conditions are labeled as bad by people in a given society. Examples of issues with varying attention as a social problem. ​ Domestic violence ​ School shootings. ​ Abortions ​ Police exercise use of force. ​ Racism. ​ Climate change. ​ Immigration. ​ Gun access. ​ Marriage equality. ​ Monkeypox. ​ COVID. ​ Terrorism. ​ Domestic terrorism. How we study an issue from this perspective. ​ Sociologists will examine: ○​ What are the causes of this issue? ○​ What are the effects (outcomes) of the issues? ○​ What are the characteristics of the issue? Important terms…. ​ Claims ○​ About the social problem ○​ Assertion about the positive or negative aspects of a situation, condition or attribute. ​ Claim makers ○​ Those who seek to impose a particular definition of reality. ○​ S.C analyze the claims-making process. ○​ How are people arguing the issues or isn’t a problem? ○​ The process of trying to convince the public and public officials that an issie should be viewed as a social problem. Modes of investigation. ​ Types of claims and counterclaims? ​ How do claims-makers organize? ​ Document how particular claims gain authority  ​ Examine how social problems become formalized. Social construction of reality. ​ Social problems get defined, addressed, or ignored as a result of socially interpreted realities. ○​ What are social problems we have ignored? ​ Important to keep perspective. ​ Different from theories. ​ Unlike other theories, it does not provide answers or solutions. ○​ More so social problems are viewed as subjective. Structural functionalism. ​ A theoretical perspective that focuses on social systems, ​ How different parts of a society maintain order. ○​ Structural components. ○​ Cultural components. ​ Views problems as involving a system of interdependent parts. ​ Parts interrelated and exert pressure to maintain the system. What are the different parts of society? ​ Norms ​ Values ​ Role ​ Institutions. Norms ​ Shared expectations about behavior. Roles or status positions. ​ Behavior associated with particular positions in the t=social structure. Institutions ​ A grouping with a collective means of dealing with basic social functions. Values ​ Things preferred because they are defined as worth having. Traditional American values. ​ Meritocracy ​ Individualism. ​ Hard work. ​ Self-determination. Modes of inquiry. How might a problem contribute to a society? ​ Does it exist for a reason? ​ Might it contribute to the well being of society as a whole? ​ How might a problem be sustained by structures within a society? Herbert spencer ​ Society as an integrated system. ​ Think of it as a biological organism. ​ Dynamic equilibrium - keeps systems in balance and all members profit. ​ Competition - leads to slow evolutionary improvement not just physical intellectual  ​ Social order is product of human rationality ​ Rationally = expressed in the form of a system. ​ Reason drives evolution and improvement. Emile durkheim ​ Durkheim felt spencers oversimplifies the functionality of society. ​ If rationality were the basis of society it would let to competition unlimited by feelings of relationships or common bond. ​ Solidarity - common sentiment. Precontact of solidarity are necessary to permit humans to trust each other to enter contracts to expect they will be upheld. ​ Collective consciousness - belief and feeling held in common as a basis used to maintain social order. Robert merton ​ Strain theory - theory of differential access. ○​ Stain theory values of achievement ○​ Approved route ○​ No access. ○​ Illegitimate means ○​ crime= socialization of success + no path. Outcomes of social change ​ Manifest function ○​ Intended purpose of social change. ​ Latent function ○​ Unexpected consequences of social change. Lecture 3 Theoretical perspectives. What are components of a social problem? ​ Contradicts, caused/ facilitated, conflicts, social action. The theoretical perspectives: Social construction ​ Problems are constructed, viewed differently, claims and claims makers. Structural functional approach. ​ structural and cultural components, interrelated parts. ○​ Norms, roles, institutions, and values. ​ Spencer- biological organism, equilibrium, ralionality. ​ Durkgeim- solidarity, trust. ​ Merton- strain theory ○​ Values -> approved route- blocked- illegitimate means- crime. ○​ Socialization of success, but no path. Conflict theory. ​ View: society does not work for everyone. ​ Instead - there are contradictory interests. Inequalities between social groups and resulting conflict and change. ○​ Assumptions ○​ Critique  ○​ karl marx ○​ Stratification system ○​ Ways to analyze. Conflict theory assumptions ​ Humans are rational beings acting to maximize their self-interest. ​ The resources humans seek are limited. ​ The pursuit of scarce resources by rational self-interest actores will necessarily lead to conflict. Stratification. ​ The differentiation of a given population into hierarchically superposed classes. It is manifested in the existence and very essence consists in an unequal distribution of rights and privileges, duties and responsibilities, social values and privations (essentials), social power and influence among the members of society. Social stratification defined ​ Hierarchical - layers, organized by levels of importance and power. ​ Superposed classes 0 places on or above something else. ​ unequal distribution of: ○​ Rights ○​ Privileges ○​ Duties ○​ Responsibilities ○​ Social values ○​ Priviations ○​ Social power ○​ Influence. Research questions conflict theorists ask: ​ Who is suffering from the problem? Who is being hurt or deprived? ○​ What characteristics of the group suffering? ○​ Where does the power lie or social status that allows the problem to exist? ​ Could some group be profiting from the existence of the problem? ○​ EX: Is someone making money from the existence of the problem? ○​ Or does a group get privilege while other suffer? ​ If the social problem were addressed, does one group get privilege over the other (in reality or in theory)? Sociological imagination ​ Term coined by C. wright mills in 1959. ​ Describes the type of insight offered by sociology ​ The awareness and connection between our individual experiences and the broader society, context, and world we are situated, ​ Argued that history is an important element to the sociological imagination. ​ We can see patterns. ​ Milles argued we could use this critical perspective and related finding to fight social injustice. Conflict perspective ​ Theoretical lens that focuses on the social structures of power and privilege in societies. ○​ Central fact of society - some people have more power and privilege than others. ​ Unequal distribution of resources. ○​ Those with more want to maintain what they have. ○​ Those with less want to equalize or reverse the structural inequality. ​ From this perspective, until unequal social structure changes, social problems such as crime, poverty, pollution, health care, and economic exploitation cannot be eradicated. Conflict theory ​ Views history from this perspective: ○​ Pre-industrial times - 5 important occupations. ○​ Serf, landowner, craftsman, soldier, priest. ○​ Industrialization - scientific and social inventions and political revolution developed into numerous occupations. ○​ Each subgroup had its own economic interest. ○​ More specialized, more disagreements. ​ Social problems - when one feels its values or expectations are being violated. The ways those innpower maintain their control. ​ Social institutions ​ Decision - making process ​ Access to resources ​ Media ​ Legislature ​ Courts ​ Economy. Argues other theories deflect attention…. Instead conflict theorists argue: ​ The system itself is responsible for problems. ​ False values - not consensus, not all can legally obtain. ​ Alienation- many feel isolated or as if they have failed to be a product of defective social structure. ​ Need a new society- change the faulty structure of the system. Karl marx. ​ Marxism- social political and economic philosophy. ○​ Way to understand view and study societies. ​ Capitalism ○​ Mode of production where business owners own all the means of production. ○​ Workers are hired for ways and have no claim to the means of production. ○​ Wages paid to workers are lower than their actual wages. ○​ Profits are the surplus labor. ○​ Creates class struggle between capitalists and laborers. What is the difference between…. ​ Capitalism- economic and political system- private individuals and enterprises oven the means of production and democratic political systems.  ​ Socialism- theorists developed ideas prior to the notion of communism- public ownership of the means of production, but the people can still own property. Takes place within existing social and political structures (democratic ​ Communism- both socialism and communism oppose capitalism argues for a classless system in which all property and wealth are communally owned. Typically authoritarian. No state describes itself as. Marxism prediction: ​ Marx predicted that the capitalistic system would eventually destroy itself. Critiques of conflict theory ​ Consensus theory- critiques by arguing that human being are likely to cooperate and share scarce resources justly. ​ Stability of social institutions- ignores ways in which some social institutions may be providing key functions in societies. ​ Agency- does not give people structure and system. Symbolic interactionist perspective. ​ Views socitey as the product of individuals interacting with one another. ​ Focus: how people perceive and define events that influence their lives. ​ Society - not one overarching power structure - but is millions of separate interpretations made by individuals. ○​ Ongoing process of negotiating ○​ Similar to social construction ○​ But not claims and claim makers. ○​ Instead individual’s perceptions and meaning. Social life is created through interactions ​ Focus: ○​ How people learn attitudes and behavior. ○​ How people may or may not define situations as problems ○​ People’s meanings and perceptions. Research questions ​ How do people become involved in problematic behavior? ​ How do people come to define issues as social problems in the first place? ​ How do people perceive and define the events and influence their lives? My research on re-entry ​ Interviews with people recently released or on work release with the criminal legal system. ​ Examined their perceptions of ability to find employment. ​ Many perceived stigmatization from potential employers. ​ As a result, many said they would not try to work. Implications of research ​ Process questions- how do people discuss the desistance process? ​ Theoretical implications - past versus future self ​ Policy implications - what they need- social and structural support. Herbert mead ​ Meaning emerge through interaction.  ​ Close observational work. ​ Understand underlying forms of human interaction. Key focus/assumptions ​ Human beings are distinctly symbolic manipulating p ​ Process and emergence ​ The social world as interactive ​ Underlying patterns or forms of social life. Critiques of symbolic interactionist theory ​ Ignores social structure ○​ What a conflict theorist would say ○​ People are stuck within a limited structural set of opportunities/institutions ​ Ignores power ○​ Many people can’t change or challenge the framing of their circumstances. ​ Ignores history ○​ Not just interactions but history set cultural ways of doing things ○​ Strong force. Lecture 4 Poverty and inequality. How do we define poverty? ​ A state in which income is insufficient to provide basic necessities: ○​ Food ○​ Shelter ○​ Medical care ○​ Clothing Poverty measured by income ​ Extreme or absolute poverty ○​ lack of income necessary to satisfy basic food needs. ​ Relative poverty. ○​ Lack of income necessary to satisfy essential non-food needs. ​ Human poverty ○​ Lack of basic human capabilities. Who and what is not included in U.S poverty measurements? ​ Included ○​ Those actively seeking employment receiving unemployment benefits. ​ Not included: ○​ Those not in the job market. ○​ Those in institutions ○​ Criminal legal ○​ Military. Supplemental poverty measure ​ The census bureau introduced it in 2010. ​ Provides alternative views of poverty. ​ Better reflects life in the 21 century including. ○​ Contemporary social  ○​ Economic realities ○​ Government policy. ​ Does not replace the official poverty measure. Basic numbers. ​ World pop.- 7.75 billion ​ United states - 330 million people ​ World poverty- 648 million people ​ U.S poverty- 37.2 million people Types of poverty. ​ International poverty line IPL. ○​ IPL of $1.90 which is going to be used until fall 2022. ○​ Derived as the mean of the national poverty lines of 15 poor countries. ○​ This means that anyone living on less than $1.90 a day is considered to be living in extreme poverty. ○​ About 648 million people globally were in this situation in 2029. (increased since pandemic). How would we measure human poverty? ​ Lack of basic human capabilities measured by: ○​ Literacy ○​ Malnutrition. ○​ Shorten life span ○​ Poor maternal health ○​ Illness from preventable diseases. Measurements of human poverty. ​ These are also indicators of a geographic location or state level of infrastructure: ○​ Energy ○​ Education ○​ Communication ○​ Drinking water ○​ Economy Multidimensional poverty index (MPI) ​ International measure of acute multidimensional poverty. ○​ 109 countries in developing regions ○​ Home to 5.9 billion people 75% world pop. ○​ Of these people 1.3b (21.7% are identified as multidimensional poor). ○​ Index designed to measure acute poverty ○​ Complements measure re: monetary by adding acute deprivation in ○​ Health ○​ Education ○​ Living standards. ​ 3 dimensions made up of 10 indicators ​ Range is 0-1 scale. Key findings across 109 countries 5.9 billion people  ​ 1.3 billion people are multidimensionally poor ​ More than 67% live in middle-income countries ​ 644 million are children under 18 ​ 556 million live in sub-saharan africa or south asia. Ways U.S govt. Measures poverty ​ Poverty threshold/status ○​ Statistical purposes ○​ Census data ○​ Determines nation average ​ Poverty guidelines ○​ Determines benefits ○​ dept health and human services. Summary of ways to measure poverty ​ International poverty line ○​ $1.90 per day ​ Human poverty ○​ Human capabilities (literacy, infant mortality, life expectancy) ​ Multidimensional poverty ○​ Health, education, standard of living ○​ U.S poverty threshold ​ Determines national average ○​ U.S poverty guidelines ​ Determines benefits. ​ Supplemental poverty measure ○​ Calculates benefits expenses, geographic location. There many ways to examine poverty ​ Across the U.S as a whole by different characteristics of the population. ○​ Age ○​ Sex ○​ Race ○​ Ethnicity ○​ Geographic location ○​ Intersectionality Data challenges and limitations to measuring ​ Persistent poverty ○​ Continual ​ Episodic poverty ○​ In and out ​ Self reports ○​ Of income, debts ​ External measurements ○​ Capturing everything that matters? We can look at numbers by many different ways ​ Among adults, poverty was higher among women  ​ The poverty rate for those over age 18 was about 3% points higher among women than men. Race and ethnicity and poverty ​ african americans had the highest rate of poverty among the largest four groups ​ However, many tables do not include native americans or pacific islanders. Sidebar race and ethnicity in U.S ​ Office of management and budget six racial categories ○​ American indian or alaska native ○​ Asian - asian indian, chinese filipino, japanese, korean, vietnamese, and other asian. ○​ Black- african american, african immigrant. ○​ Native hawaiian- guamanian or chamorro, samoan and other pacific islander. Measuring ethnicity in U.S ​ Since 1970 census asks hispanic origin ○​ Hispanic origin considered separately from race ​ The U.S office of management and budget (OMB) requires federal agencies to use minimum of two ethnicities in collecting and reporting data: ​ Hispanic or latina and not hispanic or latino. ​ OMB defines latino as a person of cuban, mexican etc… What’s the difference? ​ Urban ○​ A city or town densely developed territories, residential, commercial, and non-residential land use ​ Suburb ○​ People live just outside of a city or town ​ Rural ○​ Lots of nature and open spaces, fewer people and buildings than urban or suburban areas. Scott allard, UW professor evans school of public policy ​ Poverty is consuming more suburban counties than ever, beating out rural and urban areas. ​ Poverty is growing three times faster than population size in suburban communities across the country. ​ Suburbanization of poverty ○​ Increases in numbers of people who live in suburban areas. Allard: why place and geography matter ​ Racial segregation and discrimination in housing proximity or isolation from opportunity. ○​ Jobs ○​ quality , affordable housing ○​ Schools, social service, and health care providers ○​ Retailers and barking ​ Exposure to harm, threats or stress. ○​ Crime and violence ○​ Environmental public health  ​ Mobility and accessibility ○​ Travel time, transit options and walkability ○​ Class mobility Why this matters ​ Arguments need to understand the complex interactions between poverty, work health, and safety net programs. What is intersectionality? ​ Intersectionality is the lens through which you can see where power comes and collides. Where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here and a class or LGBTQ problem there. ​ Many times that framework erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things. The highest rates of poverty are experienced by american indian or alaska native women, black women, and latinas. About 1 in 4 AIAN women live in poverty, the highest rate of poverty among women or men of any racial or ethnic group. Why wouldn’t the U.S govt. Measure the right/ accurate rate of poverty? ​ To make ourselves look better within society and keep the great image up. Lecture 5 Inequality for all ​ Robert reich ​ Former labor secretary, clinton admin ​ Professor at harvard and now UC berkeley Distribution of wealth. Why does the system work as it does? Is it a problem? Nick hanauer Myth of job creator more about middle class ​ Govt. sets the rules by which the market functions ​ Decides who benefits and who does not ​ Late 1970s: ○​ Deregulation, industrialization, change in labor unions globalization, rise in technology. The virtuous cycle ​ 1947-1977- focus on education and higher education ​ Wages increase- people buy more- companies hire- taxes generated- government invests- more access to education- widen prosperity. ​ Instead ○​ We saw: women go to work, people work longer hours and take an addition jobs, borrowing/debt ○​ Related to housing ○​ Led to: flattening of wages. Social problem: house-less  ​ People who lack stable, identifiable residences could be short-term, episodic, or long-term Cynthia bogard claim makers and context.. ​ 1970s and 1980s how became “new” national social problem ○​ Examined claims making activities-specific material and symbolic contexts matter and shape movement ○​ Look at the construction of the concepts of homelessness and the frames. ○​ Different ways advocates framed ○​ The environmental context (power and bureaucratic relationships- political opportunities) ​ Data: print media, televised media and scholarly publications. Lecture 6 Midterm review Symbolic (cultural) ​ Light (rotating credit assoc) ​ Lewis (culture of poverty) ​ Individual problem Structural functionalist perspective ​ Gans (how poverty might be functional) ​ Wilson (deindustrialization, skills mismatch) Conflict ​ Massey and denton (hyper-segregation), oliver and shapiro (wealth accumulation) ​ Focus on the role of race and racism in creation and persistence of social problems. Sccheneider - SP theory Economic decline Allard Race, ethnicity and boar market Wilson framing race and poverty Bogard claims makers and homelessness WCPC credit and debt An end to class v. race (banks) Quiz section midterm review West coast poverty- recession impacted low income households- ​ lost median income. Low income people have more debt. Difference between manifest function and latent function- ​ manifest is intended, latent is unindented. ○​ Under structural functionalism. What is deindustrialization? ​ Pushing labor to foreign countries to get more profit. This takes jobs from original country. ○​ Wilson focuses on this. What is the reason people are poor according to oscar lewis?  ​ Culture’s at fault for people being poor. 3 key dimensions of multidimensional poverty index? ​ Health ​ Education ​ Standard of living Define strain theory ​ Structural functionalism theory ​ When some group of people aren't able to participate in society they may turn to crime. Who viewed society as an integrated system with different institutions working together much like parts of a biological organism? ​ Spencer What are some examples of fringe or informal credit markets? ​ High interest rates. ​ Not having a checking account, so you have to pay to deposit a check. Difference between Oscar culture of poverty, and Wilson social isolation poverty? ​ Wilson focuses on part of the problem being cultural, but his argument is it starts from deindustrialization. ​ Oscar said poor people weren't thinking of the larger picture so it led them into poverty. Who are the real job makers in a capitalistic economy? ​ Middle class because they are consuming. 3 causes of homelessness ​ Deindustrialization ​ Deinstitutionalization ​ Decline in housing Karl marx ​ Conflictist Symbolic interactionism ​ Ignores history ​ Ignores structure 4 social problem Lecture 7 Intro to criminal legal system Different angles to studying CLS ​ What is the hanging (or similar) nature of social control as an institution? ​ Case processing- who is being processed and punished? ​ Stratification implications- what are consequences of CLS entanglement? ​ What and when is something labeled as a pressing social problem and why are other aspects not? History juvenile legal system ​ Created in 1899- cook county illinois ○​ WA created in 1913 ​ Eliminate stigmatization  ​ Idea could rehabilitate young people (VS adults) ​ Youth more malleable than adults ○​ Child saving movement ​ Different terms, processes than adult Key terms ​ Stigmatization ​ Incorrigible ​ Status offender ​ Delinquent ​ Petition ​ Waiver ​ Adjudication ​ Disposition The system ​ Institution ○​ Aim at punishing and deterring crime (juvenile - rehabilitation) ​ Key decision makers ○​ Judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, probation, intake officers, clerks, bailiffs. ​ Process ○​ Arrest, prosecution, adjudication (trial) sentencing, review hearings. Sentencing options ​ Community supervision ​ Community service ​ Drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment ​ Electronic home monitoring ​ Jail or prison ​ Fines and fees. OJJDP- office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention ​ RRI- relative rate index- measure of rate of racial disparity between white youth and youth of color. ​ Black youth are detained at rates 1.4 times of white counterparts. ○​ For black youth 25 out of 100 cases referred were detained. ○​ For white youth 19 out of 100 cases. ​ Similar for youth placed out of home. ○​ Black youth were placed at home 1.2 times that of white counterparts. ○​ 30 of 100 cases referred to juvenile courts were detained. ○​ 25 out of 100 cases involving white youth were detained. Summary ​ Clear trends over the past 40 years in homicides committed by juveniles ○​ Juvenile homicides peak late 1980s/early 1990s ○​ This peak mostly involves firearms ○​ Much of these murders occurred in major U.S cities. ○​ Washignton state follows the trend ​ Clear patterns in offended during the school day- crimes of opportunity  ​ Large racial differences in arrested convicted and punished ○​ OJJDP ○​ Disproportionate minority confinement ○​ RRI- relative rate index. Howie becker Labeling theory ​ Studied the marijuana process. ​ How one takes on the new identity also thinks of it in terms of how people become labeled by society/institutions/Etc. ​ Individuals who stigmatize with the label of deviant, criminal or delinquent are likely to take on a deviant self-identity and become more deviant than if they had not been so labeled. Social disorganization theory Shaw Mckay (1972) ​ Social disorganization of communities ​ Social problems not due to deficiency people ​ Social problems because of social disorganization. ​ Social change overwhelmed society ​ A social system is described as socially disorganized if social interaction is disordered, lacks social cohesion or if there is a breakdown in social control. Shaw and Mckay 4 assumptions as explanations of delinquency ​ Collapse of community based controls and people in disadvantaged neighborhoods are responding naturally to environmental conditions’ ​ Rapid groeth of immigration in urban disadvantaged neighborhoods ​ Businesses located closely to the disadvantaged neighborhoods are influenced by the ecological approach of competition and dominance. ​ Disadvantaged urban neighborhoods leads to the development of criminal values that replace normal society values Lecture 8 Mass incarceration ​ Mass incarceration: the dramatic increase in the number of people who were arrested, convicted and incarcerated since early 19702 in the U.S. ​ Federal law- created at national level (congress), applies to the entire nation and U.S territories. U.S constitution is the basis of the federal law. ○​ Federal crimes- offenses that violate U.S federal criminal laws (across state line. U.S federal property or indigenous territories) ​ State law- created at each U.S state level and is applicable in that specific state. Applies to residents and visitors of that state. ○​ When state law is in conflict with federal law, the federal law prevails. No state can abolish or reduce the rights offered by the U.S constitution. ​ Common federal offenses ○​ Tax evasion ○​ Counterfeiting ○​ Money laundering  ○​ Murder ○​ Immigration-ralted offenses ○​ Felon in possession of firearm ○​ Drug possession ○​ Drug crimes involving the intent to distribute ○​ Treason ○​ Child pornography. ​ Mass incarceration ○​ 2 million people in nation’s prisons and jails. 500% increase over last 40 years ○​ Change in sentencing law and policy. No changes in crime rates explain this increase. ○​ Trense have resulted in prison crowding and fiscal burdens on states to accommodate the rapidly expanding penal system. ○​ Increasing evidence that large scale incarceration is not an effective means of achieving public safety. ​ U.S correctional population ○​ 2020- 5,500,600 persons were under the supervision of the adult correctional system in the U.S. ○​ The decline in the correctional population in 2020 was due to decrease in both the community supervision population and the incarceration population. ○​ 1 in 47 adult U.S residents were under some form of correctional supervision at the end of 2020. ○​ 4 in 10 were incarcerated in a state or federal correctional facility. ​ Many ways we can examine the date. ○​ Geographic comparisons: within the U.S worldwide. ○​ Stages of discretion: arrest, offense type, sentencing ○​ Characteristics of population: race, ethnicity, gender ○​ Consequences are collateral and purposeful. ​ Family, community, employment, education, recidivism, legal. ​ Financial. ​ U.S has the highest incarceration rate in the world. ○​ Every single U.S state incarcerates more people per capita than virtually any independent democracy on earth. ○​ 70 percent of all convictions result in confinement. ○​ The incarceration rate is not related to the violent crime rate. ​ Arrests X offense type ○​ More than 15 million people will be arrested in 2019 for drug offenses. ○​ About 9 in 10 were for possession, the rest for sale or manufacturing. ​ Ways to measure inequalities ○​ Rates- per population ○​ Ratios- comparison ○​ Disproportionality - over-representation ○​ Disparity - disproportionality caused by differential treatment processes. ​ Disproportionality ○​ The over-representation of a particular group relative to the numbers of that group in the general population. ​ Disparity ○​ Racial or ethnic inequality that result from criminal justice practices or policies. ○​ Differential treatment of one group compared to another intentional or unintentional. ​ Potential reasons for disparities ○​ Differential crime commission rates hard to measure= actual crime vs who is prosecuted, convicted sentenced. ○​ Structural racism - race neutral practices and policies that have racially disparate consequences. ○​ Bias ​ explicit/conscious ​ implicit / unconscious. ​ Collateral consequences ○​ Social and legal outcomes people, families and communities face post contact with the criminal legal system. ​ Families- incarceration have children psychological problems and antisocial behavior, school, suspension, and expulsions. ​ Health- higher rates depression, heart-related, ​ Civil incorporation- disenfranchisement ​ Employment and earnings. ​ Chirs uggen and jeff manza ○​ In many states 1 out of every 4 black men cannot vote to do disenfranchisement tend to take votes from Ds. ○​ Affected US senate election results ​ Ds could have controlled the senate during the controlled senate 1990s. ○​ One republican presidential victory ​ 2000 gore v bush ​ Gore would have carried florida. ​ Purported causes. ○​ Crime rates ○​ Drug markets, ganges ○​ Expansion of drug laws. ○​ Change in other laws ○​ poverty , unemployment. ​ National reforms in midst of mass incarceration ○​ Three strikes ○​ Mandatory minimums ○​ Sentences enhancement (ex: gang, sex offense, weapon) ​ Timeline to 3 strikes ○​ Polly k;aas missing in 1993 ○​ CA legislation passed three strikes 1994  ○​ Richard allen davis convicted of first degree murder june 1996 ○​ Sentenced to death 1996 ○​ Was living on death row ○​ 2019 Gov CA placed a moratorium on the death penalty. Lecture 9 U.S criminal legal system, poverty and monetary sanctions. Racism in the U.S. Legal Govt. Context ​ Discussion about mass conviction and incarceration ​ Students referenced racism in 1950s-70’s of U.S. Government to target Black leaders ​ I referenced COINTELPRO and then we talked about senior White House officials being caught on tape saying they purposefully had targeted Black leaders Monetary sanctions ​ Restitution- make victim whole ​ Fines- punishment ​ Fee- CI user fees ​ Surcharges - CI and unrelated charges ​ Interest- additional non-payment fees ​ Costs - payment related charges. ○​ In just 14 states 27.6 billion is owed. Example of LFO sentences. Washington State ​ Previously had a Mandatory minimum $500 per felony conviction, $250 for misdemeanor, $100 DNA charge Costs of Incarceration and Supervision ​ Marion Co, FL $50 per day jail/prison ​ Other States “reasonable cost of imprisonment” ​ (“Pay to stay” in CA) Cost of Appointed Public Defender ​ Application fees for eligibility determination: LA $40, WA $10-$25 ​ Costs for attorney: AR $10-100, WA $350-$950, IL caps at $5,000 ​ Also can be charged cost of prosecution: Ohio mandates Interest and Collection Fees ​ FL 4.75%, GA 7%, WA 12% (restitution) + $100 annual collection fee, IL 15% + 30% ​ collection fee, AZ $35 fee and 19% collection fee for delinquent LFOs Purposeful Sentence w/ Purposeful Consequences Until paid one cannot: ​ Defer prosecutions ​ Carry weapons ​ Serve on juries ​ Seal records ​ Receive clemency or pardons ​ Vote (variable by state) ​ Hold public office ​ End court supervision The Problem: Monetary Sanctions ​ Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs)  ​ Costs associated with justice system contact ​ An involuntary system ○​ People are required to pay for services and sentences ​ Purposeful Consequence –legislature decision ​ Court supervision and control extend until people pay in full ​ Certain rights limited until paid ​ Creates a two-tiered system of justice. Research on monetary sanctions County-level Variation in Implementation ​ Range in sentence amounts ​ Differences in monitoring of legal debtors ​ Differences in assessment of who is a “willful” non- payer ​ Variation in sanctioning Lecture 10 Summary of juvenile and criminal legal system ​ The film 13th ○​ Theory: critical race theory. ​ Peak of violent crime from young people late 80s and early 90s. ​ Symbolic approach howie baker talks about labeling theory. ○​ Labeling has a negative effect on us. ​ Social disorganization: ​ Collective efficacy: communities working together. ○​ If neighbors watch and keep an eye out then there are low rates of crime. ○​ Critics missing how concepts are measured. ​ U.S has the highest incarceration rate. ○​ 5.5 million people under supervision ○​ 2 million in prisons and jails 500% increase in the last 40 years. ​ Collateral consequences: social and legal outcomes people and families face post contact with the Criminal justice system. ​ LFO are intentional. ​ Alex the muppet represents children with incarcerated parents. ​ Monetary sanctions: fines, fee, surcharges, interests, restitution, costs ○​ Problem with monetary sanctions ○​ LFOs, ○​ Costs associated with justice system contact ○​ An involuntary system ○​ Purposeful consequence ○​ Certain rights limited until paid ○​ Created a two-tiered system of justice. Finding on monetary sanctions/LFOs. ​ Financial Constraint – particularly with interest the costs ​ increase ​ Cumulative disadvantage - accessing food, housing, employment, ​ medication, and avoidance of police and other institutions ​ Family Stress – strain on relationships, difficult choices for ​ children ​ Emotional Strain – frustration, anger, anxiety, disappointment ​ Wealth extraction – at individual, family and community level, ​ and lack of political voice “Critical race theory aims to Centralize race, racism, and intersectionality with other forms of subordination; center experiential knowledge and transdisciplinary perspectives; and to challenge dominant public and academic ideologies while committing to social justice” - daniel solorzano UCLA. Theoretical framing of LFO conflict- critical race theory. ​ Contemporary iteration of social control and power. ​ Relationship between criminal legal system with capitalism ​ Reproduction of inequality and social isolation. Summary Mass conviction and incarceration ​ 500% increase since 1974, Racial disproportionality, exceptional comparatively Perspectives applied: Social constructionist ​ Think of policy and legal changes ​ Mass Media event - Polly Klass – legislation lead to expansion Structural Functionalist ​ Manifest = public safety, incarceration ​ Latent = political disenfranchisement (Uggen and Manza), collateral consequences (legal, social, Alex) Conflict ​ Harris – monetary sanctions/LFOs, An intended/purposeful consequence, Critical Race Theory (CRT) (Solerzano, Crenshaw) ​ Kohler-Hausmann - Misdemeanor Justice – social control through misdemeanor (lower) courts. ​ Sampson & Laub - Minority Threat with juvenile justice consequences Symbolic Interaction Perspective ​ Devah Pager – The Mark of a Criminal Record ​ Elijah Anderson – Code of the Street ​ Howie Becker – Labeling Theory (mentally messes you up when you are constantly labeled as something. Lecture 12 Health disparities as a social problem and HIV-AIDS intro. Determinants of health ​ Think of health as biological but also should think of it from a sociological perspective ​ Recent research (from sociological to medical) asks us to think about the Social Determinants of Health. Which are defined as access to: ​ Health Care ​ Education ​ Economic Stability ​ Social and Community context ​ Neighborhood and Built Environment ​ Asks us to think about the social nature of both contracting diseases, experiencing poor health, and access to medical treatment  ​ We Can think about the interconnection of the issues we have been talking about this quarter: Poverty, Inequality, Criminal legal system, Health. U.S health disparities. ​ Class disparities ​ Lower income residents report fewer average healthy days. ​ Air pollution-related disparities associated with fine particulates and ozone are often determined by geographical location. Inequality and health connection Gini Coefficient ​ Measure extent to which the distribution of income or consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy (society) deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. ​ The Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality. Introduction to HIV/AIDS section. AIDS as a social problem. ​ Interesting problem from a sociological perspective – why? ​ Explore AIDS in terms of how morality is associated with the disease ○​ Images & attitudes ​ Investigate stigma ​ Study related issues (poverty, racial/ethnic inequality, drug usage, stigmatized groups etc.) What is AIDS and HIV? Pop up quiz 1.​ What are the ways that HIV can be transmitted? 2.​ What is the best way to decrease your likelihood of getting HIV? 3.​ How many people in the world are infected with HIV/AIDS? 4.​ There is one stupid answer to a question – what is the question? What is the answer? What does AIDS mean? AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ​ Acquired ​ Immune Deficiency ​ Syndrome ​ AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Transmission of AIDS. 1.​ Penetrative sex 2.​ Blood transfusion 3.​ Sharing of contaminated needles 4.​ Between mother and infant. Mother to child transmission vertical transmission. ​ Can occur through: ○​ in the womb or during childbirth, or ○​ postnatally, through breastfeeding ​ Risk ○​ If not breastfeeding: 15-30% ○​ If breastfeeding: 30-45% Decreases likelihood of contraction ​ Abstinence ​ “Safer-sex” ​ Don’t share needles ​ Drugs during child-delivery ​ HIV PrEP Medication for high risk History of AIDS. ​ First case in U.S. 1981 ​ HIV is a descendant of Simian (monkey) Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) ​ Monkey→Chimpanzees ​ HIV could have crossed over from chimpanzees as a result of a ​ human killing a chimp and eating it for food Three of the earliest known instances of HIV infection are as follows: 1.​ A plasma sample taken in 1959 from an adult male living in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo 2.​ In U.S. - HIV found in tissue samples from an American teenager who died in St. Louis in 1969 3.​ HIV found in tissue samples from a Norwegian sailor who died around 1976 ​ Why is it associated and prevalent among gay men? ○​ Majority of initial cases occurred among men who had intercourse with men (MSM) ○​ Failure to use protection (didn’t know it was needed) ​ Why change to straight couples? ○​ Saturation of high-risk communities w/ AIDS ○​ Behavioral change in gay community Terms HIV Incidence (new infections): ​ The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year. HIV Diagnoses (new diagnoses, regardless of when infection occurred or stage of disease at diagnosis) ​ In 2013, an estimated 47,352 people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States. ​ 2013 an estimated 26,688 people were diagnosed with AIDS. ​ Overall, an estimated 1,194,039 people in the United States have been diagnosed with AIDS  ​ 39.9 Million people infected in the World Deaths: ​ An estimated 13,712 people with an AIDS diagnosis died in 2012 ​ Approximately 658,507 people in the United States with an AIDS diagnosis have died overall. ​ The deaths of persons with an AIDS diagnosis can be due to any cause—that is, the death may or may not be related to AIDS. 2023 global HIV stats. ​ Living with HIV globally ○​ 39.9M ​ Don’t know their status ○​ Apx 5.4 M ​ Number of Children ○​ 1.4 million ​ US population size ○​ 334.9M ​ US rate ○​ 1.1 million ○​ U.S. People infected with HIV. Median HIV prevalence among the adult population (ages 15–49) was 0.8% globally. However, because of marginalization, discrimination and in some cases criminalization, median prevalence was higher among certain groups of people. ​ 2.3% higher among young women and girls aged between 15 and 24 in eastern and southern Africa ​ 7.7% higher among gay men and other men who have sex with men ​ 3% higher among sex workers ​ 5% higher among people who inject drugs ​ 9.2% higher among transgender people ​ 1.3% higher among people in prisons. Sub-saharan africa ​ 50 countries total ​ 47 Countries (World banking ​ borrowing privileges) ​ All countries south of the ​ Sahara desert ​ Other Regions ○​ Central & East ○​ Southern ○​ West 1993 definition change ​ Expanded def of AIDS ○​ HIV people with “severe immunosuppressant”, pulmonary tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia, invasive cervical cancer ​ With change increase by 111% Diagnosing AIDS. Measure CD4 Cells - when below 200 cells per cubic millimeter – no longer protect self against AIDS-defining illnesses ​ Candidiasis of bronchi, trachea, or lungs (“thrush”) ​ Cervical cancer (invasive) ​ Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcus, Cryptosporidiosis (fungal infections, a type of meningitis) ​ Encephalopathy (HIV-related) ​ Herpes simplex (an infection lasting longer than 1 month or in an area other than the skin ​ such as esophagus or lungs) ​ Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) ​ Lymphoma characterized by swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) ​ Mycobacterium avium complex ​ Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) ​ Pneumonia (recurrent) ​ Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) ​ Salmonella septicemia (recurrent) ​ Toxoplasmosis of the brain ​ Tuberculosis ​ Wasting syndrome Lecture 15 Summary ​ What are the ways that HIV can be transmitted? ​ What is the best way to decrease your likelihood of getting HIV? ​ How many people in the world are infected with HIV/AIDS? ​ There is one stupid answer to a question: what is the question? What is the answer? Social features of disease Effect of marginal & stigmatized groups ​ Connection to gay men ​ Early designation was called GRID ​ Linked to marginal populations – “deviants” Sexually-related transmission ​ Linked to puritanical concerns, promiscuity Ways to study Impact on individuals/communities ​ Stigma  ​ Structure - Communities of emphasis Countries ​ Structural (infrastructure, generations, goods, education, etc) ​ Stigma ​ Social movements Summary different ways to explore issue Social Construction ​ Broadhead et al 1999 Symbolic interactionist ​ Herek and Capitanio, 1993 Structural ​ Sacks (Social impact on countries) ○​ Looking at a larger picture when it comes to high infection rates. ​ Johnson and Raphael (incarceration) ​ Bearman and Stovel (spanning tree network analysis) Conflict perspective (?) Making connections Social construction Focus on how societies make claims, understand, label and then do or do not take action about an issue Gives insight to who has power in society ​ Which claims makers have the most authority? Can help us understand why something is considered a social problem in a given society and time ​ How might this vary? Social construction Research ​ Bogard – Homelessness, review of newspapers, claims and claims makers in NY and DC ​ Broadhead - needle exchange program, claims and claims makers re closure Structural functional Focus is on institutions, processes and policies Assumption from this perspective is that societies can generally function if they have good, stable, infrastructures Social problems are viewed as emergent from something going wrong within the system of society ​ Policies? Institutional failure? Economic Shifts? ​ Concepts: Norms, Roles, Institutions, Values, manifest and latent functions Theorists ​ Spencer - rationality ​ Durkheim - Solidarity, collective consciousness ​ Gans - uses of poverty Sub theories ​ Merton - theory of differential access/strain theory, same goals/values, blocked opportunity Research ​ Wilson - deindustrialization, urban underclass ​ Hayward – social determinants of health, health life course, cumulative disadvantage ​ Kohler-Hausmann – Misdemeanor Justice ​ Robertson - suicide ​ Perry - Pandemic Precarity ​ Johnson & Raphael – data simulation on connection between AIDS and Incarceration ​ Sacks - sub-Sahara Africa and AIDS ​ Bearman -Network analysis, spread of disease in a school Conflict ​ Societies do not work for all citizens, instead there are contradictory interests, inequalities between social groups that lead to conflict and change ​ Concepts: stratification, power, social structures, alienation, capitalism Theory ​ Marx ​ Ida B. Wells ​ DuBois ​ Mills Research ​ Oliver & Shapiro –wealth accumulation ​ Massey & Denton- residential segregation, argue with Wilson, purposeful racsim ​ Williams - health discrimination ​ Manza & Uggen - voter disenfranchisement ​ Harris - monetary sanctions/LFO, contemporary iteration of social control of poor and people of color Sub theories ​ Minority Threat Hypothesis (Sampson & Laub) Symbolic interaction ​ Society is the product of individuals interacting with one another and we can see patterns that emerge, also the interactions lead to formation of people’s behavior ​ Society is an on-going process of negotiating identities and related behavior Theorists ​ Mead –meanings, manipulate symbols Sub theories ​ Lewis Culture of Poverty ​ Becker Labeling theory ​ Anderson Code of the Street Research ​ Harris -re-entry  ​ Light - Rotating credit associations, cultural connections build trust ​ Pager - criminal legal/employment, employer stereotype about race and criminal activity ​ Anderson -Code of the Street, local culture evolving around respect, when disrespected violence occurs ​ Herek & Capitanio - Sigma and AIDS, surveys, misinformation Critical race theory Daniel Solorzano (1997, 98) ​ Centering race and racism with other forms of subordination – argues racism is central, endemic and permanent in US society ​ The challenge to dominant ideology – believes in and challenges white privilege ​ The commitment to social justice ​ The centrality of experiential knowledge ​ The transdisciplinary perspective – goes beyond disciplinary boundaries to conduct analysis –history, sociology, ethnic studies, women’s studies, law, psychology… Intersectionality and the sociology of HIV/AIDS. (watkins hayes 2014 article) Returning to intersectionality. ​ “Emphasizes approaches that interrogate how race, class, gender, sexuality, and other social locations operate simultaneously in social life” (pg 433) ​ Builds from scholarship of Collins, Crenshaw, King ​ At the same time: power relations, methodological changes to identify the interlocking dimensions of power with a political claim that recognizes inequality and racialized inequality in society. ​ Asks for scholars to think about how our identities might inform our research questions, data collected, assumptions we make, the scholarship we use. Acknowledge and interrogate positions of privilege. Key underlying dimensions. ​ Poverty ​ Employment ​ Lack of: ○​ education, housing, health care access, quality food ​ Stigma, Racism ​ Regional disparities (think Allard, but across all issues Connections ​ Gatekeepers - policies and decision makers ​ Stereotypes -assumptions create barriers ​ Location -where institutions are located, how location impacts access and quality ​ SES/Class -perpetuates cycle, type of home, education, access health care ​ Culture -values, beliefs, norms ​ Statistics – the type of data we use to measure outcomes, how we analyze it ​ Power – access to wealth, discretion ​ Life course – key transitions in people’s lives, how do they vary by different communities? ​ Cumulative disadvantage – disadvantage, hurdles experienced in life (utero to death), how different communities experience more or higher hurdles than other groups What is the answer? ​ Individual or group change (think Tupac) ​ Structural changes in education, employment, housing ​ Reimagining (think Conflict) the social structure completely? ​ What is our role in the replication of inequality and in the transformation of it? Themes ​ Poverty, inequality ​ Class ​ Homelessness ​ Penal expansion ​ Crime ​ Education ​ Disproportionally ​ Culture ​ Drugs ​ Power ​ Gender dynamics ​ Stigma ​ Govt ​ Media ​ Location The role of power Juvenile and criminal justice ​ Who has the ability to influence, create, and implement policy Poverty and Inequality ​ Creation of jobs (hiring, firing, monitoring of process) ​ Creation and maintenance of the “safety net” HIV/AIDS ​ Who is infected (marginalized, poor, politically underrepresented, powerless) ​ Access to prevention, education, healthcare The imagery generated (Symbolism) - media Key concepts Life Course Perspective ​ Stages throughout life Transitions to Adulthood ​ Family ​ Education ​ Employment ​ Marriage What have sociologists done? Debate about public sociology Herbert Gans –yes (information) Media quotes, popular books, survey of ideas and findings, research reports Francois Nielsen- no (just analysis) What about objectivity? What about advocacy? Examples ​ Crutchfield – Panels for fellowship review, Farrakhan case ​ Pattillo (N.W.)– Urban Prep Charter Academy for young men in Chicago ​ Harris - Testified before WA legislature (PDL), Worked to develop and advocate for Clean Dreams, Report for WA MJC and for ACLU – LFOs in WA state, Testify before WA State Supreme Court Policy implications and engagement Policy Development & Testimony ​ U.S. Commission on Civil Rights ​ WA SB1783 (2018), WA SB6476 (2020) ​ City of Seattle testimony/report Practitioner Engagement ​ CLEs, judicial conferences, State Sup Ct Convenings/Task Forces ​ National Taskforce Fines, Fees, Bail ​ White House/DOJ “price of justice” ​ WA State workgroup (BJA grant) ​ WA State Race and CJ Taskforce 2010/2020 Media ​ Op eds (NYT, LA Times), shaping investigations (e.g., Shapiro NPR) ​ Press release of findings Sex, birth, drug use (needles) Protected sex, tests, 39.9 million people. One stupid answer to the question, what is the question and what is the answer? What’s your status? I don't know.