Sociology homework need it in 3 hours

Jacek Halon

10/16/15

Exam Study Guide #2

Poverty & the Economy:

· Characteristics of Poverty

· Definition: Having insufficient resources to provide a minimum standard of living and being significantly worse off financially as an average person in society.

· Unequal distribution of

· Wealth

· Income

· Linked to government involvement as well as lack of involvement with a continuously increasing gap

· USA spends 59.25% of income on DoD(Department of Defense)

· Trickle-Down Economics

· Coined by Ronald Regan

· Also known as Reganomics

· Only made the top 5% richer, while everyone else lost wealth.

· Inequality is happening due to

· Globalization

· Invention and use of new technology

· Politics and reduced expenditures

· Capitalism

· Economic system in which there is private and individual ownership of items and assets, where the main goal is to generate personal profit and added wealth. There is continues competition on the market and it’s viewed as a “free market” where everyone can have a chance and being wealthy.

· US isn’t capitalist since government plays a large role in the economy. They own and operate a number of large business, parks, schools, etc. And also use taxation to control costs of merchandise and influence company products. They also set wage standards and regulate corporations.

· Corporations

· 1869 and 2009 Supreme Court Ruling – Corporations as Natural Person

· Having legal existence including rights and liabilities of a person

· Have power to influence government

· Politics, Campaigns, Donations

· Whole purpose is to make more money (legally or not)

· Labor Unions

· Organization of people who seek to improve working conditions and wages for working class.

· Corporations fight against these unions, they see them as the enemy.

· Social Capital

· Central premise is that social networks have value

· Networks refer to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].

· The bigger social network, the more you can do and have more opportunities

· Cultural Capital

· Higher culture that allows acceptance into a higher status group

· Allows better education and employment opportunities

· Black vs White vs Asian vs Latino/Spanish

· Who has more privilege and opportunity?

· Those have the higher culture

· Social and Cultural Capital increase life chances for a better job and life. (More income, higher status, more opportunities at life and wealth)

Social Stratification: Racial and Ethnic Minorities

· Constitution of Ethnic Groups

· Race and Ethnicity are used interchangeably

· Ethnicity

· Group that shares:

· A sense of togetherness

· Cultural Characteristics

· National Origin (Poland, Germany, Mexico, Japan, etc)

· Unique social and historical experiences

· Brings a sense of belonging within a society/area

· Race

· Group of people that share similar quality’s like physical appearance.

· This is socially constructed and not biological. People’s race is socially determined by people.

· Color Blind Racism, White Privilege, Model Minority

· Are Social Stratifications

· Characterize people according to race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.

· Ties in with social and cultural capital!

· Racial and Ethnic Inequality

· People precept that immigration is harmful, this creates strong ethnic cues that condition emotional reactions.

· Caused by

· Negative news that lead to racial opposition

· News like 9/11 or war triggers anxiety

· Changed continuously by different social outlooks

· Prejudice & Discrimination

· Prejudice: Are the feelings and attitude toward a certain person

· Discrimination: Is an action carried out due to a person’s prejudice

· Institutionalized Discrimination

· Discrimination against a minority group by economic, educational and political groups.

· Is caused by our social structure

· Affects education and wages in the labor force, as well as job opportunities.

The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism

· Four Frames

1. Abstract liberalism – The key word here is “abstract”. Unlike Jim Crow racists, most whites now agree that all Americans, regardless of race, should have equal rights and equal opportunities. But it is just lip service. When asked about government policies that could bring about such equality, like affirmative action or busing, most whites will find one reason or another to oppose them and fail to offer any other solid measure. Freedom, democracy and equality are not things to be achieved but just empty words to dress up the way things are in America – and to dress up the racism of white people.

· “Equal opportunity is part of abstract liberalism — or — regarding each person as an individual with choices — and using the liberal principles for whites having the right of choosing to live in segregated neighborhoods or sending their children to segregated schools. This claim requires ignoring the multiple institutional and state-sponsored practices behind segregation, and being unconcerned about these practices’ negative consequences” (p. 28).

2. Minimization of racism – Most whites believe there is still discrimination against blacks, but it is not as bad as it used to be and it is no longer the main thing holding blacks back. Instead it is their culture.

· “Minimization of racism is a frame that suggests discrimination is no longer a central factor affecting minorities’ life chances (“it’s better now than in the past” or “There is discrimination, but there are plenty of jobs out there.” this frame allows whites to accept facts such as the racially motivated murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper TX” (p. 29).

3. Cultural racism – Unlike Jim Crow racists, most whites no longer believe that there is anything wrong with blacks biologically. Instead it is cultural: mostly bad families, bad values and a bad work ethic. Blaming the victim. Some note that blacks use racism as an excuse and expect handouts.

· “Cultural racism is a frame that relies on culturally based arguments” (p. 28)

4. Naturalization of racism – racist practices in society, like highly segregated schools and neighborhoods and low rates of interracial marriage, are seen as “natural”, as a part of human nature – not as the outcome of white racism. That means it is no one’s fault, that there is little that can be done to change it.

· “Naturalization is a frame that allows whites to explain away racial phenomena by suggesting they are natural occurrences for example – whites can claim “segregation” is natural because people from all backgrounds gravitate toward likeness. Although, the above statements can be interpreted as “racist” and as contradicting the colorblind logic — they are used to reinforce the myth of no racialism. How? by suggesting these preferences are almost biologically driven and typical of all groups in society, preferences for primary associations with members of one’s race are rationalized as nonracial because “they (racial minorities) do it too” (p. 28).

· The frames are mixed and matched as required by the argument at hand. The frames help to support each other. For example, minimizing racism makes an abstract liberalism seem more acceptable. The frames can be used in a straightforward way (“Blacks are lazy”) or more subtly (“It is hard being a single mother”).

· Whites think they are a better judge of racism than blacks, particularly since blacks tend to imagine racism when it is not there.

· The truth is blacks imagine little. Discrimination in hiring, housing and education has been well documented. The government should take forceful action to end it as it goes against the American value of equal opportunity for all regardless of race.

· Yet almost no white person talks like that. Instead they use the frames to avoid saying anything like that. At best they will admit to discrimination but then discount its effects. Or they will say they believe in equality of opportunity but then find reasons to oppose any policy with the teeth to achieve it.