Objectivist Approach
Argues that social problems are harmful, ex/ poverty--poverty statistics to see if its harmful (how many people are "harmed" by poverty). (ex/ gender inequality-- in some cultures this is harmful, but in some it is just normal). Basically social problems
Critique of Objectivist Approach
two people might differ in their reason for something being a problem. Context matters (social problems change over time). Also the word "harm" is subjective, what one person might think is harmful another may not.
Example of an Objectivist Approach
Obesity--some argue that this is a social problem because it blocks these people from certain opportunities (ex/ discrimination). Others argue that obese people are unhealthy and cost society money in health care (obesity itself as the social problem).
Subjectivist Approach
When social problems are defined by people's subjective understanding of what is or isn't a social problem (not looking at numbers, but how people see problems) (social problems are defined by how our culture decides what is or isn't a social problem). Th
General outlook of Subjectivist Approach
it is not an objective quality of a social condition, but rather the subjective reactions to that condition, that make something a social problem.
Example of a Subjectivist Approach
Right now people don't regard heightism as a social problem but if more attention shines on it, it can be considered one later on (like what happened to sexism).
Example of a Objectivist vs. Subjectivist approach
Poverty--poverty as a condition would include measuring the # of poor people, the causes of poverty etc (objectivist approach). The Subjectivist approach would be to measure it based on the claims about poverty.
Social Construction
a social pattern or idea that is humanly-made; it is the sum of social categories, rules, and structures created by society (the way people assign meaning to the world).
Example of social construction
Language--we use language to make sense out of the world. But this is a social process because we gain it from the people around us (parents, siblings, etc). Language is also flexible as people learn new things about the world they also learn new words/la
How to we know if something is a social process (3 steps)
1) Significant cross-cultural differences
2) Meaning changes over time
3) Can be used to reinforce or alleviate inequality
On what grounds do you claim conditions to be a social problem (3 main parts)
1) Typifying example (an example that is typical of that particular social problem)--ex/For education-- teachers union strike in chicago
2) Name the problem (broad/specific or catchy?)--Ex/ Frankenfish-- salmon that has been genetically modified so it nev
What other grounds
Arguing something is a familiar type of problem, arguing that this problem with get worse in the future, arguing about the kind of people affected (ex/ children. more sympathetic than adults), range of people affected (more= more likely to be sympathetic)
Example of a social problem
Veterans' Mental Health (high suicide rate of veterans)
Example of a claims maker
Candy Lightner- Founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
Warrants
the action to deal with a problem is "warranted".
Why are warrants used
to justify taking action and to appeal to values
Example of a warrant
Abortion--has to do with values
Conclusions
end result which tells you what should be done
Two types of conclusions
1) Recommended changes (ex/more money for changes, mandatory education, advocate legalizing same sex marriage etc.)
2) New Policies (ex/ new laws like changing drinking age)
Social Class
a large group of individuals and families who share the same rank, usually based on occupation, prestige, and wealth.
Example of a social class
Upper class, upper middle class, middle class, working class, working poor/poor
Inequality
the difference in rank between two positions
Example of inequality
the difference between rich and poor, or wealthiest vs. typical American, the "haves and have-nots
Is income inequality (& economic inequality generally) in the U.S. increasing or decreasing
increasing
How does this affect the wealthy versus the middle class?
The wealthy get wealthier but the middle-class incomes stagnate. Wider range of incomes--very low and very high incomes. Middle-class wages fluctuate--people change jobs more frequently. Reduces tax rates for upper class
The Upper Class (top 20%) receives what percent of all household income
50%
Median U.S. household income (2011)
$50,054
Why do we use the median and not the average
because it does not become affected by unusually low or unusually high incomes
6 reasons for wage inequality
1) The Rise of the Retail/Service Economy
2) Restructuring within Companies
3) Globalization and technological change
4) Weak Unions
5) Politics takes the side of business owners and not workers
6) Profits go to CEO pay and shareholders, not to the averag
Wealth
(Total assets - Debts = Net worth)
Assets
stocks, bonds, checking & savings
accounts, family home, vacation home, other real-estate, art, boats, jewelry, race horses
Debts
Mortgage debt, credit card debt, student
loan debt, car loans, small business loans, etc
Which is worse: income inequality or wealth inequality
wealth inequality (more unequal)
Top 20% of wealthiest Americans hold what percent of the total wealth in the U.S.
84% (the bottom 40% hold less than 1%)
Define the main ideas of the American dream
The promise that all Americans have a
reasonable chance to achieve success as they define it�material or otherwise�through their own efforts, and to attain virtue and fulfillment through success
Is it more myth or reality
myth
Social mobility
the extent to which people move up (or down) in the class system
Social succession/occupational succession
the degree to which position in the social system is inherited (passed on from parents to children)
Is the U.S. more mobile than other countries
Not mobile
Why was the Krugman article titled "The Death of Horatio Alger
Because Horatio Alger was a man who wrote stories that demonstrated the idea of the American Dream, but now since the dream is becoming less real--it can be considered the death of him.
How does upward social mobility happen today
Through education (you normally go up by one social class)
And what gives people the best chance of being upwardly mobile
1) Education Tracking--shapes educational opportunities
2) Family Background--shapes occupational opportunities through educational opportunities, fathers occupation is strongly correlated to son's education.
3) Social Networks--shapes occupational opport
How are Vacancy Chains related to mobility
a vacancy chain is when a new resource arrives in a society (ex/ new jobs/industries), it is taken by the first individual in line (upper class) and he/she leaves their old unit behind so the person behind him can take it. This allows mobility.
Are people today more likely to be upwardly mobile or downwardly mobile
upwardly mobile
Poverty Business
Before the poor was regarded as "low income means low revenue" now they are looked at as "the working poor are a choice target." They have greater access to credit & high interest rates, opportunity pricing and fees (credit cards), money now--pay day loan
Job trends
1) 20-30% information class
2) 10% manufacturing (1% agriculture)
3) 60-70% service and retail work (cutting costs vs. innovation).
Wal-Martization of work
the job creation that is happening today is primary in the retail/service sector...(ex/ walmart is part of those jobs, they are earning less money, do not have enough benefits etc).
Consequences of Wal-Martization
1) In the future 4/5 new jobs with be low wage service jobs with few benefits and little opportunity for advancement
2) Workers laid off from manufacturing will end up with lower paying jobs with fewer benefits
3) Fewer middle income jobs=shrinking middle
What is the federal minimum wage today
$7.25
Has the minimum wage kept up with the increased cost of living in the U.S.
No, it needs to be 10.55 to keep up with inflation
Does the minimum wage mainly affect teenagers
No, 76% of workers effected by the increase were
age 20 or over (not teenagers)
Living Wage
a term used by advocates to refer to the
minimum hourly wage necessary for a person to achieve some specific standard of living (approx. 11-12 dollars/hr).
Is the Federal Poverty Line a good calculation of the number of people in poverty
The fed. poverty line is when they calculate what is the min amount a household must make to not be considered in "poverty." It is calculated by taking how much money it takes to feed a household of 4 or 5 and then multiply that number by 3. This shows th
How is poverty characterized as an Individual problem?
Individual--the stereotypes of people living on welfare (the undeserving poor- welfare queen), rhetoric of personal responsibility
The Culture of Poverty
Is a claim that the poor are stuck in poverty due to personal traits and dysfunctional families (The people in poverty have a difference sense of value (they feel alienated in their own country, have feelings of helplessness, have no sense of history exce
What is blaming the victim
blaming the people for being poor (it is their own fault for being poor)
Problems with blaming the victim
it diverts attention from solving the original problem
Progressive Tax
A tax that takes higher proportions of income at higher income levels (ex/ income tax, No more Inheritance tax or "Death tax")
Regressive Tax
A tax that takes higher proportions of income at lower income levels (ex/ sales tax, or any flat tax).
How successful has Trickle Down Economics been in addressing poverty in the U.S
(the assumption used in this is that economic growth has a positive effect on poverty). Not very successful, poverty increased (poor were working more and
earning less, wages decreased, debt increased, savings decreased)
Feminization of Poverty
Women make up a larger percentage of those in poverty and these numbers are rising, Women are more likely to be poor than men bc of: family status (kids), marital status (single), level of education, lower wages.
Women make up about what percentage of the
poor
60%
Barbara Ehrenreich's goal and does she succeed
Barbara Ehrenreich was trying to find a job and affordable housing and you're right, she did not succeed - within 3 months she didn't have enough money to pay rent.
The real function of the newspaper want-ads
Places of business stock-pile
applications because their jobs have a high turn over rate
- This way people can be replaced quickly
- No one can demand better treatment or better pay, or time off
Jobs-housing mismatch
Jobs and affordable housing are often very far apart, this transportation crisis is often faced by low income workers.
- Commute between the cities and the suburbs,
- Within the suburbs (suburbs have little public transportation)
How do the poor experience special costs
Rent (the working poor cannot afford a rental deposit, so they rent by the week or day (hotels) and that is much more expensive); Health (for the working poor there is no preventative health care or prescriptions - This leads to missing work, getting fire
Is work the solution to poverty
Working in a low-wage job is NOT a STEP UP from welfare. Low wage work is not the solution to poverty
Two main theories of higher education
The Mobility Theory and the Social Reproduction Theory
The Mobility Theory
The lower classes have a chance to succeed through higher education, this results in upward social mobility (In line with the American Dream)
The Social Reproduction Theory
Education recreates class differences; you will remain in the same class as your parents (The education system protects privilege, continues inequality).
Which theory is best supported by data
Both
What percent of Americans today have a college degree
30%
What social class is more likely to get a college degree
Top 25% (upper class) 50% have college degrees
What is the most important factor in whether or not you attend college
Wealth and class or "social background
Where is the real gender gap in college education today
More poor women attend college than poor men, more black women attend college than black men, no gap between middle-class women and men.
How does the reading explain this gap - why does it exist
1) If women want a good job you need a college education because you cant get a job just out of high school (women just need education to get jobs) 2) Education goes against masculinity
Meritocracy
Social status should come from individual effort, merit, and skill achieved through academic study and hard work (success should not depend on things unrelated to merit like parent's wealth, gender, skin color, citizenship, etc. And commitment to equal op
Is the U.S. a meritocracy
Not (people who are more likely to go to college? people with skills or people with money? people with money).
When the wealthy embrace meritocracy does this improve inequality
No, it erases the influence of wealth to success (they just claim they worked hard like everyone else).
Film: Waiting for Superman, 2010. What was the main claim about the real problem
with education and the solution
1) Merit pay or "pay for performance"
2) Teachers unions/tenure problem
3) School bureaucracy problem
- "accountability standards"
4) Charter schools
- Privately (or publicly) funded boarding schools in poor areas
- No tracking, equal expectations
What are some possible solutions to educational inequalities that were not mentioned in the film
1) Free pre-school
2) Set national edu standards - "common core"
3) Reduce funding disparities across districts and
states
4) Reduce class size and school size
5) Attract and retain excellent teachers
6) Extend the school day and year
7) Hold educators ac
What is the real story about school funding disparities
funds the state gets from the fed. government is not distributed properly (education k-12 is funded through property taxes, which means if you live in a nice area then you can get good money for education, and vice versa. Property taxes determine how good
Is education the solution to poverty
Not really, helps with mobility though
What percent of the U.S. population votes in a typical presidential election
50%
How does this compare to other developed countries
70%-80%
What is the middle class electorate
upper class and middle class voters are over represented. Political messages are directed at the middle class
What are the 2 ways that the structure of the U.S. Senate is a barrier to democracy
1) Fillibuster --a self imposed rule (practice of holding the senate floor to prevent passing of a bill) used to derail civil rights (when people talk a lot in the senate so nothing is passed, not enough votes to override the fillibuster), 2) Extraordinar
Who are The Power Elite
TOP LEVELS OF POWER
1) Corporate power (interlocking directorates)
2) Military power
3) Political power
* Middle level of power=congress, unions,
lobbying groups
* Low level of power=mass society
What is the gender gap in voting
the difference in the percentage of women versus men who support a given candidate
How does the upper class directly and indirectly influence politics
Direct: Campaign finance, Lobbying, Political appointments, Think tanks, Access
Indirect: "Business Confidence Veto," Control of the media
What are interlocking directorates
The linkage between corporations that results when an individual serves on the board of directors of two companies
How has Citizens United increased the amount of money in politics
they raise money but they are not affiliated with the gov't but they are still supporting one political party (they don't disclose their donors--anonymous) they give money to SuperPAC
What is a SuperPAC
A Political Action Committee that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individual (Cannot work in conjunction with candidates they support, Fund advertising)
Why is more money in politics bad for democracy
the more money there is the more corrupt it is (Could end up with a Plutocracy--country controlled by the wealthy)
What is "horse-and-sparrow" economics
trickle down economics, whatever is fed to the horse trickles onto the ground and the sparrow eats it (elite=horse, we=sparrow). (if the horse is fed well they poop well and the sparrow picks through the poop and also gets fed).
And what are the two reasons government
officials opt for this kind of solution
1) They believe that what is good for businesses is good for everyone 2) Government is more influenced by the wealthy (listen to the wealthy)
How does an issue/question become part of the political agenda
by slowly changing the conditions or shocks shown by media which spreads to the government who then create policies. 1) social environment 2) advocacy groups 3) work of public officials (must have a public environment interested in a question, you must ha
How do advocacy groups on both sides attempt to frame the issue of same-sex marriage
they use the changing environment in ways that allow them to support their vision of a just society, one that accepts the practice as a matter of simple fairness, of full citizenship, of equal rights (For example, the pro side talks about marriage equalit
How are male/female stereotypes related to each other
male/female stereotypes are opposites (rational vs. emotional)
How are beliefs about gender different than behaviors
our beliefs about gender are much more narrow than our behaviors which are flexible and related to social context.
What can be gendered (besides people)
things (like shoes, perfumes etc).
What is the consequence of gender being
everywhere
Labeling everything as "for women" or "for men" from greeting cards to deodorant makes it seem like sex differences are real and natural because they are constantly reinforced.
Traditional Western Gender Theory
Sex is defined as being biological, Gender is defined as being cultural. Encompasses the "pink and blue syndrome"--The assumption (myth) that biological sex causes gender differences. (men= masculine men, women= feminine women).
Sociological Gender Theory
Sex is biological & cultural (categories &
meaning). Gender is cultural & social (context matters). Sex does not cause gender expression
How does Judith Lorber define gender
Gender is a process of creating
distinguishable social statuses [at all levels] for the assignment of rights and responsibilities" (Lorber)
� The levels are: individual, interactional, and structural
� Gender is a system of classification and value that
How does context matter to gender expression
depends on a situation
What are the 3 theories of why there aren't more women in math and science majors in
college
the leaky pipeline, microinequalities in the chilly classroom, and lack of advantage
The leaky pipeline
- the proportion of women "on track" to potentially become top scientists falls off at every step of the way
- HS, BS, MS, PhD, Post-doc
- Career in education vs. industry or business
Microinequalities in the chilly classroom
small everyday inequalities through which individuals are often treated differently because of their gender, race, age, or other 'outsider' status.
� Microinequalities add up
Lack of advantage theory
education administrators and teachers have worked hard to reduce the disadvantages that women face in the classroom, but men still have advantages that women do not. These advantages have not been spread out equally.
Does a college degree benefit everyone equally in terms of wages? Or is there a benefit gap?
There is a benefit gap (men with a BA earn about $60,910 but women with a BA earn about $45.410
What is the breadwinner model of family economics
Family wage vs. pin money
How does the breadwinner model of family economics affect wages
Historically the wages of men were defined as family wages (had to support a family). Women's wages were defined as supplementary or additional or "pin money" and (it was assumed) were only used for small purchases or self-support but not for family suppo
Gendered job segregation
women and men have different jobs, often in different industries. Jobs are gendered.
Gender wage gap
the difference between men's and women's salaries
Which is the larger contributor to wage inequality between women and men
Gendered job segregation
Glass Ceiling (and why it is still around)
- the point at which women
and minorities are blocked from any further upward movement in organizations
� Mainly due to biased advancement practices, prevents women from reaching certain jobs
Ex. Law firms that won't make women and
minorities partners. Ex
Mommy Track
having children interruptions or slowdowns work due to family obligations
What legislation was passed to deal with unequal pay
1) The Equal Pay Act -prohibits employment discrimination by sex, but not by race
2) The Civil Rights Act- no discrimination based on certain factors.
What did these laws address and were they successful
1) Equal Pay Act-If men and women are in the same job, with similar credentials and seniority, they could no longer receive different salaries. They were not successful
2) Civil Rights Act-Discrimination in "hiring, firing, compensation, classification, p
Why were the laws not successful
3 weaknesses - change job title, job segregation, home/hotel
Main issue addressed by the 2nd wave of women's movement
Equal pay for equal work
What is the 2nd shift & who has more leisure time
2nd Shift-house work and child care for women constitutes a second job (30 hrs/wk).
*Men have more leisure time
Care tax
all the professions that females have (health, teaching) are said to be caring professions which don't earn enough money (since they are caring for people).
The myth of opting out of the work force
women don't opt out of work just because they feel like it, they feel that they are forced out because of responsibilities (ex/ kids) and stuff and the jobs are not flexible enough to accommodate all of this.