Social Problems Final

HOW TO THINK ABOUT RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUALITY

DOMINANT GROUP: those holding superior power in society

changes w/ transfer of power

RACIAL STRATIFICATION: a system of inequality in which race is the major criterion for rank and rewards

APPROACH

structural
racial problems have structural foundations

RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES

MINORITY GROUP: group that is dominated by a more powerful group
RACES: socially defined - racial categories are always changing like on the census
ETHNIC GROUPS: distinguished by national origin, language, religion, & culture

WHAT IS RACE?

there is no biological evidence to demonstrate differences among races
race doesn't exist outside of the U.S. - it's not universal
we pretend that it's real
our perception of others is self-induced
history also helped to contribute to its creation

DICHOTOMY

in U.S. racial classification is based on a black-white dichotomy
if someone is biracial, they are not a part of either

belief that shouldn't mix races

AFRICAN AMERICANS

migration to North exposed Blacks to new forms of poverty (urban poor) & other social problems
structural discrimination: live, work

LATINOS

largest minority group
Chicanos, Mexican Am., Central & South Am., Puerto Rican, other Hispanics, Cubans

ASIAN AMERICANS

diverse population: Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese

NATIVE AMERICANS

rank at the bottom of most U.S. socioeconomic indicators

EXPLANATIONS OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUALITY

DEFICIENCY THEORIES:

biological: belief that the inferiority of some racial groups is the result of flawed genetic traits
cultural: the lifestyle/culture of minority groups is flawed & responsible for a group's inferiority status

disadvantage: who is to say that 1 lifestyle is better than another?

OTHER EXPLANATIONS OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUALITY

BIAS THEORIES: blame the prejudiced attitudes of majority members for the secondary status of minorities
STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION THEORIES: focus on the institutionalized patterns of discrimination (like discrimination in workforce) as the sources of the secondary status of minorities

DISADVANTAGES OF THEORIES

ignores the structural foundation of racism & focuses on individuals

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS

unequal treatment...

income, education, employment, type of employment, health

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN U.S. RACIAL AND ETHNIC RELATIONS

growing racial strife
more racially based groups & activities
social & economic isolation in U.S. inner cities

new form of poverty based off of race & gender
no access to food, jobs, healthcare, or education

DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE OVERCOME RACISM?

NO: still have a majority of whites; where minorities are not represented and are targeted
YES: in order to elect President Barak Obama, who is biracial, society looked past skin color to see his skills and qualities

IS COLOR BLINDNESS THE MANIFESTATION OF A NON-RACIST SOCIETY?

NO: racism does not just deal with color...there are whites who are racist against other whites (ex. Irish, Jews)
plus, racism can exist in every structure of society and can be tied to ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender

OPTIONAL ETHNICITIES FOR WHITES ONLY? (ARTICLE)

White Americans: 1) option of whether to claim any specific ancestry, or to just be "White" or American 2) choice of which of their European ancestries to choose to include in their description of their own identities

symbolic ethnicity: ethnicity is individualistic & w/o real social cost for the individual...voluntary...not something that influences their lives unless they want it to

racial minorities: lives are strongly influenced by their race or national origin

OPTIONAL ETHNICITIES FOR WHITES ONLY? (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

all ethnicities aren't equal; all aren't symbolic, costless, & voluntary
experiences of Whites and non-Whites are different
Black students have the positive attraction of being around other Black students who share some cultural elements, as well as the need to band together w/ other students in a reactive & oppositional way in the face of racist incidents on campus

OPTIONAL ETHNICITIES FOR WHITES ONLY? (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

if your understanding of your own ethnicity & its relationship to society & politics is 1 of individual choice, it becomes harder to understand the need for programs like affirmative action, which recognize the ongoing need for group struggle & group recognition, in order to bring about social change

MASCULINE & FEMININE TRAITS

MASCULINE: strong, aggressive, able-bodied, assertive, protective, confident, dominant, powerful, controlling
FEMININE: compassionate, caring, maternal, weak, emotional, calm, sensitive, supportive, passive, nurturing, vulnerable

WOMEN & MEN ARE DIFFERENTIATED & RANKED

GENDER STRATIFICATION: the ranking of the sexes in such a way that women are unequal in power, resources, & opportunities
INTERSECTIONAL approach: don't look at women as one general/universal group...consider race, class, gender

IS GENDER BIOLOGICAL OR SOCIAL?

biological basis for gender roles:

males & females are different from the moment of conception
influenced by the way you're built/look like, how people grow up, bone structure, how they were taught
not constant across time & place

people are so set in heterosexual ways: for a same-sex couple, we wish to know who is the male & who is the female
now we view beyond 2 genders: masculine women, feminine men, transvestites

SOCIAL BASES FOR GENDER ROLES

society transforms females & males into socially interacting women & men...women & men are socialized differently

blue vs. pink when born
as kids, given different toys

problems w/ binary model
compulsory heterosexuality

WHAT CAUSES GENDER INEQUALITY?

Gender Role Approach: socialization of gender by parents, teachers, & peers
Gender Structure Approach: external social structures & capitalism

ex. job market: jobs are defined in terms of gender; have stereotypical masculine or feminine traits

GENDER ROLE APPROACH

children at home
formal education: curriculum, textbooks, teacher-student interactions, sports, female role models, counseling
children taught what is appropriate for men & what is appropriate for women

GENDER STRUCTURE APPROACH

language: ex. in referring to humans we use "he"; derogatory names like slut
interpersonal behavior
mass communications media: ex. ads catered to women or men
religion: ex. who can have authority
law: ex. favor males; for instance rape laws used to be to protect a woman's chastity but if the woman wasn't a virgin then the law would not help
politics

STRUCTURED GENDER INEQUALITY

OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: dramatic increase in participation of women in labor force
when compared to men, typical female worker has job w/ poor pay, little control over her work, & little advancement opportunity
if man & woman have same education level & job, then man advances/succeeds more/receives more pay
earnings gap: woman earns 80 cents for every dollar man earns
intersection in workplace: women have increasing presence BUT we don't see different divisions within women

COSTS & CONSEQUENCES OF SEXISM

capitalists benefit: they make more $ by paying women less than men

FIGHTING THE SYSTEM

feminist movement in the US
women's struggles in the 21st century...intersection is the best way to fight the system

WHAT DOES FEMINIST MEAN TO YOU?

activist who works for equality of both sexes
fights for woman's cause/rights
analyzes things in a more sensible/personal way
has a critical lens
goes beyond gender

HOW DO YOU THINK CHILDREN SHOULD BE RAISED IN REGARD TO GENDER ROLES & EXPECTATIONS?

raise boys & girls the same
have children pick out their own toys and be who they want to be
issues: kids can blame their parents when they get older; parents will be concerned that their children will be made fun of by others
solution: have parents teach their children to stop judging others

GRINDING ON THE DANCE FLOOR (ARTICLE)

explores the gendered dynamics of grinding
men initiated more often & more directly than women, whose behaviors were shaped by a sexual double standard & hetero- relational imperative
enacts a gendered dynamic that reproduces systematic gender inequality by limiting women's access to sexual agency & pleasure, privileging men's pleasure & confirming their higher status

GRINDING ON THE DANCE FLOOR (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

grinders on the dance floor encounter the same challenges of conveying both their openness to grinding and protecting themselves from potential damage to their self-image
sexually agentic women are judged more harshly then men

women should only want to engage in sexual behaviors w/ someone in an attached relationship

women dance in groups - men don't due to fear that will be labeled as homosexuals, so they enter the dance floor in individualistic, goal-oriented terms-to initiate

GRINDING ON THE DANCE FLOOR (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

women face the Madonna-whore dichotomy in which they must present themselves as sexy & sexually competent to be desirable for grinding but, in taking part in grinding, risk being seen as immoral
women may face greater impediments to making their disinterest understood by sexual partners
in these encounters, men & women, accountable to onlookers, are also doing gender & doing heterosexuality in ways that mirror patterns of inequality in the family, in the workforce, & in culture

SOCIAL DEVIANCE

socially constructed (differs from person to person, time to time, situation to situation)
integral part of society
violations of social norms
relative/subjective
role of power...poor kid steals to not be hungry vs. rich kid steals b/c greedy
stigma/labeling...if labeled as deviant, more deviant behavior results

GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY: AN OVERVIEW

SEXUAL PREFERENCE: implies a sense of choice...voluntary/social
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: implies a deterministic view...biological

ROOTS OF HOMOSEXUALITY

DEBATE: does homosexuality have genetic or social origins?

growing scientific literature provides evidence for biological basis
however, the true issue is how society reacts & views homosexuality...discrimination occurs & needs to be stopped

HOW MANY GAYS AND LESBIANS?

numbers are unknown because many never reveal their sexual orientation...due to not wanting to be discriminated against

DISCRIMINATION

variance from the societal norm of heterosexuality is not a social problem, but the societal response is
3 types of oppression: ideological, legal, occupational

IDEOLOGICAL OPPRESSION

homophobia: the fear & loathing of homosexuality & homosexuals
when people believe gays are immoral:

they belittle their lifestyle
tell jokes
deny housing, jobs, memberships
engage in hostile or violent acts
role of religion

LEGAL OPPRESSION: THE LAW, COURTS, & POLICE

Sodomy Laws:

prohibit anal & oral sex b/n consenting adults
23 states still have sodomy laws
sodomy laws are used by people in power to harass gay men

FACTS

Am. Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder
2003: the Supreme Court overruled the Texas sodomy law & brought the US in line w/ other developed countries in stating that what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own homes is none of the gov't's business

MILITARY

discriminates against homosexuals
14,000 dishonorably discharged as homosexuals leading to many lawsuits
President Clinton: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

FAMILY RIGHTS

only a few states allow same-sex marriage
some counties & cities recognize "legal domestic partners," allowing same-sex couples to receive limited spousal benefits

POLICE ACTION

police use a variety of techniques to harass homosexuals
inattentive to hate-motivated violence against lesbians & gay men
homosexuals are the most frequent victims of hate-motivated violence

OCCUPATIONAL DISCRIMINATION

gov't doesn't provide gay employment discrimination statistics
many homosexuals fear disclosure of sexual orientation may cost them their jobs
discrimination against homosexuals in workplace is common

FIGHTING THE SYSTEM: HUMAN AGENCY

coping strategies:

secret gays: homosexuals who conceal their sexual orientation
gay activists: homosexuals who openly identify themselves as such

CONFRONTING THE SYSTEM

Stonewall Inn, Greenwich Village, NYC June 28, 1969

riot when police raided
birth of modern gay rights movement
gave impetus to gays to publicize police harassment, job discrimination, & other indignities

WHAT BEHAVIORS AND/OR PEOPLE ACCORDING TO YOU SHOULD BE DEFINED AS DEVIANT IN OUR SOCIETY?

people who cause harm to society
rapists, cheaters, robbers
look at the consequences & how much harm was done by the individuals
subjective question: differs from individual to individual & depends on the context

WHO MAKES CHOICES REGARDING WHAT IS DEVIANT?

government & lawmakers...those who are higher up in the system....we elect these people to make decisions

DEFINITION OF CRIME

no consensual definition...varies from individual to individual, country to country
could be violation of norms/laws or anything that disrupts social order

CRIME IN SOCIETY

most of the time, crime is defined as a breaking of the law

groups & individuals differ in their definition of crime...don't agree on laws
the social & political nature of crime (class bias)
the making/history of the law
manifestation of group conflicts

CRIME RATES (MAIN SOURCE OF DATA)

Uniform Crime Reports: official crime statistics

problems:

focus on traditional crimes
omit white-collar, organized, & political crimes
underreport extent of crime
data collection inaccuracies
tells who was arrested/punished but doesn't tell why some were arrested & others weren't
biased...only recently have class, race, gender, & age been taken into consideration

OTHER MODES THAT GO BEYOND UNIFORM CRIME REPORT

Self Report

most people admit to minor crimes, like drug use on college campuses, that don't involve a victim
advantages: clear conscience, can get real story, get to know mind of criminal
disadvantages: can be misleading, inaccurate data, subjective nature, different definitions of crime

Victimization Survey

most effective mode of collecting data
advantages: get to hear the victim's side of the story
disadvantages: if victim was killed, then he can't fill out the survey

OFFICIAL CRIME RATES HAVE DECLINED SINCE 1990

general economic prosperity
demographic changes (characteristics of a population)
declining crack epidemic
incarceration boom: more cops, lights at night, stricter laws
greater efforts to reduce crime at local levels
concerted crackdown on guns

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR CRIME

SEX
AGE
SOCIAL CLASS
RACE

SEX/GENDER

higher rates of male arrests than female arrests
women are twice as likely to be arrested for property crimes
men are more likely victims of violent crimes
rate of imprisonment for women is growing faster than for men
reasons: male is still mainstream, women are becoming more involved in society/women having more job opportunities & visibility, way justice system perceives women has changed over time

AGE

peak arrest age for violent crimes occurs b/n age of 16 and 19
mainly for alcohol/drug-related crimes

SOCIAL CLASS

those arrested are mostly the poor, the undereducated, & the unemployed

reasons: poor/unemployed don't believe that they are being treated fairly so take their frustration out on others, trying to provide for their families so engage in acts like stealing, less expensive to catch, more surveillance
if a person is rich, there is less vigilance in their segregated rich neighborhoods, so they don't get caught as easily

RACE

blacks are 12% of population but constitute 38% of arrests for violent crimes & 31% of property crimes
there is also intersection b/n race & class: most minorities are poor

CATEGORIES OF CRIME

TRADITIONAL STREET CRIMES: property & violent crimes like burglary, larceny, auto theft, robbery, rape, assault, & murder
CRIMES AGAINST THE MORAL ORDER: victimless crimes like gambling & recreational drug use
ORGANIZED CRIME: a business operation that seeks profit by supplying illegal goods & services

depends on the corruption/cooperation of police & government officials for survival & continued profitability

CATEGORIES OF CRIME CONTINUED...

WHITE COLLAR CRIME: individuals who have $ & white collar jobs who engage in acts like embezzlement, bankruptcy, fraud
CORPORATE CRIME: business enterprises that are found guilty of crimes like for not caring about workers' safety or by exposing people to toxins
POLITICAL CRIME: illegal acts intended to influence the political system

VICTIMLESS CRIMES

detection, arrest, & prosecution of victimless criminals is an enormous & expensive task
about half of the prison population is incarcerated for drug offenses

UNJUST SYSTEM OF JUSTICE

laws
police
judicial process
all are inherently racist/sexist etc.

CONSEQUENCES OF A BIASED JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Af. Am. are 3 times more likely than whites to be arrested
minority youths are treated significantly worst than whites
federal prison sentences are almost 50% longer for Af. Am. than whites

CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM

23% of the world's inmates are in the US...which means that we are spending a lot of money
disproportionate # of inmates are racial & ethnic minorities
biased against the poor & the powerless...from who gets arrested to good lawyers/defense to punishments

UNJUST IMPOSITION OF THE LABEL "CRIMINAL"

the poor & racial minorities are disadvantaged at every stage of criminal process
consequences of deviant label for the powerless
consequences of being imprisoned...when get out can't survive...excluded from activities such as voting...can't have certain jobs...so commit new crimes to get back in prison

HOW DID YOU DEFINE CRIME?

if action was against the law...legal aspect
if you were caught you would get into trouble?
if there was a victim
universal aspect
moral aspect
social acceptability

WANTED MEN IN A PHILADELPHIA GHETTO (ARTICLE)

recent increase in policing, supervision, & imprisonment; concentrated in poor black neighborhoods
for young men, avoiding jail has become a daily preoccupation
instills fear of being captured (chased, searched, questioned, arrested)
men believe that they are "wanted"
climate of suspicion
men live as suspects/fugitives
results: discrimination in labor market, health costs, obstacles to housing, large-scale disenfranchisement, have trouble participating in the lives of their families

WANTED MEN IN A PHILADELPHIA GHETTO (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

children learn at an early age to watch out for the police & to prepare to run
those taken into custody discover that people, places, & relations that he formally relied on, & are integral to maintaing a respectable identity, get redefined as paths to confinement
men w/ warrants don't protect themselves from crimes perpetrated against them; there is an inability to turn to the police
more intimate relations may pose a threat: people closest to you are potential informants

WANTED MEN IN A PHILADELPHIA GHETTO (ARTICLE CONTINUED)

cultivate unpredictability to avoid confinement
Foucault's Theory of Power: modern punishment is organized on principle of the panoptic system of inspection, surveillance, & graded rewards/punishments; individuals are carefully monitored

Social Problems Final

Sociology 1251 with Ray at University of Connecticut

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