Term
| The Definition of a Social Problem |
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Definition
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a social condition that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world
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Term
| Objective Dimensions of a Social Problem |
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Definition
some aspects of a social problem can be proven by the collection of data.
ex:¢E.g. The Center for Disease Control released that by the end of 2003, 1.2 million Americans were living with HIV/AIDS
¢It is not necessary for you to have contracted HIV to understand that it is a problem
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Term
| Subjective Dimensions of a Social Problem |
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Definition
all social problems must be defined as problematic
ex:Is war necessary or is it a social problem? The answer depends on your outlook on the world
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Term
| Functional-Structuralism of a Social Problem |
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Definition
examines the functions (or consequences) of the structure of society
Basic Belief: Society is made up of inter-related parts that depend on one another to maintain order in society
Society is the product of the agreed upon norms and values of its individuals.
Society is like a puzzle – each individual must play by the rules so that society can function
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Term
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Definition
examine how society is held together by power relations and how people in power coerce those without power to maintain the system
-Society is characterized by social inequality
- Society is defined by people’s struggle to secure scarce resources
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Term
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Definition
focus on how we use language, words, and symbols to create and maintain our social reality
Basic Belief: Society is the sum of the interactions of people and groups; it is a micro theory
Human beings act in accordance with how they believe they are expected to act; we learn behavior expectations through interaction with others
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Term
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Definition
| In 1879 avtrend emerged of “Indian schools” designed to eliminate tribal knowledge and socialize Indian children into white society |
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Term
| Race is socially constructed |
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Definition
- The U.S. had its first census; it had four categories
- 1890: whites were increasingly concerned with “race mixing.” This census had 8 races listed and half of them applied to black or partially black races
- 1900: Mulatto, Quadroon, and Octoroon were dropped, so that any amount of “black blood” meant a person had to be classified as “Black”
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“Mulatto” returned to the census form, only to disappear for good in 1930.
Notice that Latino is not included in these racial categories. Because Latinos can be any race, the census calls this “Hispanic Origin” – counting it as an ethnicity rather than a race
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Term
| What is a pan-ethnic label |
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Definition
| general terms applied to diverse subgroups that are assumed to have something in common |
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Term
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Definition
Racism is NOT just a personal ideology based on racial prejudice. It is a system involving cultural messages, institutional policies/practices, as well as the beliefs and actions of individuals.
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Term
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Definition
| blatant, intentional acts of racial bigotry and discrimination |
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Term
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Definition
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more subtle (i.e. the collusion of laughing when a racist joke is told, of letting exclusionary hiring practices go unchallenged, of accepting it as appropriate that we never learn about people of color in school, or in avoiding talk of race all together)
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Term
| How is the prison system similar the system of slavery |
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Definition
- both have a daily routine
- reduced to depending on others
- isolated from the general population
- work for long hours without minimum wage
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Term
| What polices contribute to women being the fastest growing population to be imprisoned |
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Definition
The globalization of economic markets
The deindustrialization of the U.S. economy
The dismantling of such social service programs (like AFDC)
The prison construction boom
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Term
| General Ideas of a Prison Industrial Complex |
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Definition
- Increased Population is not due to an increased rate in crime
- Instead its because of prison construction and the need to fill the empty spaces (driven by racism and pursuit of profit) |
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Term
| What does the Prison Industrial Complex Insist? |
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Definition
- how punishment takes economic and political accounts
- racilization of prison populations |
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Term
Understand what the following quote means in terms of Davis’ vision for the future of the prison system: “If we shift our focus from the prison to the reasons for the prison, we can begin to think of alternatives”.
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Definition
| a more complicated framework may yield more options than if we just make one substitute to the prison system. And not things like house arrest. for example rehabs, free health care, demilitarization of schools |
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