Review 12/10The course themeschapters 11-14, 16,17Feagin, Pettigrew, EinsteinReview questions.

Materials to reviewThe exam is Dec. 16 at 8:00.The form of the exam will be the same as the mid-term.1000-13 -14 in B 2001; 1000-16 in B 2010The final exam review questions have been updated; email any requests to me for clarification before Dec 12.You may use prepared notes for the essays, which must be handed in with the essays.The links on the list of lectures have been updated.E.g. the course THEMES.

Review of the first halfAlthough the exam will not be cumulative, there are a number of materials from the first half that have reappeared:

1. Functional v. conflict theory2. Macro v. micro theory• They have been developed in terms of

the course THEMES

Functional v. conflict theory

The comparison of functional and conflict theory has appeared in each chapter we have read since the mid term.Each attempts to describe e society as a system.Each gives an account of social dynamics.

Society as a system

Pettigrew defines a system as an arrangement of interdependent parts.Each institution fits into the other institutions.Each institution is composed of many organizations; each of which contains many groups and other structures.

Sociology analyzes these structures.

Functional and Conflict theory

Functional1. Negative

feedbacks2. Control systems3. Norms4. functions

Conflict1. Positive feedbacks2. Matthew Principle3. Inequality4. monopoly

Society as a functional system

Durkheim pioneered the analysis of social structure as structurally differentiated to carry out the tasks that need to be done,and as integrated by a common normative system. E.g. the functional model of inequality Functional accounts of meritocracy And analysis of function of the family and

education

e.g. the family

The interconnection of the family with other social institutions such as the economy is evident in that: There has been massive change in the dominant

family form in the last generation. With important consequences for gender roles, etc. The homemaker-breadwinner family went from the

dominant to a marginal form. It is not that individuals just decided to change their

family structure.

Dynamics of family changeIn the same way that the entrance of men into the paid lab or force in the 19th c. was driven by the disappearance of the family farm and mom-and pop store,Generating the Homemaker-breadwinner family,The entrance of women into the paid labor force in the 20th centuryGenerated the dual earner family, analyzed by Hochschild.

Dynamics of positive feedback

Positive feedback occurs when some characteristic is self-reinforcing.For example, Myrdal argued that there is a vicious cycle of disadvantage.

Disadvantage #1

e.g. low incomeDisadvantage #2

e.g. poor education or health

Dynamics of positive feedback cont.

And Myrdal further argued that racism (prejudice, segregation, inequality, stereotyping, white supremacist groups)both reinforces and is reinforced by group disadvantage.

Disadvantage

e.g. low income

racism

e.g. stereotyping

Escalation of group conflict as a kind of positive feedback.

We have argued that the escalation of group conflict also follows a dynamic of positive feedback.Retaliation for past injuries, creates further retaliation, in a vicious cycle.As well as consolidating segregation, “hard line” leaderships, and self-fulfilling prophecies.

Self-fulfilling Prophecies

Many positive feedbacks result from self-fulfilling prophecies.The belief that something is (or will be true) may make it more likely.In the first half, we saw that the labeling theory of deviance and the views of the roughnecks produced school failure and police records. Similarly, profiling or race and gender stereotypes can generate a non-level playing field.

Race and gender stereotypesOften, the opportunity to prove oneself requires that a gatekeeper believe that one has the ability.Prejudiced beliefs of teachers, scientists, employers, or judges can affect life chances.The statistical odds associated with being a member of a group can do so also,as in profiling.Robert Rosenthal demonstrated the effects of teacher expectations on student performances.

seductress

Irresponsible,

Dynamics of negative feedback

Durkheim pioneered the view of the normative system as a control system.Deviance generates negative sanctions which reduce deviance.During the second half of the 20th c. this became the center of functionalist models of society.

Organic solidarityDurkheim’s analysis suggested that a complex, heterogeneous, modern society can only be held together on the basis of norms such as equality before the law and equal opportunity. Related to:

1. American Creed2. American Dream3. A sustainable society (Feagin)4. Einstein’s defense of socialism.

Forced division of labor and inherited position

For Durkheim, and the functionalist, meritocratic conception of inequalities, social position should be based on ability, performance and motivation.Durkheim believed that inherited property leads to inherited privilege,Which generates a forced division of labor rather than organic solidarity. Policies assuring equal chances for poor children and poor groups are contested.

Macro- and micro-theoryThere are complex relations between individual action and social structures.The analysis of tipping points, of social dilemmas, and of institutional racism and sexism has stressed the complex relations between individual action and social outcomes.

Levels of social structure

Durkheim argued that “social facts” must be explained by other social facts.E.g. levels of suicide, homicide, divorce, illegitimacy, crime, racism, racial inequality, sexism, etc. have social causes.Similarly the Chicago school argued that the social structure of a neighborhood reproduces itself and governs behavior in the neighborhood.

Examples of levels:

Society is not just a set of individuals.The level of segregation in neighborhoods is not just a function of individual prejudiceas shown by tipping points in residential segregation.The exclusion of women from the top levels of science is not a function of individual prejudiceas shown by Cole’s model of limited differences.

Tipping points

Limited differences

Unintended Consequences

The analysis of unintended consequences is an example of the need to analyze different levels of structure.It is one of the main reasons for sociology.Sociology investigates the consequences of individual and collective action.If those consequences were always or usually what people intended, one would not need to investigate them.But actions often have consequences very different from those that were intended.

oops

PettigrewPettigrew’s analysis of (open) systems consolidates many of the issues of policy and of individual/ social effects.Unregulated markets are most appropriate when there are unintended positive effects (“invisible hands”)Social dilemmas produce “invisible fists.”Social policies may have unintended positive effects (“silver linings”) or unintended negative (“dark clouds”) effects.

Pettigrew’s concepts.Unintended outcomes of

individual choices public policy

PositiveInvisible Hand Silver LiningNegative Invisible Fist Dark Cloud

The main policy questions of the 21st century concern the balance of public and private with regard to health, education, and other social choices.

Ch. 11: Social stratification1. Feagin’s analysis of spaceship earth2. Myrdal’s analysis: when does the

inequality generated by the Matthew principle lead to inherited privilege?

3. Poverty line and policy effects on it.4. Paradoxes of equality of opportunity.

Ch. 12 Racism1. Feagin’s concepts of systemic racism and

institutional discrimination.2. Difference between individual racism,

institutional racism and cultural racism.3. Difference between individual prejudice and

discrimination (Merton; LaPierre)4. Unstable dynamics of racism and racial

inequality.

Ch. 13 Gender1. Kanter’s analysis of tokenism2. Reskin’s Realities of Affirmative Action

in Employment3. Cole’s Theory of Limited Differences4. Hochschild The Second Shift

Ch. 14 FamilyWhile divorce rates are an indicator of stress on the family, it is difficult to get an adequate explanation for changes in divorce rates from things like changes in divorce laws or “affective individualism.”Many of the changes in the family, such as decline in the homemaker–breadwinner family seem to be the result of fairly inexorable forces such as structural differentiation and the decline of self-employment.Very different kinds of policy are defended as being “pro-family.”

Ch. 16 Political economyThere are complex relations between the form of the economy (public/private) and the government (democratic/authoritarian).All advanced industrial societies are mixed.There are powerful processes of escalation of conflict (symmetrical schizmogenesis).However, sometimes walking away from conflict does not reduce it (complementary schizmogenesis)

The Arab-Israeli conflictIllustrates many of the themes that have been central to us throughout.

1. Ingroup-outgroup formation.2. Reference groups.3. Stereotypes, racism and self-fulfilling

prophecies.4. Chomski5. Dynamics of conflict.6. Dynamics of inequality and marginalization.

Ch. 17 Education“Meritocratic” educational procedures and access often leads to the Matthew Principle,in which existing inequality is magnified by the operation of effects of money, neighborhoods and other biases.Rosenthal shows that there are expectancy effectsStevenson & Stigler show that Asian systems increase the performance of every student by raising the floor.

EinsteinThere is a socially maintained balance between humans as solitary beings (egotistical) and as social beings (altruistic).He argues that unregulated capitalism upsets the balance of egotistical and social drives by promoting acquisitive individualism,leading to increased inequality and group conflict.

Einstein v. MurrayIt is possible to use Pettigrew to conceptualize the disagreement between theories such as Einstein and MurrayFor Murray, individual initiative is a huge silver lining associated with private market choices. Dependence on government is the huge dark cloud associated with public provision.For Einstein, personal egotism is a huge dark cloud associated with private market choices. Social altruism is the huge silver lining associated with public provision.