Wk 4 – Social Inequality in the Media [due Mon]
Assignment Content
Watch 30 to 60 minutes of a production from current media that illustrates examples of social stratification and inequalities, such as a sitcom, drama, movie, or documentary. Examples include productions like Blackish, Sons of Anarchy, Family Guy, Empire, CSI, BlacKkKlansman, Chicago Fire, Orange is the New Black, NCIS, When They See Us, Pose, Game of Thrones, or Law & Order. Contact your instructor for approval if you are unsure if a certain media production fits the assignment.
Take notes while you watch to record examples of the behavior patterns that reflect social stratification and inequality.
Refer to the Reading Guide: Deviance, Social Stratification, and Inequality document for more information on theoretical perspectives on these topics to assist with this assignment.
Write a 400- to 600-word paper in which you discuss the TV show or film as it relates to race, gender, and social class stratification. Include the following:
o Provide the name of the show or film you selected, as well as a summary of the plot and setting of the story.
o Identify and describe at least one example of social deviance that you observed.
Which social structures or norms could have contributed to this act of deviance?
o Identify and describe at least two examples of sociological inequalities that you observed.
Which social structures or norms could have contributed to these inequalities?
o Indicate the theoretical perspective—functionalist, conflict, or symbolic interactionist—that you would use to explain the social inequalities you observed.
Explain your reasons for choosing this perspective.
o Make connections between the social stratification of class, race, and gender that you observed in the TV show or film, and the ways that it represents inequality in our society.
Submit your assignment
Deviance
Deviance and Social Control
Deviance: behavior thatdoes not conform withcultural norms or social standards
• Deviance depends on a person’s culture and subculture; deviant actions may not be considered deviant in a different place or time.
• For example, actions such as smoking indoors,playing loud music, or being nude in public can be considered deviant or not, depending on when and where they happen.
Deviance and Crime: Formal and Informal Sanctions
Informal sanctions:forms of punishment for mild violations of social norms
• Examples of mild violations:cutting in line, eating with your fingers at a nice restaurant, texting during a film in a movie theater
• Examples of informal sanctions: nasty looks, rude comments, isolation from social groups
Formal sanctions:forms of punishment for serious violations of social norms that are written laws
• Examples of serious violations:murder, rape, theft, speeding
• Examples of sanctions:fines, jail time, criminal record
Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance
• Functionalist perspective
o A functional society needs deviance to reaffirm current social norms and to set boundaries for social control and morality.
• Conflict theorist perspective
o Deviance and crime are caused by social and economic factorscreated by a wealthy elite class of people in power who maintain the status quo in society, decide what is deviant, and determine who gets criminalized for deviant behavior.
• Symbolic interactionist perspective
o Deviance is behavior that is learned from social interactions with other people, either as a response to others’ reactions or by modeling their deviance.
Social Stratification
Social stratification:society’s way of categorizing people by socioeconomic status, ranked by tiers based on factors that reflect an unequal distribution of resources
• Sociologists recognize that social stratification is a society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent.
Class system:a way of describing the level of someone’s social standing based on their individual accomplishments and social factors
• Examples of class systems in the U.S.:lower, middle, and higher income
• Primary characteristics of each class serve as social boundaries between them.
• Socioeconomic status (SES) in a class system determines individuals’ life outcomes.
Wealth:the value of assets owned by a household
• Wealth enhances one’s life chances by creating opportunities and desired stature, command over labor and businesses, and the ability to pass along status to children.
• Wealth is less equally distributed and more concentrated than income; wealth begets wealth and is more stable across generations from parents
Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
• Functionalist perspective
o Different social classes exist because they serve a purpose needed in society.
o Social roles that are more important for the functioning of societyreceive greater rewards.For example, doctors are part of a higher-class status than janitors based on their importance, due to society’s need for them.
• Conflict theorist perspective
o Inequality is systematically created and maintained by those with control over resources.
o Advantages are based on characteristics such as class, race or ethnicity, or age.
• Symbolic interactionist perspective
o Social standing is affected at a micro-level ineveryday interactions with people who typically share the same social group.
o People oftenshow symbols of their social statusthroughpreferences in style or appearance.
Race and Ethnicity
Race:a socially defined category based on perceived physical differences between groups of people
• Social construction of race: the belief that race is not biologically identifiable; race is a social construct because racial categories change over time
Ethnicity: a socially defined category based on a group’s sharedcultural factors, such as language, religion, nationality, or history
Minority group:any group of people singled out from the rest of societyto be treated differently or unequally
Stereotype:an over-generalizedbelief about a group of people who share a characteristic
Racism: a set of beliefs and practices about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group over another
Prejudice: a biased thought process based on flawed assumptions about a group of people
Discrimination:actions taken against individuals to treat them unequally because of their race or ethnic group; usually motivated by prejudice
Privilege: benefits or advantages that some people enjoybecause they are part of a dominant group that receives preferential treatment over others
Theoretical Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity
• Functionalist perspective
o Racial and ethnic differences exist because they serve an important function in society; racial inequality can strengthen bonds between in-group members throughpushing away out-group members.
• Conflict theorist perspective
o Conflict between racial and ethnic inequalities arises when the dominant group perceives a threat from a minority group to their power and control over scarce resources.
• Symbolic interactionist perspective
o Everyday interactions between members of the dominant groupreinforcetheir assumptions aboutthe racial or ethnic identitiesthat symbolize minority groups.
Gender, Sex, & Sexuality
Sex:biologically determined physiological differences between males and females
Gender:a person’s internal perception of their gender asdetermined by role differences in our society and culture
• Gender differences are a product of socialization and other forms of social control.
• Traditional masculine vs. feminine gender role stereotypes are reinforced agents of socialization.
Sexism: the prejudiced belief that one sex is superior to another
Theoretical Perspectives onGender, Sex, & Sexuality
• Functionalist perspective
o Gender roles function to regulate sexual behaviorand ensure cohesion in a marriage and stability in a family.
o Changes in gender roles undermine social institutions andare therefore dysfunctional to society.
• Conflict theorist perspective
o Socially dominant groups actively work to promote their views of sexuality and can deny social and economic advantages to subordinate groups, causing conflict between groups over resources.
• Symbolic interactionist perspective
o Gender roles are learned social behaviors that are reinforced through symbolsof “femininity” or “masculinity”that society shares.