Social Class and Stratification

1--One scholarly journal, newspaper, or magazine article that best represents specific concepts or a theory that particularly interest you from that chapter (or a part of the chapter)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/03/earlyshow/living/money/main4068795.shtml
Because of the length of this article, I won’t post it in full here, but rather provide a link to it. The author discusses how the gap between the rich and poor, to no surprise, is widening and social stigma still exists.

2--One photograph, painting, drawing, or other visual illustration that best symbolizes the main theme of the chapter (or a part of the chapter that particularly interests you)

3—One video clip that describes/explains a specific concept or theory from your chapter
-- This video is great. It was made in the 50’s and describes 3 different individuals from three levels of society. The video does a great job describing the stigmas behind society and social mobility.



4--Two Internet sites (URL and two sentences describing the site) that provide useful information to the reader about the concepts in the chapter (or the part of the chapter that interests you)
Site 1: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index.html
This site from the New York Times is a special section devoted to all the areas of social class and stratification, it is called “Class Matters” and is very helpful as an insight into areas such as Marriage, Religion, Education, etc…
Site 2: http://www.sociologyguide.com/social-mobility/types-of-mobility.php
This site does a good job describing social mobility and its different areas, something I didn’t feel the text did as good of a job at as it could have.

5--One poem, quote, or song lyrics that represent the feelings you had reading the chapter
Cream of Society by Paul Curtis
They say there the cream of society
Their arrogance makes me sick
They’re the cream of our society
Because they’re rich and thick

6-At least two paragraphs that describe why you chose that chapter and the specific supporting materials you included on your page
I chose the chapter about social class because I think it is something that is still highly relevant today. It is fascinating to me because, as the video from 60 years ago will attest, we’ve known about this problem of social division for a very, very long time. However we don’t do anything about it. The problems we face today are the problems we faced then and, if anything at all, they have only worsened as the gap between rich and poor has exceedingly become wider and wider.
The video was the best representation of how things haven’t changed a bit. The photo is a close second for my favorite piece of the page, however. It shows a clearly upper class man and boy next to three lower class children. The comparison is starkly apparent: the lower class boys have either short knickers or baggy pants and well worn shirts while the wealthy two are nothing less than perfect gentlemen. What really interested me in this photo was the way in which the lower class boys seem to stare at the richer two, almost in envy. Yet the two upper class people act almost as if the ones below them don’t exist at all.

7-A crossword puzzle or word search with at least 10 concepts (and definitions).

Across

1. the process by which different statuses develop in a group or society

5. stratification where power and property monopolized by the elite

8. process by which people end up in a given position in the stratification system

10. Temporary assistant for needy families

11. stratification by ascribed status given at birth

Down

2. the opportunities people have in common by virtue of belonging to a certain class

3. the value others assign to people and groups

4. a system in which status is based on merit

6. a system of structured social inequality

7. a person's movement over time from one class to another

9. Socially defined position in a group or society

Deviance

1--One scholarly journal, newspaper, or magazine article that best represents specific concepts or a theory that particularly interest you from that chapter (or a part of the chapter)

http://www.sociology.org.uk/pcfcri95.pdf

This article explains functionalist perspectives of deviance and gives a basic overview of Durkheim’s important ideas on the subject.

2--One photograph, painting, drawing, or other visual illustration that best symbolizes the main theme of the chapter (or a part of the chapter that particularly interests you)

 

3—One video clip that describes/explains a specific concept or theory from your chapter

4--Two Internet sites (URL and two sentences describing the site) that provide useful information to the reader about the concepts in the chapter (or the part of the chapter that interests you)

Site 1: http://www.positivedeviance.org/

This site is for an organization that promotes positive deviance, something that wasn’t as addressed in the chapter that I feel warranted at least a nod. I think positive deviance is very important because people who don’t fit the norm do just as many great things as other people who don’t fit social expectations to bad things, yet that fact is overlooked. The bad, no matter how infinitesimal compared to the good, always seems to garner the most attention.

Site 2: http://www.valdosta.edu/~klowney/devtheories.htm

This second site defines several theories that could be behind deviance. Keeping the theories straight can be hard because they are so numerous, but this site is helpful because it carefully organizes them, making them much easier to remember.

5--One poem, quote, or song lyrics that represent the feelings you had reading the chapter
The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
Ayn Rand

6-At least two paragraphs that describe why you chose that chapter and the specific supporting materials you included on your page

   Deviance is a mode within society that is recognized as violating expected rules and norms. In some ways, deviance seems to me to be necessary to society, as it defines the boundaries of normal behavior. If we didn't have deviance from social norms, how would we know what norms actually were? Deviance defines society in contextual aspects.
    In this chapter, I found the aspects of what causes deviance to be most intriguing. Particularly labeling theory, which is why I chose the video that I did. It is interesting how self-fulfilling prophecy can really be an element in causing deviance and criminal behavior. Increasingly, that has become medicalized. We diagnose perceived problems as diseases to mitigate them, which is why I picked the cartoon that I did. The sites I listed are interesting because they give a break down of the major theories of deviance which are very helpful and also gives a nod to the better side of deviance. After all, there are people who act outside of norms to do good things, not just bad. 


 

7-A crossword puzzle or word search with at least 10 concepts (and definitions).

Deviance and Crime

Dayne Sorensen This is a crossword for the main sociological topics and theories in deviance and crime.

					1				2										3
							4
																	5
6
														7
				8
										9
	10
									11

Across 6. a theory suggesting that deviance occurs when social bonds between persons are weakened. 7. An attribute that is socially devalued and discredited; a disability as a master status for example. 8. Refers to the wrong doing of wealth individuals and organizations; "white collar crime." 10. The man behind the functionalist theory of deviance: "deviance is functional because it produces solidarity among society." 11. attributes behaviors to a "sick" state where the solution is a "cure."

Down 1. The process by which groups and individuals are brought into conformity with expectations. 2. behavior that is recognized as violating expected rules and norms. 3. A theory interpretting deviance as learned behavior. 4. A theory by Robert Merton that traces deviance to tension cause by gaps in cultural goals and the means people have to acheive said goals. 5. A theory that states labeling is the cause of deviant behavior; almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. 9. A form of deviance that violates established law.