Sociology Lecture Notes: GRID EXAM OVERVIEW

Types of Questions in Research

• Closed questions
• Open questions
• Pre-coded questions
• Scaled or Likert questions
• Multiple choice questions

Concept: Symmetrical Family

• Definition: A family where conjugal roles have become more equal.

Problems in Research Methodology

• Unrepresentative sample
• High conversion costs
• Ethical issues

Positive Features of Extended Families

• Childcare: Free childcare support for working parents.
• Emotional Support/Advice: Elders provide advice, especially to females.
• Financial Assistance: Extended families often offer financial aid.
• Greater Tolerance: Understanding and acceptance across generations.
• Elder Care: Children participate in caring for the elderly.

Limitations of Non-Official Statistics

• Lack of validity or bias
• High costs for large-scale data
• Secondary data issues

Changes in Children's Roles Over Time

• Legislation: Children's roles regulated by law (e.g., schooling, work age).
• Paid Work: Shift from mini-adults to distinct childhood stage (Aries).
• Social Control: Increased control via surveillance and apps.
• Children's Power: Laws like UN Rights of the Child enhance child power.
• Child-Centered Family: Children as central focus and specialized consumers.

Positivist Approach in Sociology

• Relies on quantitative data
• Unbiased and easily analyzed
• Representative and generalizable
• Lacks depth and details

Influence of Gender on Family Experience

• Socialization: Different upbringing for girls and boys.
• Gender Roles: Women often do more domestic tasks regardless of work.
• Patriarchy: Family life reflects societal patriarchy.
• Lone Parent Families: Often led by women, facing specific challenges.

Secondary Data in Sociological Research

• Offers insight and can be valid.
• Unbiased as documents were not intended for publication.

Dysfunctionality in Families

• New Right View: Non-nuclear families lack core functions.
• Loss of Functions: Other institutions taking over family roles.
• Divorce and Remarriage: Leads to financial and emotional issues.
• Single Parent Families: Criticized for issues like lack of discipline.
• Arguments Against: Nuclear family seen as functional by functionalists.

Feminist Perspective on Conflict in Society

• Male Domination: Real-life examples of male dominance.
• Vertical Segregation: Gender inequality in the workplace.

Cultural Capital in Education

• Knowledge, language, and attitudes that advantage individuals in education.

Schools and Social Control

• Formal Social Control: Rules and policies.
• Informal Social Control: Subtle cues like smiles or stern looks.
• Negative Sanctions: Detentions and punishments.
• Rewards: Praise and positive reinforcement.

Informal Social Control Examples

• Peer pressure and family influence.
• Social media interactions.

Benefits of Private Schools

• Better examination results for higher social classes.
• Smaller class sizes and better resources.
• Myth of meritocracy favoring higher classes.

Socialization of Masculinity

• Parental manipulation of gender behaviors.
• Media representations of ideal masculinity.
• Teacher expectations reinforcing stereotypes.

Comprehensive Education System

• Introduced to promote equality and meritocracy.
• Replaced the unfair tripartite system.
• Aims to reduce labels of failure and promote social mobility.

Age and Social Identity

• Different rights and responsibilities at different ages.
• Adolescence as a challenging transition phase.

Culture of Masculinity in Education

• Hegemonic Masculinity: Pressure to conform leads to anti-school cultures.
• Peer Pressure: Fear of negative labels.
• Teacher Labelling: Stereotypes affecting academic performance.
• Arguments Against: Intersectionality and diverse masculine identities.

Media and Social Expectations

• Media as a pervasive influence in a media-saturated society.
• Social media as a new form of social control.
• Arguments against emphasize the role of family and peer pressure.

Racism and Discrimination

• Prejudice based on ethnicity or race.
• Discrimination against young people in wage and media portrayal.

Informal Social Control Agencies

• Family, media, peer groups.
• Education, religion, and workplace rules.

Gender Inequality in Workplaces

• Horizontal segregation in job sectors.
• Unequal pay and maternity leave issues.

Youth Subcultures and Crime

• Anti-school subcultures leading to criminal behavior.
• Retreatist sub-cultures and drug use.

Poverty in Industrial Societies

• Immediate gratification vs. saving.
• Marxist view: capitalism creates poverty.

Marxist View on Crime

• Material deprivation and marginalization lead to crime.
• Alienation and lack of representation.

Ethnicity and Social Stratification

• Ethnic minorities face discrimination and educational challenges.
• Arguments highlight gender and class as significant factors as well.

Dark Figure of Female Crime

• Chivalry thesis and self-report studies suggest hidden female crime rates.
• Feminist views on media portrayal and double deviance.

Summary

• The lecture covers a wide range of sociological concepts and theories related to family structures, education, gender, crime, and social stratification, emphasizing the complexity and interconnectivity of these issues.