Sociology Final Exam Review

1. Describe the structural functionalist explanation of inequality and compare it to the conflict theorist explanation of inequality. Does either theory fully explain inequality and if you were a sociologist which approach would you use and why? How does race and gender factor into inequality?

2. Discuss some of the things that impact on our chances of succeeding in society. What opportunities do the rich have to succeed that the poor or even the middle class do not have? Is education the great equalizer? Why/Why not? What can we do to give the poor a more equal opportunity? What keeps our society from helping the poor? Why do we blame the poor for being poor? Why do most Americans accept inequality rather than trying to make society more equal? Is inequality good bad or both? Discuss. Why does such a rich society have so many homeless people? Should we use affirmative action to make up for inequalities and unfairnesses of the past? Why/Why not? Do poverty programs such as head start work and should we expand them? Why/Why not?

3. Discuss the campaign black lives matter. What does this phrase mean? Why do police harass black and Hispanic young men? What can be done about this harassment? Why are minority police officers often involved in harassing minority men? Why do we have the largest prison system in the world and what is the relationship of the prison system to racism? How will the election of Donald Trump affect the lives of black and Hispanic men and why did so many people vote for him. Finally, what is white privilege and how does racism create white privilege? What can be done to change this situation?