MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 9a Social Institutions Education Family

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This deck focuses on 9a Social Institutions Education Family, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Flashcard 1: What is the opposite pattern called when low expectations reduce performance?

Answer: Golem effect. Negative expectations similarly create poor performance outcomes.

Flashcard 2: What is the definition of a nuclear family?

Answer: Two parents and their dependent children in one household. Traditional Western family unit, distinct from extended family structures.

Flashcard 3: Which concept describes credentials signaling competence more than teaching skills?

Answer: Credentialism. Collins' theory that degrees matter more for status than actual learning.

Flashcard 4: Which sociological perspective views education as promoting social cohesion and shared values?

Answer: Functionalism. Sees schools as socializing agents that create social solidarity.

Flashcard 5: What is cultural capital in the context of schooling?

Answer: Cultural knowledge and skills that confer educational advantage. Pierre Bourdieu's concept of class-based educational resources.

Flashcard 6: What is a patriarchal family system?

Answer: Male authority predominates in family decision-making and power. Traditional gender hierarchy with fathers as primary authorities.

Flashcard 7: What is the main function of the family in functionalist theory?

Answer: Socialization and support; regulation of reproduction and care. Family maintains social order through child-rearing.

Flashcard 8: What is the definition of the achievement gap?

Answer: Persistent group differences in academic performance and outcomes. Often measured by test scores, graduation rates, and college entry.

Flashcard 9: What is the definition of an extended family structure?

Answer: Household network including relatives beyond parents and children. Common in collectivist cultures; provides broader support networks.

Flashcard 10: Identify the parenting style: high warmth and low control with few demands.

Answer: Permissive parenting. Indulgent style with minimal boundaries or expectations.

Flashcard 11: What is the latent function of education in functionalist theory?

Answer: Socialization and social integration beyond formal curriculum. Unintended benefits like peer networks and social skills development.

Flashcard 12: What is the incest taboo in anthropology and sociology?

Answer: Norm prohibiting sexual relations between close kin. Universal cultural rule that promotes genetic diversity and social bonds.

Flashcard 13: What is a permissive parenting style?

Answer: High warmth with low control; few rules or demands. Indulgent parents who avoid confrontation and set few boundaries.

Flashcard 14: What is exogamy in mate selection?

Answer: Marriage outside one's social group. Promotes genetic diversity and creates alliances between groups.

Flashcard 15: What is the difference between a family of orientation and a family of procreation?

Answer: Orientation: family you are born into; procreation: family you form. Distinguishes birth family from marriage/partnership family roles.

Flashcard 16: What is the functionalist view of the family's role in society?

Answer: Stabilizes society via socialization, support, and regulation. Parsons: family serves essential functions for social order.

Flashcard 17: Identify the kinship system in which descent is traced through the mother's line.

Answer: Matrilineal descent. Kinship through mothers determines inheritance and group membership.

Flashcard 18: What is stereotype threat in academic settings?

Answer: Performance declines when a negative group stereotype is salient. Awareness of stereotypes creates anxiety that impairs performance.

Flashcard 19: What is assortative mating?

Answer: Partner selection based on similarity in traits such as education or class. Like marries like, reinforcing social stratification.

Flashcard 20: What is an authoritarian parenting style?

Answer: High control, low warmth; strict rules with limited dialogue. Emphasizes obedience over explanation or emotional connection.

Flashcard 21: What is the manifest function of education in functionalist theory?

Answer: Teaching academic skills and knowledge to prepare students for work. The intended, openly stated goals of formal education.

Flashcard 22: What is tracking (ability grouping) in schools?

Answer: Separating students into course levels based on perceived ability. Often reinforces inequality through different expectations and resources.

Flashcard 23: What is stereotype threat in academic performance?

Answer: Anxiety about confirming a stereotype reduces performance. Fear of fulfilling negative stereotypes impairs test performance.

Flashcard 24: What is endogamy in mate selection?

Answer: Marriage within the same social group. Promotes group cohesion and shared values.

Flashcard 25: What is neglectful (uninvolved) parenting?

Answer: Low warmth and low control; minimal involvement. Parents are emotionally detached and provide little guidance.

Flashcard 26: Which term describes marriage between one person and multiple spouses?

Answer: Polygamy. Includes both polygyny (multiple wives) and polyandry (multiple husbands).

Flashcard 27: What is endogamy in the context of marriage patterns?

Answer: Marriage within one's social group (for example, religion or ethnicity). Maintains group boundaries and cultural identity.

Flashcard 28: What is stereotype threat in academic testing situations?

Answer: Performance impairment from anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype. Steele's concept of how stereotype awareness harms test performance.

Flashcard 29: What is social reproduction as described by conflict theorists of education?

Answer: Schools perpetuate class inequality across generations. Education maintains existing social hierarchies rather than promoting mobility.

Flashcard 30: What is the Pygmalion effect in education?

Answer: Teacher expectations can raise or lower student performance. Self-fulfilling prophecy where beliefs shape reality.

Flashcard 31: What is the incest taboo in sociology?

Answer: A cultural prohibition against sexual relations among close kin. Universal norm preventing genetic problems and role confusion.

Flashcard 32: What is an authoritarian parenting style?

Answer: High control with low warmth; strict rules and punishment. Emphasizes obedience and discipline over emotional responsiveness.

Flashcard 33: What is the definition of family in sociology?

Answer: A social institution that regulates reproduction and socialization. Primary agent of socialization and basic economic unit across cultures.

Flashcard 34: What is the extended family structure?

Answer: Household including relatives beyond parents and children (for example, grandparents). Multiple generations or lateral kin sharing resources and residence.

Flashcard 35: What is exogamy in mate selection?

Answer: Marrying outside a specific social group. Marriage across social boundaries; opposite of endogamy.

Flashcard 36: Identify the parenting style: high warmth and high control.

Answer: Authoritative parenting. Balances responsiveness with clear expectations and boundaries.

Flashcard 37: Identify the kinship pattern: descent and inheritance traced through the mother.

Answer: Matrilineal descent. Common in societies where women control property rights.

Flashcard 38: What is the definition of a nuclear family in sociology?

Answer: Two parents and their dependent children in one household. The traditional Western family model, distinct from extended families.

Flashcard 39: Identify the parenting style: low warmth and low control with minimal involvement.

Answer: Neglectful (uninvolved) parenting. Parents are disengaged from child's life and needs.

Flashcard 40: What is the difference between the family of orientation and the family of procreation?

Answer: Orientation: family of birth; procreation: family formed by marriage/children. Orientation is where you're raised; procreation is what you create.

Flashcard 41: What is the nuclear family structure?

Answer: Two parents and their dependent children living as one household unit. The traditional Western family model of isolated conjugal unit.

Flashcard 42: What is the manifest function of education?

Answer: Intended outcomes such as teaching knowledge and skills. Explicitly stated goals that schools aim to achieve.

Flashcard 43: What is a blended family?

Answer: A family formed by remarriage with children from prior unions. Also called stepfamily; combines children from different parents.

Flashcard 44: What is the primary claim of the symbolic interactionist view of education?

Answer: Daily interactions and labels shape student identity and outcomes. Focuses on teacher-student interactions and labeling effects.

Flashcard 45: What is the difference between patrilocal and matrilocal residence patterns?

Answer: Patrilocal: live near husband's kin; matrilocal: near wife's kin. Reflects cultural values about kinship and gender roles.

Flashcard 46: What is the latent function of education?

Answer: Unintended outcomes such as socialization and networking. Byproducts that occur without deliberate planning.

Flashcard 47: What is the hidden curriculum in schools?

Answer: Implicit norms and values taught through school routines. Lessons about conformity, authority, and competition learned indirectly.

Flashcard 48: What is the conflict theory perspective on the family?

Answer: Family can reproduce inequality through power and resource control. Conflict theory critiques the family for mirroring broader societal conflicts, where dominant members control assets and perpetuate class-based disadvantages.

Flashcard 49: What is the hidden curriculum in education?

Answer: Implicit norms and values learned through school routines. Teaches conformity, punctuality, and authority respect indirectly.

Flashcard 50: What is the Pygmalion effect in education?

Answer: Higher expectations lead to improved student performance. Rosenthal & Jacobson's study showing expectancy effects.

Flashcard 51: What is an authoritative parenting style?

Answer: High warmth, high control; firm rules with reasoning and support. Balances expectations with emotional responsiveness.

Flashcard 52: What is the incest taboo?

Answer: Cultural prohibition of sexual relations among close relatives. Universal norm preventing genetic problems and role confusion.

Flashcard 53: What does conflict theory emphasize about education and social stratification?

Answer: Schools reproduce inequality by privileging dominant groups. Views schools as maintaining class hierarchies.

Flashcard 54: What is the primary function of the family in structural functionalism?

Answer: Socialization and regulation of reproduction to maintain social stability. Parsons viewed families as society's primary socialization agent.

Flashcard 55: What is stereotype threat in academic performance?

Answer: Anxiety about confirming a stereotype impairs performance. Test-takers worry about group stereotypes, reducing cognitive capacity.

Flashcard 56: What is an uninvolved (neglectful) parenting style?

Answer: Low warmth, low control; little monitoring or responsiveness. Parents are emotionally distant and provide minimal guidance.

Flashcard 57: What is social reproduction theory as applied to education?

Answer: Schools perpetuate class inequality across generations. Wealthy students access better schools, maintaining social hierarchy.

Flashcard 58: What is the Pygmalion effect in the classroom?

Answer: Higher teacher expectations increase student performance. The Pygmalion effect demonstrates how positive teacher expectations can enhance student motivation and performance through increased support and opportunities in the learning environment.

Flashcard 59: What is the manifest function of education in functionalist theory?

Answer: Formal instruction to develop knowledge and occupational skills. The intended, explicitly stated goals of educational institutions.

Flashcard 60: What is the feminist perspective on the family as an institution?

Answer: Family can institutionalize patriarchy and unequal domestic labor. Feminist theory highlights how family structures reinforce gender inequalities by normalizing male dominance and the uneven distribution of household responsibilities.

Flashcard 61: What is the difference between patrilocal and matrilocal residence?

Answer: Patrilocal: near husband's kin; matrilocal: near wife's kin. Post-marriage residence patterns reflect cultural gender norms.

Flashcard 62: What is the extended family structure?

Answer: Household or network including relatives beyond parents and children. Includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.

Flashcard 63: What is tracking (ability grouping) in education?

Answer: Separating students into course levels based on perceived ability. Often limits opportunities for lower-track students.

Flashcard 64: What is the manifest function of education?

Answer: Formal transmission of knowledge and job-related skills. Intended, observable outcomes explicitly stated by institutions.

Flashcard 65: What is the extended family structure?

Answer: Household including relatives beyond parents and children. Common in collectivist cultures; provides broader support.

Flashcard 66: What is credentialism in the sociology of education?

Answer: Using degrees as signals to screen and sort workers. Credentialism explains how educational qualifications serve as societal mechanisms for employers to evaluate and allocate individuals into occupational positions based on perceived competence.

Flashcard 67: What is the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family?

Answer: Nuclear: parents and children; extended: includes other relatives. Nuclear is immediate family only; extended spans generations.

Flashcard 68: What is the latent function of education in functionalist theory?

Answer: Socialization into norms and values beyond explicit instruction. Unintended social learning that occurs alongside formal curriculum.

Flashcard 69: What is an authoritative parenting style?

Answer: High warmth and high control; firm rules with explanation. Balances responsiveness with clear expectations and reasoning.

Flashcard 70: What is the Pygmalion effect in classrooms?

Answer: Higher teacher expectations increase student performance. Positive expectations boost achievement (Rosenthal & Jacobson).

Flashcard 71: What is cultural capital in the context of educational achievement?

Answer: Nonfinancial resources (language, habits) valued by schools. Middle-class behaviors give educational advantages.

Flashcard 72: What is the definition of a family as a social institution in sociology?

Answer: A group linked by kinship that provides social and economic support. Sociologically, family functions as a primary institution for maintaining social order by offering mutual aid and stability through blood or legal ties.

Flashcard 73: What is a patriarchal family structure?

Answer: Male authority predominates in decision-making and roles. Father/husband holds primary power; historically dominant.

Flashcard 74: What is the correspondence principle (Bowles and Gintis)?

Answer: School structure mirrors workplace hierarchy, training compliance. Prepares workers to accept authority and routine tasks.

Flashcard 75: What is the self-fulfilling prophecy in teacher expectations and student outcomes?

Answer: Expectations elicit behaviors that make the expected outcome more likely. Rosenthal effect where beliefs shape reality through changed behavior.

Flashcard 76: What is the self-fulfilling prophecy in an educational setting?

Answer: Teacher expectations shape student performance to match beliefs. Low expectations become reality through reduced support and engagement.

Flashcard 77: What is the difference between marriage and kinship?

Answer: Marriage is a legal union; kinship is family ties by blood or marriage. Marriage creates legal bonds; kinship includes all family relations.

Flashcard 78: What is the latent function of education?

Answer: Unintended outcomes such as socialization and networking. Unplanned benefits that emerge from the educational process.

Flashcard 79: What is tracking (ability grouping) in education?

Answer: Separating students into different academic levels or paths. Often reinforces social stratification patterns.

Flashcard 80: What is the primary claim of the conflict view of education?

Answer: Education reproduces inequality and legitimizes dominant groups. Schools maintain power structures through unequal resources.

Flashcard 81: What is the conflict theory view of education's primary social role?

Answer: Reproducing social inequality through stratification. Schools perpetuate class divisions, not equalize opportunity.

Flashcard 82: What is social reproduction theory in education?

Answer: Schools perpetuate existing social class structure across generations. Education maintains inequality by favoring privileged groups.

Flashcard 83: What is the conflict theory view of the family?

Answer: Reproduces inequality through power and resource differences. Family reinforces gender roles and economic disparities.

Flashcard 84: What is the definition of a nuclear family in sociology?

Answer: Two parents and their children living in one household. The traditional Western family unit, distinct from extended kinship networks.

Flashcard 85: What is a single-parent family?

Answer: A family in which one parent is the primary caregiver. Single-parent families often result from divorce, death, or choice, placing sole responsibility on one adult for child-rearing and household management.

Flashcard 86: What is the credentialist (credentialism) perspective on education?

Answer: Degrees signal status and gatekeep jobs more than skills. Emphasizes credentials as social sorting rather than skill building.

Flashcard 87: Which term describes unequal school resources due to neighborhood tax bases?

Answer: Structural inequality in school funding (resource stratification). Property taxes fund schools, creating rich vs. poor district disparities.

Flashcard 88: What is social reproduction as applied to educational systems?

Answer: Intergenerational transmission of class status via schooling. Schools perpetuate existing social inequalities.

Flashcard 89: What is tracking (ability grouping) in schools?

Answer: Separating students into academic levels based on perceived ability. Can reinforce inequality through differential expectations and resources.

Flashcard 90: What is the functionalist view of education's role in society?

Answer: Socialization and role allocation to maintain social stability. Schools prepare workers and sort people into social roles.

Flashcard 91: What is the definition of the achievement gap in education?

Answer: Persistent group differences in academic outcomes. Often measured by test scores, graduation rates by race/class.

Flashcard 92: What is the nuclear family structure?

Answer: Two parents and their dependent children in one household. The nuclear family represents the basic unit in modern industrial societies, emphasizing independence and mobility while focusing on child-rearing within a conjugal household.

Flashcard 93: What is a blended family?

Answer: Family formed by remarriage that includes step-relations. Combines children from previous relationships into one household.

Flashcard 94: What is stereotype threat in academic testing situations?

Answer: Performance impairment from fear of confirming a negative group stereotype. Anxiety about stereotypes can reduce test performance in stigmatized groups.

Flashcard 95: What is the definition of the achievement gap in education?

Answer: Persistent group differences in academic performance outcomes. Often measured by test scores, graduation rates, or college enrollment.

Flashcard 96: What is the symbolic interactionist focus in classroom education?

Answer: Meaning-making through labels, expectations, and interactions. How daily interactions shape educational experiences.

Flashcard 97: What is the key claim of symbolic interactionism about schooling?

Answer: Everyday labels and interactions shape student identity and outcomes. Micro-level interactions create educational realities.

Flashcard 98: Identify the parenting style: low warmth and high control.

Answer: Authoritarian parenting. Emphasizes obedience and discipline over emotional connection.

Flashcard 99: What concept states that schools teach obedience, punctuality, and hierarchy for work?

Answer: Hidden curriculum. Implicit lessons about workplace behavior taught through school structure.

Flashcard 100: What is the conflict theory view of education's main societal role?

Answer: Reproducing inequality and legitimizing elite power. Schools serve dominant groups by maintaining status quo power structures.