questions Essay Exam 2 Soc 170
2. Describe
(1) The contagion process that the authors argue sustains residential segregation
What is reserving and recreating racial segregation
Reasons why people end up living in segregated areas
White report being comfortable in majority white neighborhoods, and blacks more
comfortable in integrated neighborhoods
Why cant people move out of these communities- language barriers, limited ability
for social mobility, cant afford to live in wealthier neighborhood, discrimination
in work force, job opportunities limited
Even in a world where people preferred to live in integrated neighborhoods, they
will ultimately reside in segregated ones
(2) The characteristics of families and the characteristics of neighborhoods that are
needed for this process to occur. (Process= racial segregation)
Characteristics of families
o Many families wish to remain part of community and culture
o Orthodox community- on Shabbat wont be in same environment, wont
trust people to watch your kids, wont be invited to thing
o When you move you have to start over and make new friends, get close to
neighbors
o Micro-economic idea- do you want to leave behind friends and family?
o Consider how wealthy your family? Who will you be surrounded by?
Characteristics of neighborhoods
o What is the neighborhood like- want a good school system
o Realtors show you certain neighborhoods because your black and some
neighborhoods are all white- wont show you
o Redlining discriminate against anyone when you are selling, leasing or
lending- taking people to certain houses based on race, etc.
o Community that doesnt follow fair housing laws
(3) What other actors (besides families and neighborhoods) have a role in this social
process?
Government- control development issues, create community when they place
projects somewhere, because projects are there, surrounding areas will have lower
property values, where they put highways, airports affects areas
o Have the ability to affect property values
Realtors- the houses that they choose to show you, against law, still occurs
Education- better school systems will be in wealthier areas
(4) Critique the audit process used to assess compliance with the Fair Housing Act
Fair Housing Act- you cant discriminate and show different people different places,
cant discuss characteristics of neighborhood like age, gender, race
Mystery shoppers- people sent in to make sure that realtors comply
Form of discrimination- what homes your shown, what are mortgage rates your
offered, pushed out of neighborhoods where your not wanted
3. Recent policy efforts aimed at tackling the obesity epidemic have considered two
options: subsidizing healthy food and taxing junk food.
(a) What evidence leads policymakers to these approaches? What alternative policy
solutions might be effective? Be specific and refer to the Finkelstein et al. (2005) reading
in your response.
Rise in obesity due to increased consumption of carbohydrates and fats and
decreased physical activity
What evidence leads them to these approaches?
o Economists first law of demand- decrease in price will increase
consumption of a certain food (FINKELSTEIN)
o Finkelstein- more people working behind desks, technological
advancements, we can work from home, more sedentary
o Proven scientifically that an increase in intake of sweetened beverages has
led to more fat in the body leading to higher health care costs, by taxing
these beverages it will lower their intake and therefore decrease the cost of
health care
o Psychology- people respond more to punishment then reward
o People make decisions based on short term gratification and not long term
consequences- tax will make them think more
o More taxes on these means more money that can be put to health care
Alternative policy solutions that may be effective
o Increased education- physical education and health classes
o Workplaces offering gym membership
o Weight loss competition
(b) Michael Marmot emphasizes the robust correlation between health and
socioeconomic status in most current-day populations. How might the two policy options
described above (taxation and subsidies) differentially affect families of higher and lower
socioeconomic status in the U.S.?
Higher socioeconomic status- wont affect them as much, unlimited funds to buy
foods that you want regardless of the price
Lower socioeconomic status- taxes and subsidies would have a big effect, dont
have the funds to buy the more expensive foods, probably more important to
government that they are the ones that stop in taking such high caloric food
because a lot of times the government is responsible for their health caf
Importance of choice- wealthy have the ability to buy whatever they want but may
prefer McDonalds over whole foods
4. Portes and Rumbaut (1996) describe the spatial concentration of immigrant flows
and the consistency of their destinations over time in the United States. The authors
argue that ethnic enclaves can be both advantageous and disadvantageous for the U.S.
population. In this essay, begin by describing the
(a) Advantages of ethnic enclaves for the individuals that live within them
Individuals have a range of social and moral resources that make for a sociological
well being as well as economic gain
Surrounded by people who are just like you
Strength numbers- in able to have a voice in political decisions
Human capital- know people already working there, more easily able to get a job in
that area, not about what you know, about who you know
Having a base where you already know people- to carpool with, to watch your kids
or do you another favor, can depend on them
(b) Advantages of ethnic enclaves for the larger population of the United States
Diversity- introduces different cultures to larger society
Because they all depend on each other and sustaining their own economy within
that community, their micro-economic community contributes to the macroeconomic economy, small part of the larger picture
Brings entrepreneurs- come looking for work and when they dont find it they
become self-starters, new ideas and technologies, human capital
Then consider recent evidence that emphasizes the new destinations of migrants within
the United States. Should we interpret this spatial dispersion as evidence of assimilation?
Why or why not?
Possible causes for movement- changing labor market, flooded markets in
concentrated areas, lack of job opportunity
NO NOT ASSIMILATION
o Forced migration- changing labor markets, looking for better lifestyle,
forced out of community
o Proposition 187- in California, medical system declared that any illegal
immigrant that walked into a hospital would receive no medical care, this
made immigrants feel unwelcome, nerve-wracking, fear that if something
happens to them or their kids there is no help
o Regrouping in different areas- not spreading out and dispersing, still
forming enclaves just in different places based on changes in society
5. Martin (2007), among others, has argued that labor migration can be a win-win-win
enterprise.
(1) Critique Martins writing on the development implications of labor migration.
Win-win-win theory
o Migrants benefit from higher wages
o Receiving country benefits because they now have young, unskilled
workers to stay in economy for long time, increases dependency ratio,
more working people that the old and young can depend on
o Country of origin benefits because as people move out of their job market,
others within the market who were unemployed get jobs, also returns and
remittances, get money sent back from migrant
Critiques
o Skilled migration may reduce the capacity of migration flows to fuel
development in sending regions- if we take the best doctors from a country
who is left to be doctors there, leave no skilled people there
Brain Drain- if we take out best doctors from a country, they
wasted their time and money and effort training them because they
end up being pulled out to another country
Investment in a childs education is wasted if they immigrate
elsewhere to use the skills they gained
o Does the experience of unskilled migrants constitute a win situation?
Can they match the high standard of living?
Can they even get a job?
Is life really better than their origin country?
What happens if they get deported?
(2) How well does Martins argument apply to forced migration?
In forced migration you may not want to move but ultimately the benefits of
moving are higher than the costs making it a win situation
(3) In what other ways are forced migration and development linked?
6. Link and Phelan (1995) develop a theory about the Fundamental Causes of Health.
(1) Describe their theory and its implications for efforts to eradicate health disparities.
Fundamental social cause of disease is availability of resources
You can only provide a short term solution for health disparities between the rich
and the poor, not long term
Implications for efforts to eradicate health disparities
o No matter what you do you can only come up with short term solutions
because everything changes with time, changes you make now wont
matter later
o Different policies will affect different groups of people in different ways,
policy that helps one group can hurt another
(2) How might natural disasters be incorporated into the Fundamental Causes theory?
Socioeconomic status determines how well you are able to respond to natural
disasters and being able to get relief
(3) Select either the Kahn (2005) study or the Elliot and Pais (2008) study and consider
whether the findings are consistent or inconsistent with the Fundamental Causes theory.
Kahn- rejects hypothesis that richer nations experience fewer shocks or lucky
enough to experience weaker disaster shocks than those experienced by poorer
nations
QUESTIONS FOR J.DOG:
1. Do natural disasters affect rich and poor equally? Isnt everybody helpless
a. Phase and elliot article- class affects peoples experience
2. The implications from Link and Phelan explain the variances among SES and long
term policy, is the only conclusion that there really is no solution?
a. Our public helath efforts to mitigate disparities in health across different
states or communities, we are trying to reduce slope,
b. Fundamental causes suggest that there will always be upward pressure on
slope
c. What is the value of our efforts to mitigate these disparities
3. Is forced migration a win-win-win situation?
a. Think about forced migration and economic on a continuim, people living
in poverty may be forced migrants as well, what kinds of forced migration
it applies to
4. Pages 84-88 could answer be on other pages?
SUPULSKY READING