Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Study of Social Inequality

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, theories, and concepts from Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Study of Social Inequality.

Social inequality

The unequal distribution of valued and scarce resources among individuals or groups within or between societies.

Wealth

Economic resources, income, and property owned by individuals or groups.

Prestige

Social respect, status, or esteem granted to individuals or positions by society.

Power

The ability of an individual or group to influence or control others.

Peter Berger's idea

The sociological perspective that 'things are not what they seem,' emphasizing that personal experience may not accurately represent society as a whole.

Objectivity

The practice of temporarily setting aside personal opinions and values when studying a social issue to evaluate evidence impartially.

Empirical substantiation

Supporting claims with observable evidence or data—such as census data, surveys, interviews, and statistics—that can be investigated and verified.

Aggregate regularities

Patterns of behavior that appear repeatedly among groups of people, allowing sociologists to identify group-level probabilistic trends.

Description (Sociological Inquiry)

The objective of sociological inquiry focused on asking 'What is happening?' by gathering facts about social phenomena such as resource distribution.

Explanation (Sociological Inquiry)

The objective of sociological inquiry focused on asking 'Why is it happening?' by uncovering reasons for structural patterns and persistence.

Prescription (Sociological Inquiry)

The objective of sociological inquiry focused on asking 'What should be done?' regarding potential solutions, social change, and public policy.

Structural factors

Social institutions, organizations, labor markets, and groups that influence individuals' opportunities, behaviors, and outcomes.

Sociological imagination

C. Wright Mills's concept describing the ability to connect individual personal troubles to larger public issues and social structures.

Personal trouble

An individual problem occurring within the character of the individual and their direct relationships, such as a single person being unemployed.

Public issue

A widespread problem rooted in social institutions and historical structures, such as high unemployment rates caused by economic conditions.

Social differentiation

Horizontal diversity or differences among social roles and groups without ranking one as superior or inferior to another.

Social stratification

The vertical ranking of people or groups into a hierarchy based on unequal access to wealth, prestige, and power.

Social class

Groups of people who share approximately similar income, occupational standing, and economic positions in society.

Structured inequality

Systemic inequality built into major social institutions (government, economy, education) causing advantage or disadvantage to persist across generations.

Inequality of condition

Differences in people's actual living conditions, outcomes, or current material resources.

Inequality of opportunity

Differences in people's structural chances of obtaining resources, such as access to quality education, healthcare, and housing.

Life chances

Max Weber's term for the structural opportunities people have to obtain valued social and economic resources.

Ideology

A system of beliefs and values that explains, justifies, and maintains a society's system of social inequality.

Legitimation

The social process through which a system of inequality comes to be accepted by the population as fair, natural, or legitimate.

Social mobility

The movement of individuals or entire groups up or down the social stratification hierarchy.

Individual mobility

Movement of a single person to a different social position relative to their starting point, such as moving from poverty to a professional career.

Group mobility

Movement in which an entire collective alters its social ranking through social movements, such as the civil rights or women's movement.

Equity

The fair distribution of society's rewards and resources, addressing the central question of 'Who should get what?'

Liberty

The freedom of individuals to pursue their personal interests and retain the rewards of their individual efforts.

Libertarian view (Robert Nozick)

A political philosophy emphasizing individual freedom and voluntary exchange, arguing a distribution is fair if individuals are entitled to what they acquire.

Egalitarian view (John Rawls)

A political philosophy asserting that social inequalities are acceptable only if they work to the benefit of the least advantaged members of society.