Social Studies Glossary Review

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering political systems, historical terms, and Canadian sociological concepts.

Aboriginal people

A collective name for the original inhabitants of an area and their descendants (plural: Aboriginals), which can be used interchangeably with the word "indigenous".

Indians, Métis, and Inuit

The three groups of Aboriginal peoples recognized by the Canadian Constitution (The Constitution Act, $1982$) as separate peoples with unique heritages, languages, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs.

Absolute monarch

A king or queen who has unlimited autocratic power over a territory and its people (subjects), making all decisions after inheriting the position or taking it by force.

Absolute poverty

A condition where basic necessities of life including food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, and hygiene are not available.

Alienation

The feeling of being cut off or isolated from other people, groups, or regions, often occurring when a group believes they have been ignored or mistreated by the majority.

Alliance

A joining together of countries for mutual benefit, which can be military (such as NATO) or economic (such as NAFTA).

Ancien Régime

A term meaning "Old Regime" that refers to the feudal conditions that existed in France before the French Revolution.

Anglophone

An English-speaking person.

Apartheid

A discriminatory political system in South Africa from $1948$ until the early $1990\text{s}$ that separated persons by colour and denied black citizens rights such as voting and high-paying jobs.

Appeasement

A policy of avoiding war by giving in to the demands or actions of an aggressor nation, such as Britain and France's policy toward Adolf Hitler before World War II.

Aristocracy

A small privileged class of people, also known as nobility, who held high social rank, power, and wealth by birth in European feudal societies.

Armistice

A temporary truce or ceasefire during a war while a peace agreement is negotiated.

Assimilate

To bring an individual into a group in a way that minimizes or eliminates differences, a policy used to integrate Aboriginal peoples into Canadian culture during the first $100$ years of the nation.

Asymmetrical federalism

The concept that Canadian provinces and territories do not necessarily need to divide power with the federal government in the same manner.

Authoritarianism

A form of government where the state is glorified above the individual and the ruler acts as a dictator, promoting strict obedience to authority.

Autocratic

A style of rule where the leader has absolute control over people's lives and the citizens have little or no say in their government.

Autonomous

Independent of the laws of another state or government; being self-governing.

Balance of power

A situation where the relative strength of neighbouring states is essentially equal, discouraging any one nation from endangering the independence of others through war.

Balkanization

The process of breaking up a place or country into several small, often unfriendly political units, named after the Balkan region of Europe.

Bilateralism

Economic trade or diplomatic relations conducted between two specific countries.

Bilingualism

The policy of recognizing French and English as the two official languages in Canada, with federal services offered in both.

Bourgeoisie

A social structure comprising the middle class, specifically referring to members of the Third Estate in the context of France.

Boycott

To refuse to deal with an organization or country as a form of protest against its actions or policies.

Charter

A document that outlines the purpose, structure, and rules of an organization.

Circumpolar

Located in or relating to one of the polar regions.

Civic nation

A nation based on shared political values or beliefs where the ethnic, cultural, or religious background of citizens is not the primary foundation.

Civic responsibility

The obligation of a citizen to be involved in their democratic society, including being informed on issues, community involvement, and voting.

Civil disobedience

The act of intentionally breaking the laws or rules that govern a society.

Civil liberty

Rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens in a constitution, such as freedom of speech, religion, the right to vote, and legal equality.

Civil society

Non-profit organizations unrelated to government or business, such as community or religious groups, that allow individuals to help others.

Clergy

The officials of a religious organization, such as priests and bishops in the Catholic church or ministers and pastors in Protestant churches.

Cold War

A period of tension between $1945-1991$ primarily between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union, marked by the threat of nuclear war.

Collective identity

The shared characteristics of a group of people, such as the shared identity of all Canadian citizens.

Collective security

An agreement where groups of nations join forces in an alliance to protect one another from attack, such as NATO's original protection from the Soviet Union.

Colony

A territory directly controlled by a foreign country, as Canada was to Great Britain before $1867$.

Commonwealth of Nations

An organization of former colonies of the British Empire grouped together to foster friendship and cooperation.

Communism

A political and economic system where a single party owns all property and controls the production and distribution of goods and social life.

Confederation

The uniting of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the country of Canada in $1867$, with other provinces and territories joining later.

Conscientious objector

Someone who refuses to participate in military service or bear arms based on religious or moral principles.

Conscription

Compulsory military service, historically also known as the "draft".

Conservatism

A belief that society should maintain traditional ways and change slowly through existing systems, currently supporting capitalism and limited government intervention.

Constitution

A set of rules or laws determining how a country is run, defining government structure, territory, and law-making processes.

Constitutional monarchy

A system of government where a monarch's power is limited by a constitution, meaning they must abide by rules set by an elected parliament.

Context

The circumstances, situation, or historical background that help inform the understanding of an event or issue.

Coronation

The ceremony of crowning a monarch and the legal recognition of a king or queen.

Cosmopolitan

Characterized by being open to and borrowing ideas and values from many different countries or cultures.

Country

A territory with an independent government and internationally-recognized borders whose citizens share a common set of values and beliefs.

Cultural diffusion

The spreading of values, customs, and traditions from one culture to other cultures.

Culture

The learned and shared way of life of a group, including heritage, language, religion, politics, economics, technology, and art.

Demagogue

A leader who gains power by making impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the people.

Détente

A policy that utilizes diplomacy and mediation to decrease tensions between different countries.

Deux Nations

The belief that Canada has two founding nations, Britain and France, used by Quebec politicians to seek concessions from the federal government.

Dictator

A ruler with absolute authority and power over a country and its citizens, usually obtaining their position through force.

Diplomacy

The process where government agents (diplomats) speak with other countries to negotiate treaties and alliances peacefully.

Distinct society

The descriptive idea that Quebec is a unique society within Canada due to its language and civil law.

Divine right of kings

The theory that a monarch's right to rule is received directly from God rather than from the people.

Domestic policy

The methods used by a country to deal with internal affairs and things happening inside its own borders.

Economic nationalist

A person who believes a country's economy should be protected from external competition, often through the use of tariffs.

Egalitarianism

A belief in human equality across social, political, legal, and economic rights and privileges.

Emigré

A person who has "migrated out" of a country, often as a political self-exile, such as French nobility during the Revolution.

Enemy alien

A foreigner or citizen of a specific ethnic origin living in a country that is at war with their home nation, often leading to the removal of their civil liberties.

Enfranchisement

The act of being given the right to vote.

Enlightenment

An $18^{\text{th}}$-century European philosophical movement that advocated reason and science as the primary basis of authority and social values.

Equalization payments

An economic program where the federal government redistributes money from wealthier provinces to poorer ones.

Xenophobia

An unreasonable fear, distrust, or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or anything perceived as different.