Chapter 13 SOCL120 OER WITH WORKBOOK

Church

large, bureaucratically organized religious organization that is closely integrated into the larger society

Credential society

a society in which eligibility for work is dependent upon the attainment of a degree or diploma

Conflict theory on education

education promotes social inequality through the use of tracking, standardized testing and the hidden curriculum

Conflict theory on religion

Religion reinforces and promotes social inequality by convincing lower status groups to accept the status quo

Cult

a small religious organization that is at great odds with the norms and values of the larger society

Debunking motif

looking beyond the on-the-surface understandings of social reality and recognizing the value of alternative sociological understandings

De facto segregation

segregation not mandated by law, rather it is driven by demographic patterns

De jure segregation

segregation mandated by law (e.g., the South prior to 1954)

Denomination

large, bureaucratic religious organization that is closely integrated into the larger society but is not a formal part of the state

Ecclesia

large, bureaucratic religious organization that is a formal part of the state and has most or all of a state's citizens as its members

Education

a social institution through which a society teaches its members the skills, knowledge, norms, and values they need to learn to become good, productive members of their society

Faith

an acceptance of religious mysteries that defy common sense, logic or science

Formal education

often referred to as schooling, and as this term implies, it occurs in schools under teachers, principals and other specially trained professionals

Functionalist theory on education

education serves functions for society, including socialization, social integration, social placement and social and cultural innovation

Functionalist theory on religion

religion serves functions for society, including giving meaning and purpose to life, reinforcing social unity and stability, serving as an agent of social control, promoting physical and psychological well-being and motivating people to work for social change

Grade Inflation

a practice of awarding students higher grades than they have earned

Hidden curriculum

what conflict theorists call part of the schooling process that gets children accept, without questioning the dominant cultural values of the society in which the schools are found

Informal education

may occur almost anywhere, but for young children it has traditionally occurred primarily in the home, with their parents as their instructors

Matriculation

enrolling in a college or university

Monotheism

religious belief in only one god

New religious movement

a small religious organization that is greatly at odds with the norms and values of the larger society

Polytheism

religious belief in two or more gods

Profane beliefs

beliefs about things that are associated with daily life, and have no religious connotation

Religion

a set of beliefs and practices regarding sacred things that help a society understand the meaning and purpose of life

Religiosity

the significance of religion in a person's life

Religious affiliation

a term that can mean actual membership in a church or synagogue, or just a stated identification with a particular religion whether or not someone actually belongs to a local house of worship

Religious conservatism

a doctrine combining religious and political beliefs which emphasizes traditional beliefs and practices

Rituals

stylized and formal procedures, such as prayers, burning incense or saying chants

Sacred beliefs

beliefs about things that are supernatural and awe-inspiring

Sect

relatively small religious organization that has splintered off from another religion, that is not closely integrated into the larger society and that often conflicts with at least some of its norms and values

Secularization

the weakening importance of religion in a society, as it plays less of a role in people's lives, as they are less guided in their daily behavior by religious beliefs

Self-fulfilling prophecy

a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the originally false conception come true

Social and cultural innovation

important scientific discoveries and great works of art, poetry, and prose

Social integration

teaching student a common set of beliefs and values

Socialization

the process by which we learn our culture

Social Networks

the totality of relationships that link us to other people and groups and through them to still other people and other groups

Social placement

the placement students by teachers and other school officials either as bright and motivated or as less bright and even educationally challenged

Symbolic interaction theory on education

social interaction in schools affects the development of gender roles and teachers' expectations of students' intellectual abilities affect how much pupils learn

Symbolic interaction theory on religion

beliefs and practices are sacred only when people regard them as such, and once they are regarded as such, beliefs and practices take on special significance and give meaning to people's lives

Zero sum game

a situation where one group's gain necessarily means another group's loss