Sociological Research, Activism, and Economic Inequality

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from sociological research methods, types of social activism and movements, economic inequality theories, healthcare disparities, and U.S. immigration history.

Empirical evidence

Knowledge based on evidence from the real world.

Reflexivity (Definition 2)

The issue of whether one is open to evidence or if they have already made up their mind based on ideology.

Positivism

An objective approach to research focused on uncovering natural laws.

Verstehen

A subjective understanding of the experience of the participants in a study.

Ethnography

The study of a group's culture, particularly utilizing the participant observer method.

Praxis

Karl Marx's term for activism or the intentional effort to create change.

Clictivism (Slactivism)

A form of digital activism where an individual endorses a cause by "liking," upvoting, or following a post; characterized as remote and requiring few resources.

Metavoicing

The act of sharing, retweeting, or commenting on another's post to reinforce ideas and values within an echo chamber.

Botivism

The use of virtual applications or "bots" to prod action, request money, or share information.

Data activism

Efforts by volunteers to rescue, preserve, and disseminate open data when governments refuse to share or attempt to remove it.

Social Movement

An organized group that acts with continuity and cooperation to promote or resist change in society.

Mass Society Theory

A theory by Kornhauser suggesting that modern anomie makes individuals feel alienated and more likely to take extreme action against elites.

Relative Deprivation Theory

The assertion that people join social movements to obtain resources, rights, or status they feel deprived of within their society.

Resource Mobilization Theory

Mayer Zald's theory exploring how movements gain momentum by garnering resources and competing with other movements.

New Social Movement Theory

William Gamson's theory that stresses cultural factors and the importance of meaning systems and identity formation in collective action.

Hull House

A settlement house founded in $1889$ by Jane Addams that offered food, shelter, and education.

Macro Sociology

A level of analysis that examines whole societies.

Meso Sociology

A mid-range level of analysis that examines social institutions such as family, education, and economy.

Micro Sociology

A level of analysis that examines the individual in the context of groups.

Invisible Hand

Adam Smith's concept that in a free market, an unseen force guides participants to trade in a mutually beneficial manner without regulation.

Gini Coefficient

A measurement of income inequality where $0$ represents perfect equality and $1.0$ represents one person holding all the wealth; a score above $0.5$ is considered bad.

Amenable Mortality

A measure of healthcare quality based on deaths that could have been prevented by timely and effective care.

Structural Inequities

The systematic disadvantage of one social group over another through policy, law, and governance.

Social Determinants of Health

Conditions in social environments such as housing, education, and employment that affect health risks and outcomes.

Nativism

Discrimination against the foreign-born, often manifesting as attempts to exclude or force assimilation.

Acculturation

An alternative to nativism where an individual acquires language and cultural fluency while retaining key elements of their original culture.

Hart-Celler Act (1965)

The Immigration and Nationality Act that shifted the origin of immigrants by favoring family reunification and high skill levels.

DACA

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; a policy established in $2012$ providing no deportation for those who arrived in the U.S. as minors.