sociology SOCIAL STRATIFICATION key terms

affluence

having a lot of money and material possessions

aristocracy

a class of privileged people who have hereditary titles such as Duke, Lady and who are usually wealthy landowners

assimilation

the process by which immigrants abandon their own culture and adapt their behaviour to fit the norms and values from the dominant culture

asylum seeker

people who have left their country of origin and moved to another country in order to seek protection from persecution

authority

the exercise of power based on consent or agreement

bureaucracy

an organisation such as government department that operates as a hierarchy with a clear set of rules

bureaucratic authority

authority based on a set of rules that operate within a bureaucracy

caste

an example of a stratification system linked to Hinduism and operating in India. people are born into a particular case or strata and their social position is ascribed at birth

censorship

the control of information and ideas in a society often via governmental contorl of the press, TV and other menas of communication

charismatic authority

obedience based on a person’s charisma or exceptional personal qualities

class alignment

strong links between class and voting behaviour with working class people voting labour and middle class people voting conservative

class dealignment

weakening of the links between sociacl class and voting behaviour

class struggle

in a capitalist society, class conflict occurs between the bourgeoisie (owners of means of production) and the proletariat (the working class) who have competing interests

constituency

a specific are in which the constituents elect and MP to represent them in parliament

culture of dependency

a way of life that is centred on dependence on welfare benefits

cycle of deprivation

the idea that deprivation and poverty are passed on from parents to their children

deferantial

behaving in a way that shows respect to someone such as an elder or superior

dictatorship

political power is concentrated in the hands of a dictator who rules by force

direct action

a campaign to raise awareness on an issues such as climate change or tax avoidance. tactics include occupying building such as a shop or banks

elite

a group that has the most power in a society based on its wealth or privilege

embourgeoisement

working class families are becoming middle class in thier norms and values as their incomes and standards of living improve

environmental poverty

a way of measuring deprivation in terms of conditions such as inadequate housing, lack of garden, inadequate outdoor play facilities and air pollution

false class consciousness

subordinate groups (lower in ranking groups) such as the proletariat suffer from false consciousness when they do not recognise that they are being exploited

fascism

right wing political ideas based on racism and natioanlism

feudalism

a stratification system in medieval Europe with the king or queen at the top. then Lords, the knights and the peasants at the bottom

first past the post

(electoral system)

an electoral system based on winner takes all. the candidate with the highest number of votes wins the seat

gatekeeper

(mass media)

the media professional (programme controllers, editors and journalists) and owners who decide what gets covered and it is presented

industrial dispute

a disagreement between employers and employees over issues such as hours, pay and work conditions

left and right wing

a term to describe political parties, ideas and movements. left wing includes communism and socialists, right wing is conservatives and fascists

legal rational authority

a form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or a ruling regime is largely tied to leagal rationality, legal legitimacy and bureaucracy. this means that a leader has to stick to the laws and most modern society has this type of thinking

liberal democratic values

a set of values (such as valuing freedom of speech, movement and information) associated with represantative democracies

lumpenproletariat

a social class made up of the ‘drop-outs’ and criminals of society

market situation

(in relation to Weber on class)

peoples position (e.g. their skills) in relation to the labour market. Weber saw class situation in terms of market situation

means of production

the raw materials and tools used in the production process. under capitalism, these include property, factories and machinery

means testing

a means test is used to establish that a claimant is in financial need before they receive financial help from the state

multiculturalism

the view that the cultural differences between and identities of the various groups in a culturally diverse society should be respected and maintained

nation state

is a country where a distinct cultural or ethnic group inhabits a territory and have formed a state that they predominantly govern, instead of one that contains lots of different nationalities

neo-conservatism

a political perspective that believes in the traditional values and aims to change the moral and culturall fabric of society

neo-liberalism

switching control from the public sector to the provide sector. it allows for free market capitalisation

new social movement

loosely organised groups that aim to bring about social change. exmaples include animal rights, environmental and gay rights groups, many are global rather than national movements

oligarchy

a small group of powerful individuals who control an organisation or a country usually to further their own interests

petty bourgeoisie

a social class made up of owners of small businesses

political party

an organisation such as the labour or conservative party that has policies on a range of issues (such as education and crime) seeks to win an election and form a government

political socialisation

the process by which people acquire their political beliefs, values and preferences. agencies include the media, families and workplaces

poverty trap

people can be trapped in poverty if an increase in income reduces the benefits they are entitled to. for example, an employed person receiving means-tested benefits could be worse off after a wage rise if they now earn too much to qualify for benefits

power

in social relationships between individuals (for example, between spouses or parents and children) or groups, power usually refers to the dominance and control of one individual or group over others

pressure groups

an interest group who share an interest and try to persuade the government to adopt a particular policy or to influence public opinion on an issue

proletarianisation

the idea that clerical workers have experienced downward mobility into the working class. their work has become less skilled and more routine and now resembles factory work

proportional representation

under this electoral system, seats are allocated according to the total number of vote that each party receives

ruling class ideology

a set of dominant ideas in society that distort reality and serve the interests of the bourgeoisie

selective benefits

means-tested welfare benefits that are targeted at those in greatest financial need rather than available to everyone, regardless of income and savings

social security

a government system that provides monetary assistance to people with an inadequate or no income

state standard of poverty

a measure of poverty based on the rates paid by the state, the level at which people are entitled to claim state benefits

subjective class

how people see or identify themselves in class terms

subjective poverty

when people see themselves as being poor

surplus wealth

the amount of wealth produced by individuals or organizations that exceeds their basic needs and expenses, often leading to economic disparity

trade union

an organisation of employees or workers that protects and promotes its members’ interests in the workplace

traditional authority

a type of authority in which obedience is based on custom and tradition

underclass

can refer to a group whose norms and values are different from those of mainstream society. it ccan also refer to people who experience long-term poverty and who are unable to earn a living

under-employment

a situation in which workers are employed at less than full time and aare willing and available to work more hours than they currently do

universal benefits

welfare benefits that are available to everyone, regardless of their income and savings, rather than targeted at those in most financial need

welfare benefits

financial support such as income support provided by the state to help those in need

welfare reform

changes to the way the welfare system operates, for instnace cutting or replacing state benefits

welfare scrounger / benefit cheat

people who claim benefits they are not entitled to

white collar worker

people in clerical, administrative or managerial jobs