Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to social concepts, group dynamics, evolution, and kinship, derived from the lecture notes.

Social Groups

People who share the same norms and regularly interact with each other.

Social Aggregates

A group of people who happen to be in the same place.

Social Categories

People who share a common characteristic without interacting or identifying with one another.

Primary Groups

People who share an intimate and personal relationship.

Secondary Groups

Formal and impersonal groups, such as employee-employer or teacher-student.

Formal Group

Intentionally formed to carry out a specific purpose.

Informal Group

Unintentionally formed out of random interaction.

Open Group

A social group that is available to everyone.

Closed Group

A social group that is exclusive to a selected number of people.

Interest Group

A group that protects and promotes its members' trade, interests, and well-being.

Pressure Group

A private sector group that influences public views.

Task Group

A group formed for the specific purpose of completing a task.

In-Group

A social group whose members share a sense of loyalty and solidarity.

Out-Group

A group that is seen as odd or different from the in-group.

Minority Group

A group that is less dominant in terms of size, status, and degree of influence.

Reference Group

A group used as a standard to judge oneself or others.

Social Evolution

The development and change of social organizations over time.

Political Evolution

The process by which leadership changes over time.

Paleolithic Period

The era characterized by hunting and gathering societies.

Neolithic Period

The era marked by the domestication of plants and animals.

Agricultural Society

A society characterized by settled farming and the plow.

Industrial Revolution

The period marked by the development of machines and urbanization.

Post-Industrial Society

A society characterized by the rise of service jobs and the information age.

Natural Selection

The process through which species evolve based on survival and reproduction.

Homologous Structures

Anatomical features that share a common ancestry despite differences in function.

Kinship

Relationships based on social ties, blood, marriage, or adoption.

Monogamy

The practice of being married to one person at a time.

Polygamy

The practice of having more than one spouse.

Exogamy

The practice of marrying outside of one's family or social group.

Endogamy

The practice of marrying within one's family or social group.

Nuclear Family

A family unit consisting of two adults and their children.

Extended Family

A family unit that includes relatives beyond the nuclear family.

Blended Family

A family consisting of parents and children from previous relationships.

Patrilocal Residence

A living arrangement where a married couple lives with the husband's family.

Matrilocal Residence

A living arrangement where a married couple lives with the wife's family.

Ambilocal Residencies

A living arrangement where a married couple moves in with or near either spouse's family.