sociology key terms

key terms for sociology a level

sociology

sociology

understanding the views of society throughout human experiences

norms

rules that govern behaviour in society

values

beliefs about what is right and wrong in a particular society

gender

socially constructed characteristics of men and women

sex

biological and physiological characteristics of males and females

socialisation

the process of learning the norms and values of a culture

stratisfaction

putting people into groups e.g. social class

ascribed status

social status of a person assigned at birth e.g. sex

achieved status

social position that a person can acquire on the basic of merit and is earned or chosen e.g. a job

economic power

money, property and other assets

social capital

the collective value of all ‘social networks’ and the inclinations that arises from these networks to do things for each other

cultural capital

refers to non financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means

ethnicity

common culture shared by a social group

minority ethnic group

people that share a cultural identity that is different from that of the majority population

canalisation

how you’re directed to play as a child based your gender

self

how you perceive yourself

family

groups of people related by blood, marriage or adoption

household

people who live together

nuclear family

two parents of opposite sex and the average number of children in society

extended families

grandparents (vertical), aunts/uncles (horizontal)

beanpole families

multiple small generational families

same sex families

two parents with the same sex

reconstituted families

step-family

lone parent family

single parent with the majority care of the children

empty nest families

two parents with children who have left home

living apart-together families

in a committed relationship but don’t live together

cohabitation

living together in a sexual relationship but aren’t married

households of multiple occupancy

unrelated people living together e.g. care homes

single person

someone living alone e.g. widow

collective conscience

shared ideas of good and bad