Social Identity Terms

Caricature

A drawing that makes someone look funny or foolish because some part of the person’s appearance is exaggerated.

Slur

A derogatory or insulting term applied to a particular group of people (i.e. racial slur, ethnic slur)

Intersectionality

a sociological framework that explains how social identities overlap and create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege

Ethnocentrism

Judging other culture through the lens of you own

Cultural Relativism

The idea that different cultures are equal and valid

Prejudice

Preconceived opinions of someone with no reason or experience; prejudgement

Stereotype

A widely held but fixed and oversimplified idea of a person or thing

Dehumanization

The act of taking away someone’s human qualities 

Cycles of Oppression*

If given the chance, the oppressed will often become the oppressor.   

Social Identity

A person’s knowledge of belonging to certain social groups

Race

Often defined by biological characteristics yet simplistically reduced to continents or colors.  

Ethnicity

Often identified by ancestral backgrounds which may or may not be associated with countries;  Includes cultural elements*.

Nationality

Being a citizen of a particular nation or country.  

Sexual orientation

A person’s identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are sexually attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc.  

Gender Identity

A person’s innate sense of their gender

Ability Status

One’s physical or mental ability to perform everyday tasks

Religious Worldview

Often as simple as identifying with a particular religion, but as complicated as determining belief in supernatural powers, sacred vs. non-sacred items, belief in an afterlife, etc.  

Social Class

Groups of people determined by money, shared values, education levels, etc.  

Secular

Non-religious

Non-Secular

Religious

Push/Pull Factors

Reasons why people leave their country (push) AND reasons why people are drawn to a new country (pull) 

Xenophobia

Fear of foreigners

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants

Cultural Representation

How cultures, identities, and experiences are portrayed in media and society

Cultural Assimilation

When a cultural group adopts the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group (often the dominant culture)

Cultural

When members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way. 

Religion

The belief in and worship of a superhuman power, especially a god or gods

Philosophy

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially as an academic discipline

Difference between religion and philosophy?

They both attempt to answer the BIG questions in life, religions accomplish this with a deity, philosophies don’t.  

Deism (Deist)

The belief in the existence of god, but not necessarily a religion associated with it

Atheism (Atheist)

The belief that there is no higher power or god

Agnosticism (Agnostic)

The idea that there may or may not be a higher power or god