Community
a group of people who share a common interest, ecology, and locality, or a social system/structure
Ethnicity
a social group is connected by a shared understanding of cultural identity
Family
a term describing a range of meanings in terms of people's relatedness and connection; may refer to a domestic situation or household, or a wider kinship network
Ideology
a group of people's system of social and moral values; a commitment to central values
Kinship
the web/pattern of social relationships that connect people through descent, marriage, or other forms of social connection
Nation-State
a politically legitimate, bounded geographical area; a state is a political and geographical entity, and a nation is a cultural one, so the two coincide
Reproduction
the transmission of existing cultural values and norms and other societal aspects from generation to generation
Personhood
the culturally constructed concept of the individual human being- the "self"
Socialization
the process through which a person learns how to become an accepted member of society through agents such as family, peers, and media
Enculturation
transmission of one culture to another via the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of the other culture
Acculturation
cultural change related to contact with another culture
Belief & Knowledge
a set of shared convictions, values and viewpoints regarded as “the truth” by members of a social group; supported by cultural experiences
Culture
an organized and shared system of symbols, ideas, belief, and materials that humans in a group create to provide structure for their physical and social lives
Change
alteration/modification of social or cultural elements in a society
Power
a person or group's capacity to influence, manipulate, or control others and others' resources
Symbolism
the study of the deeper meaning that people give to objects, actions, and processes that helps create a culture's sense of meaning
Materiality
the objects, resources, or belongings a person of group of people value that are involved in social relationships and practices that have cultural significance
Social Relations
The way that two or more people interact in a social setting or with a larger network
Identity
The personal view an individual holds about themselves, as well as the external view a group holds about the individual; can also refer to the shared perception of a group of people
Society
the ways that people organize and function in and as groups, which are sustained by social relationships
Race
socially constructed category of identification of people based on physical characteristics, ancestry, historical affiliation, or shared culture.
Commodification
The transformation of goods and services, as well as concepts that normally may not be considered goods, into a commodity, something of value.
Embodiment
The process by which people incorporate biologically the social and material world in which they live. A person knows, feels, and thinks about the social world through the body.
Habitus
Pierre Bourdieu holds that socialized norms guide people’s behavior and thinking. These become lasting tendencies to think, feel and act in certain ways in particular social situations.
Personhood
Culturally constructed concept of the individual human being, the “self”.
Subjectivity
An anthropologist’s perspective in writing and cultural interpretation of others is guided by their own background and experience.
The body (AOK)
The body as it differs across cultures may be viewed as an anthropological problem. Anthropologists investigate its use, value, and limits. It may be considered not just as a biological fact or a cultural construction, but also as an ontological problem that makes us rethink bodies in terms of space, time and matter.
The Other
Anthropologists use this term to describe the way people who are members of a particular social group perceive other people who are not members; may be negative.
The self
the socially constructed understanding of individual and cultural identity that, in people’s thinking, distinguishes them from “the Other”.
Authority
Power exercised with consent
Conflict (AOK)
Disagreements between individuals, groups, cultures or societies that may result from differences in interests, values or actions
Belonging (AOK)
Consensus
Cultural values and beliefs are learned and shared to a significant extent across a society with a general level of agreement about these values and beliefs
Govermentality
The way in which the state exercises control over the population
Hegemony
Cultural or political dominance of one social group over others; cultural processes through which the ruling classes maintain their power
Ideology
System of social and moral ideas of a group of people; a commitment to central values
Resistance
Social groups’ refusal to accept or attempts to modify change in its apparent forms
Social control
Any means used to maintain behavioral norms and regulate conflict
State
an organized political community living under a single system of government