Social Studies 30-1 Unit 1

Collective identity

The identity that you share with other people as a member of a large social group, such as a linguistic, faith, cultural, or ethnic group

Beliefs and values

Important aspects of identity that influence behavior and choices, and that guide people in their interactions with others and how they view the world

Ideology

A set of principles or ideas that explains your world and your place within it, which is based on certain assumptions about human nature and society and provides an interpretation of the past, and explanation of the present, and a vision for the future

Karl Marx

called religion the "opiate of the masses", claiming that the spiritual comfort of religion prevented oppressed peoples from seeking political change

Progressivism

A movement towards better conditions for the average person

Self-reliance

The quality of being solely responsible for one's own well-being

Common good

The good of a community; something that benefits the public health, safety, and/or well-being of society as a whole

Individualism

A current of thinking that values the freedom and worth of the individual, sometimes over the security and harmony of the group

Rule of law

A key principle in liberal democracies that states that every individual is equal before the law and all citizens are subject to the law

Individual rights and freedoms

A key principle of individualism and an important feature of liberal democracies, examples include freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the right to life, liberty, and the security of person

Private property

Something that is owned by an individual, including real estate, other forms of physical possessions and intellectual property; the right to the protection of private property is a central principle of liberalism and is seen as a natural extension of the concept of the worth of each individual

Economic freedom

The freedom to buy what you want and sell your labour, or product to whomever you wish

Free market

A market that operates with limited government intervention; in a free market economy, question regarding production and marketing of goods and services are decided through the free interaction of producers and consumers

Welfare state

A state in which the economy is capitalist, but the government uses policies that directly or indirectly modify the market forces in order to ensure economic stability and a basic standard of living for its citizens, usually through social programs

Self-interest

One's personal interest or advantage

Competition

The act or instance of competing or contending with others; competition is seen as an incentive for individuals and groups to work harder and more efficiently

Adam Smith

saw individual self-interest as an "invisible hand" that guides individuals to contribute for the common good of everyone

Collectivism

A current of thinking that values the goals of the group and the common good over the goals of any one individual

Economic equality

A principle common to collectivist ideologies which can have different meanings depending on the person or the ideology; government may try to foster economic equality through tax policies and by ensuring that all people earn equal wages for work of similar value

Progressive taxation

People who earn more money are taxed at a higher rate

Co-operation

Working together to the same end; a principle emphasized by collectivist ideologies

Public property

Anything not privately owned by individuals; generally speaking, public property is owned by the state or the community, and managed according to the best interest of the community

Collective interest

The set of interest that members of a group have in common; the principle of collective interest states that while individual members may have individual interests, these interests are often better addressed by making them a common set of interests that the group can address together

Collective responsibility

Building a whole group or collective responsible for the actions of individuals (or individual groups) within the group or collective

Adherence to collective norms

Faithful observance of the norms or standards imposed on members of a group as a condition of membership in the group; these norms can relate to conduct, values, or appearance

Capitalism

An economic system that is based on a belief in competition, private property, and the value of obtaining wealth

Conservatism

An ideology based on preserving society as it is, without making change towards greater freedom or equality

Liberalism

A collection of ideologies all committed to the principle of the dignity and freedom of the individual as the foundation for society; liberalism has faith in human progress and tends to favour decentralized power, both in political and economic affairs, and respect for the sovereignty of the reasoning individual

Communism

A system of society with property vested in the community and each member working for the common benefit according to his or her capacity and receiving according to his or her needs

Socialism

Any ideology that contains the belief that resources should be controlled by the public for the benefit of everyone in society, and not by private interests for the benefit of private owners and investors

Reactionary

Tending to oppose change; a reactionary change in a political regime often idealizes the past and accepts economic inequality

Radical

Favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms.