Glossary

absolute

totally and completely; with unlimited power

and authority; undoubtedly or certainly; not

dependent on anything else; pure

aesthetic (need)

relating to an appreciation for something

that is beautiful; referring to art and its

appreciation; the need of people to be

surrounded by beautiful things, a need for

beauty

agreement

to agree or to have the same point of view; to

make a joint decision; to conclude a contract

based on a particular issue on which two or

more parties agree; a legally enforceable contract

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

– a syndrome of pathological conditions

characteristic in people who are HIV positive

and in whom the virus is active

analyse

to examine something in detail so as to

discover or identify its meaning and/or

properties; to divide something into its

constituent parts and to study it in this

manner; to analyse something

argue

to attempt to convince someone of something

by giving, discussing and setting out reasons

that support a particular point of view

authority

the right to make legal demands; authority

enables the rulers or their delegates to obtain

cooperation, based on the acceptance of legal

rules by everyone affected by them

by-law

a law or regulation that determines procedure

and behaviour; used to refer to legislation at

local government level

cause

something that has a particular effect or that

is used to bring about a certain effect; the underlying

reason for a specific phenomenon or

effect

citizen

a natural person who is a member of a state,

for example a citizen of South Africa

citizenship

refers to the relationship between the

individual and the state – membership of a

state which implies that the individual owing

loyalty to the state, whereas the state in turn

has to protect the individual; in democracies

citizenship is usually linked to the right to

vote

classes

a collection of people who assume the same

position in a society, for example the middle

class; a collection of items, things or needs

of the same ranking, for example different

classes of societal needs

classify

to divide things, items, persons, and so forth,

according to common features

collective

something that is characteristic of individuals

acting as a group, for example group

consciousness

collective services

services that apply to a large group of people,

based on similar and communal needs, for

example healthcare services, welfare services

collective action

something done by individuals acting as a

group, for example collective negotiations

collective

responsibility

when two or more people or groups are

jointly accountable for actions and decisions,

or have control and authority over something

commercial services

the private sector has responsibility for

delivery of such services – these services

are provided for commercial gain, they have

a unit price, and members who do not pay

for such services have no claim to receiving

these services; such services may also be

exhaustible, in other words they can be used

up

commonwealth

the people of a state or nation, viewed

politically; a community of states formed

through a voluntary association; an official

name for an association of sovereign states

at present or formerly ruled by Britain, for

example the commonwealth of nations;

the official name of the federated states of

Australia

community

a number of individuals forming a cohesive

group or unit – such cohesion arising from

a shared interest(s), for example a religious

community; sometimes used as synonym for

society

community health

health aspects characteristic of particular

groups of people; health aspects that are

characteristic of an area in which a particular

group of people live, for example weak teeth

as a result of a shortage of natural fluoride in

drinking water

competitive-free market

an economic system based on competitiveness

and competition to determine the best prices

for goods and services, as well as wages

comprehensive

something with a wide scope, or of

which the contents is complete, for

example a comprehensive report or the

comprehensiveness of the answer

concept

an abstract or general idea; a preliminary

outline of something that will subsequently

be refined and finalised

confederation

(adjective confederal)

a union of states loosely and voluntarily

connected in respect of matters such as

communal defence or economic cooperation

at regional level; states retain their autonomy,

and there is no central binding factor such as

the government in a federation

conclusion

a final deduction, opinion or judgement

formed after arguing a certain set of facts

consensus democracy

a democratic form of government in which

power is distributed among the government

and the political parties – executive power is

shared by members of a formal and informal

coalition consisting of different parties; the

executive authority does not have absolute

control over the legislative part of the

government; a multiparty system in which

elections are typically based on proportional

representation

constitutional monarchy

a government in which a king or queen rules

according to the provisions of a constitution;

there are extensive restrictions on the powers

of the monarch, and he or she is usually

bound by the decisions of a parliament or

cabinet

consumption

the effective utilisation of goods or services

criterion (plural criteria)

the specific standard or standards for judging

or determining something

culture

the ideas, customs and creations of a particular

community; the level of development of

a community; a specific civilisation at a

particular point in time

debate

to discuss or argue an issue in a formal

manner; to state and discuss opposing

points of view; debating usually takes place

according to strict rules which are determined

beforehand

define

to express a statement in different words; to

describe the nature of a particular thing; to

explain the exact meaning of something

definition

a statement explaining the meaning of a

word or phrase; a description of the essential

characteristics of something

democracy

a form of government in which political power

and authority are vested in all the people

and are exercised directly by themselves or

by their elected representatives – the state

and the institutions of the state are therefore

mere instruments to carry out the will of the

individual

demographic

based on population data, for example

statistics on births and deaths

describe

to give a detailed report of an event or a

person

dictatorship

absolute rule by an individual or a group

without being accountable to the general

population; this form of government is often

not bound by a constitution or legislation

and is often preceded by a coup d’état by the

military or a specific political party

difference(s)

characteristics that are not the same, when

comparing two or more issues, things,

phenomena

direct democracy

the original use of this concept refers to the

way in which democracy was practised in the

Greek city states – the citizens in a national

assembly make decisions on national affairs;

participatory democracy

distinguish

to indicate, recognise or discern a noticeable

difference between two or more comparable

things

distribution

the process whereby goods or services are

delivered to meet the demand; to transport

goods from the point of production to the

place where there is a demand for such goods

economic institutions

particular organisations and processes

focusing on economic issues, such as the

production of goods and services, their

distribution, ownership, the use of property,

and the extent of government control and

intervention in these issues

economic system

the collection of economic institutions,

such as the state departments dealing with

economic affairs, banks, and so forth, which

cooperate and function as a whole, although

individual institutions retain their own

character throughout – economic systems are

characterised in particular by their sensitivity

to changes in other areas, for example politics,

demographics, natural disasters, wars, and so

forth

economy

the financial state of a country, based

on production, distribution, sales and

consumption of goods and services; the way

in which a country earns money or generates

income; the system upon which a country’s

financial affairs have been based, for example

a market-centred economy; the scientific

study of production, distribution, sale and

consumption of goods and services

entrenchment

literal meaning refers to shielding and

protective measures to protect something of

special importance; protection of a certain

important issue, for example human rights

are entrenched in the constitution; firmly

establishing a particular important issue,

value, point of view, etcetera

explanation

to clearly set out an issue, point of view,

etcetera; to give an explanation; to clarify an

issue

factor(s)

an element that contributes to a result; a

collaborative force; contributing cause

family doctor

a medical practitioner who is usually

consulted by a person or family; a family

doctor has a broad general medical knowledge

and usually treats less serious illnesses

family planning

to fix the size of a family according to the

financial, material, emotional and mental

limitation of the family; limiting the number

of children in a family by using contraceptive

measures

government

all the people and public institutions who

exercise authority in and on behalf of a state;

a controlling body that has authority and

can exercise such authority, for example a

management, government or board; also

referring to the cabinet or executive council

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus – a virus

that suppresses and destroys immunity in the

human body

human scientist

an expert specialising in some field of

the humanities, for example sociology,

psychology or languages, and working for

example as a researcher, practitioner, and so

forth

identify

to single out or recognise something on the

basis of its specific characteristics; to establish

the identity, nature, features, characteristics

of someone or something

ideology

a collection of ideas and beliefs that are

peculiar to a particular person, group or

nation; the concept is often used in respect of

a collection of political or economic ideas

individual services

services providing in a particular, identifiable

need among a specific group of people, for

example a prominent politician such as the

president is provided with bodyguards to

protect him or her should this be necessary

industrialisation

to establish, develop and expand industries

on a large scale in a particular area where such

development had not taken place previously

or exists on a limited scale only

infrastructure

the basic or underlying structure or

composition of an organisation or system;

the collection of facilities, services and

equipment in a country which is essential for

it to function efficiently, for example roads,

schools or hospitals

institution

a formally structured group of people

and functions, e.g. the Department of

International Relations

intellectual (need)

the ability to understand, think and reason;

the need to develop and refine the ability to

think, understand and reason

legitimate

authorised by or according to law; based on

correct or acceptable principles of reasoning;

legal or just (according to law)

level of education

the level of education achieved by an

individual or a group, based on standard

levels of schooling, for example grade 12,

graduate, etcetera

liberal democracy

a qualified democratic form of government

based on general elections and a

representative government with a strong

focus on the rights of the individual; the

government is composed from the population

and is accountable to the people – its authority

is limited so that the rights of individuals and

minority groups are protected against the

authority of the majority

life expectancy

the average age to which a person may expect

to live, which is determined statistically –

according to such calculations women on

average live longer than men

limited democracy

a form of government that is democratic in

a broad sense, but where leaders are of the

opinion that society is not capable of carrying

the burden and responsibility of a full democratic

dispensation, and the executive authority

therefore acts more autocratically

material (need)

tangible things that affect or improve the

physical and economic welfare of people; the

need for tangible items that will enhance the

living standards of people

medical fund

a fund formally established to assist in

medical costs; regulated by formal legislation

– a member of a medical fund makes

monthly contributions to the fund, and when

medical expenses are incurred, the fund pays

either the total amount or a predetermined

percentage of the costs

metaphor

a word or phrase used to describe an object

or action to which it is not literally related, to

indicate a similarity, for example he fought

like a lion

milieu

the social and cultural environment, place in

which or background against which a person

exists

motivate

to provide a reason(s) for a point of view,

point of departure, statement or conclusion

natural state

the original, unadulterated form of something,

for example a rain forest in its natural state

– in public administration it refers to the

original unaffected society before the idea of

the state was created

need

something that is necessary or essential

to people; poverty or a lack of something;

people’s inner desire for something, for

example people have a need for freedom

need for prosperity

necessities that raise people’s standard of living,

motivating force that encourages people

to pursue more and better material possessions

objective

to view something without personal feelings,

judgments or bias playing a role; relating to

reality and fact, rather than thoughts and

feelings

participatory democracy

a form of government in which the

general population participates directly in

legislative and other government processes

– participation is often in the form of public

inquiries, advisory bodies and institutions,

and so forth, which directly affect the

democratic process of government

per capita

of or for each person, usually expressed as an

average, for example the per capita income in

South Africa

point of view

a point of departure of which a person is

convinced, for example taking a stand against

abortion laws; a point of departure used to

guide an investigation into a specific topic

political institution

the system whereby individuals and groups

are governed; the supreme authority in any

social dispensation with the power and

authority to determine and regulate social

order

popular government

a government controlled by the population

at large, also called people’s government –

sometimes used as a synonym for democracy

popular sovereignty

the absolute and unrestricted rule of the

population at large over its own affairs in a

specific area or region

population growth

the increase in a population’s numbers that

is normally calculated as a percentage –

based on the difference between the number

of births and the number of deaths in a

particular period of time, usually a calendar

year

power

a core concept in politics; refers to the ability

of an individual, group, political party, class,

and so forth, to achieve stated objectives by

ensuring the cooperation of others, without

regard for the methods used to achieve such

objectives

principle

a ground rule(s) that determines personal

actions; a basic or general truth, for example

principles of freedom of expression; a basic

law or rule underlying a specific theory

or philosophy, for example democratic

principles

production

to produce, create or manufacture goods; the

quantity of goods produced; the rate at which

goods are produced

protective services

services aimed at protecting the public,

keeping them safe or ensuring their safety

in a preventative manner – the department

of safety and security has the overall

responsibility for these services; protective

services may also be provided on a private

basis, for example by security firms

public

all the people who together form a society or

a nation; the masses

public services

these are the responsibility of the government;

they cannot be sold to the public for a

unit price – members of the public cannot be

excluded from the use of such services; they

are financed from government taxes, and the

government providing the particular services

has a monopoly

reason for existence

(raison d’être)

inherent or underlying reason(s) for the

existence of something; reason(s) that

justify or give meaning to the existence of a

particular institution, issue, organisation, and

so forth

relate

to put something informal into words, or to

convey something in words

relationship

the connection, points of contact or

cohesiveness between two separate things or

parts, for example the relationship between

the state and its inhabitants

religious (need)

relating to people’s belief in or worship of a

supreme power or powers seen as divine or

having power and control over the destiny of

people; the need to believe in, to worship, and

to express such belief in a supreme power

representative democracy

a form of government in which a small

number of elected representatives are chosen

by the population at large in an election to

govern them – voters are usually divided into

electoral wards and the candidate receiving

the greatest number of votes represents the

particular group of voters in government

resident

a person who resides permanently in a house,

town, city, area, province, state and country

result/outcome/consequence

a change caused by something or someone;

the result of an action; the effect of a particular

action or cause

selection

selecting one or more from a group; choosing

between two things

self–regulating free market

an economic system in which prices and

wages are determined by supply and demand

similarity (similarities)

similar features that may be identified when

comparing two or more things or phenomena

social contract

an agreement between individuals to

cooperate with one another for the sake

of greater security – often some personal

freedoms are sacrificed

social democracy

a political ideology according to which

social reform should be brought about

democratically, without revolution, and

within existing political structures

social needs

includes the needs that are typical of a specific

group of people, such as senior citizens, the

sick, the handicapped, children, etc.