sociology
absolute poverty THE ABSENCE OF ENOUGH MONEY TO SECURE LIFE’S BASIC NECESSITIES
absolute social mobility REFLECTS WHETHER (AND BY HOW MUCH) LIVING STANDARDS IN A SOCIETY IMPROVE
achievement gap PERSISTENT DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOL SUCCESS BETWEEN SOCIAL GROUPS
achieved status SOCIAL POSITION YOU EARN THROUGH MERIT OR ACTION
agency PEOPLE’S ABILITY TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY OF SOCIAL CONSTRAINTS
agents of social control PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS WHO ENFORCE NORMS
agents of socialization PEOPLE AND GROUPS THAT SHAPE OUR SOCIAL LEARNING. peers, school, religion, family.
alienation SEPARATION FROM ONE’S LABOR, PRODUCT, OR SELF
American dream CULTURAL IDEA THAT HARD WORK LEADS TO SUCCESS
Anomie A STATE OF NORMLESSNESS
applied research RESEARCH DESIGNED TO SOLVE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS
ascribed status SOCIAL POSITION YOU ARE BORN INTO OR ASSIGNED WITHOUT CHOICE
assimilation THE PROCESS BY WHICH MINORITY GROUPS ADOPT THE CULTURE OF THE DOMINANT GROUP
authority LEGITIMATE POWER
bias PREJUDICE THAT PLACES SOME GROUPS AT AN ADVANTAGE OVER OTHERS
bureaucracy FORMAL ORGANIZATION WITH RULES, HIERARCHY, AND SPECIALIZATION
capital ANY RESOURCE YOU CAN INVEST TO GET RETURNS
capitalism MARKET-BASED SYSTEM WHERE INDIVIDUALS OWN PRODUCTION
census A FULL COUNT OF A POPULATION
class consciousness AWARENESS OF ONE’S SOCIAL CLASS AND ITS INTERESTS
class conflict TENSION BETWEEN CLASSES OVER RESOURCES AND POWER
class system A STRATIFICATION SYSTEM BASED ON ECONOMIC POSITION
cohabitation UNMARRIED COUPLES LIVING TOGETHER
collective conscience SHARED NORMS AND BELIEFS THAT HOLD SOCIETY TOGETHER
collective effervescence SHARED ENERGY DURING GROUP EXPERIENCES
collective memory SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST
colonialism ONE NATION CONTROLLING ANOTHER FOR RESOURCES OR TERRITORY
color-blind racism RACIAL INEQUALITY DISGUISED THROUGH RACE-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE
commodification TURNING GOODS OR SERVICES INTO MARKETABLE COMMODITIES
communism CLASSLESS SYSTEM WHERE THE COMMUNITY OWNS PRODUCTION
concerted cultivation PARENTING STYLE WITH HIGH STRUCTURE AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
conspicuous consumption BUYING TO SIGNAL STATUS
consumer culture IDENTITY CENTERED AROUND BUYING GOODS
control group THE GROUP THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE THE TREATMENT IN AN EXPERIMENT
counterculture CULTURAL GROUPS OPPOSED TO DOMINANT CULTURE
credentialism EMPLOYERS’ RELIANCE ON EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS
crime BEHAVIOR THAT VIOLATES THE LAW
cultural capital NON-FINANCIAL SOCIAL ASSETS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, TASTES)
cultural diffusion SPREAD OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS BETWEEN SOCIETIES
cultural lag WHEN MATERIAL CULTURE CHANGES FASTER THAN NONMATERIAL CULTURE
cultural relativism EVALUATING CULTURES BY THEIR OWN STANDARDS
culture SHARED BELIEFS, VALUES, AND PRACTICES
culture industry MASS PRODUCTION OF CULTURE
discrimination UNEQUAL TREATMENT BASED ON SOCIAL CATEGORY
division of labor SPECIALIZATION OF TASKS
domestic labor UNPAID WORK DONE IN THE HOME
doing gender GENDER EXPRESSED THROUGH BEHAVIOR
economic capital FINANCIAL RESOURCES
elite PEOPLE WITH DISPROPORTIONATE POWER
ethnicity SHARED CULTURAL TRAITS
ethnocentrism JUDGING OTHER CULTURES BY ONE’S OWN
feminization of poverty HIGH RATES OF POVERTY AMONG WOMEN
gender SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITY AND FEMININITY
gender identity ONE’S PERSONAL SENSE OF GENDER
gender role EXPECTATIONS ATTACHED TO GENDER
gentrification URBAN RENEWAL THAT DISPLACES POOR RESIDENTS
globalization INTEGRATION OF ECONOMIES AND CULTURES GLOBALLY
groupthink GROUP PRESSURE LEADING TO FAULTY DECISIONS
habitus DEEP-SEATED DISPOSITIONS SHAPED BY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE
hegemony DOMINATION THROUGH CULTURAL CONSENT
immigration MOVEMENT INTO A COUNTRY
incarceration IMPRISONMENT
income MONEY RECEIVED REGULARLY
inequality UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES
institution ESTABLISHED, ENDURING SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP
intersectionality INTERLOCKING SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION
labeling theory DEVIANCE RESULTS FROM SOCIETAL LABELS
legitimacy BELIEF THAT AUTHORITY IS RIGHTFUL
mass incarceration EXTREMELY HIGH RATES OF IMPRISONMENT
material culture PHYSICAL OBJECTS CREATED BY A SOCIETY
migration MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE ACROSS AREAS
modernization TRANSITION TO INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
moral panic EXAGGERATED FEAR OF SOCIAL THREATS
norms SOCIAL RULES FOR BEHAVIOR
opportunity structure SOCIALALLY SHAPED ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY
pluralism MULTIPLE GROUPS COEXISTING PEACEFULLY
population ALL PEOPLE IN A DEFINED GROUP
poverty INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO MEET BASIC NEEDS
prejudice bias feelings or attitudes ABOUT A GROUP
race SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED CATEGORIES BASED ON PERCEIVED PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES
racialization ASSIGNING RACIAL MEANING TO A GROUP
racism BELIEF AND PRACTICES THAT PRODUCE RACIAL INEQUALITY
role conflict COMPETING DEMANDS OF DIFFERENT ROLES
role strain CONFLICT WITHIN A SINGLE ROLE
segregation SEPARATION OF GROUPS IN DAILY LIFE
sex BIOLOGICAL CATEGORIES OF MALE/FEMALE
sexual orientation WHO YOU’RE SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO
social capital RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS
social change SHIFTS IN IDEAS, INTERACTIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS
social closure GROUPS PRESERVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEMSELVES
social construct SHARED INTERPRETATION OF REALITY
social construction PROCESS OF ASSIGNING MEANING TO OBJECTS/IDEAS
social disorganization theory DEVIANCE IS MORE COMMON IN DYSFUNCTIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS
social facts EXTERNAL SOCIAL FORCES WITH POWER OVER INDIVIDUALS
social identity CATEGORIES WE PLACE OURSELVES/OTHERS INTO
social inequality UNEQUAL ACCESS TO POWER, WEALTH, AND PRESTIGE
social institution ENDURING PATTERNS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION
socialization LIFELONG PROCESS OF LEARNING CULTURE
stereotype OVERSIMPLIFIED BELIEF ABOUT A GROUP
stratification PERSISTENT SOCIAL HIERARCHY
structural violence INSTITUTIONAL HARM
symbolic interactionism THEORY FOCUSING ON SOCIAL MEANING AND INTERACTION
values BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG
xenophobia PREJUDICE AGAINST PEOPLE SEEN AS FOREIGN