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321 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Sociology
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The systematic study of the relationship between the individual and society and of the consequences of difference
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Sociological Imagination
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An awareness of the relationship between who we are as individuals and the social forces that shape our lives.
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Private Troubles
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Obstacles that individuals face as individuals rather than as a consequence of their social position.
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Public Issues
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Obstacles that individuals in similar positions face; also referred to by sociologists as "social problems"
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Agency
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The freedom individuals have to choose and to act.
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Social Inequality
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A condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power.
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Science
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The body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation.
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Natural Science
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The study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and change.
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Social Science
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The study of the social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change.
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Theory
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In sociology a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behavior.
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Anomie
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The loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.
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Macrosociology
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Sociological investigation that concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations.
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Microsociology
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Sociological investigation that stresses the study of small groups and the analysis of our everyday experiences and interactions.
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Functionalist Perspective
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A sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.
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Conflict Perspective
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A sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation.
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Interactionist Perspective
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A sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole.
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Applied Sociology
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The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations.
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Clinical Sociology
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The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering organizations or restructuring social institutions.
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Globalization
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The worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and the exchange of ideas.
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According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination focuses on the intersection between ?
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history and biography.
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What is the primary sociological lesson we learn from the hamburger as miracle example?
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We take our interdependence and the knowledge we collectively share for granted.
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In their attempts to describe the relationship between sociology and common sense, sociologists argue that?
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sociology depends on systematic analysis through research whereas common sense does not.
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Emile Durkheim's research on suicide found that ?
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the more socially integrated someone is the less likely he or she is to commit suicide.
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Karl Marx argued that in order to understand social order we must include anaylsis of ?
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ownership of the means of production.
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Which sociologist made a major contribution to society through his in-depth studies of urban life, including both Blacks and Whites?
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W.E.B. Du Bois
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What is the sociological term for the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective?
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Anomie
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Thinking of society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival is a reflection of which theoretical perspective?
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the functionalist perspective.
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The career path with the specific intent of altering social relationships or restructuring organizations is known as ?
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clinical sociology
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Scientific Method
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A systematic, organized series of steps that ensures maximum objectivity and consistency in researching a problem.
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Operational Definition
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Transformation of an abstract concept into indicators that are observable and measurable.
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Hypothesis
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A testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
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Variable
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A measurable trait or characteristic that is subject to change under different conditions.
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Causal Logic
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The relationship between a condition or variable and a particular consequence with one event leading to the other.
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Independent Variable
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The variable in a causal relationship that causes or influences a change in a second variable.
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Dependent Variable
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The variable in a causal relationship that is subject to the influence of another variable.
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Correlation
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A relationship between two variables in which a change in one coincides with change in the other.
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Sample
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A selection from a larger population that is statistically representative of that population.
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Random Sample
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A sample for which every member of an entire population has the same chance of being selected.
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Validity
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The degree to which a measure or scale truly reflects the phenomenon under study.
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Reliability
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The extent to which a measure produces consistent results.
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Control Variable
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A factor that is held constant to test the relative impact of an independent variable.
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Research Design
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A detailed plan or method for obtaining data scientifically.
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Survey
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A study generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act.
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Interview
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A face-to-face or telephone questioning of a respondent to obtain desired information.
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Questionnaire
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A printed or written form used to obtain information from a respondent.
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Quantitative Research
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Research that collects and reports data primarily in numerical form.
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Mean
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A number calculated by adding a series of values and then dividing by the number of values.
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Median
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The midpoint, or number that divides a series of values into two groups of equal numbers of values.
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Mode
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The single most common value in a series of scores.
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Qualitative Research
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Research that relies on what is seen in field or naturalistic settings more than on statistical data.
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Observation
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A research technique in which an investigator collects information through direct participation and/or by closely watching a group or community.
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Ethnography
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The study of an entire social setting through extended systematic observation.
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Experiment
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An artificially created situation that allows a researcher to manipulate variables.
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Experimental Group
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The subjects in an experiment who are exposed to an independent variable introduced by a researcher.
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Control Group
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The subjects in an experiment who are not introduced to the independent variable by the researcher.
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Hawthorne Effect
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The unintended influence that observers of experiments can have on their subjects.
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Secondary Analysis
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A variety of research techniques that make use of previously collected and publicly accessible information and data.
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Content Analysis
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The systematic coding and objective recording of data, guided by soem rationale.
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Code of Ethics
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The standards of acceptable behavior developed by and for members of a profession.
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Value Neutrality
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Max Weber's term for objectivity of sociologists in the interpretation of data.
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The first step in any sociological research project is to:
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Define the problem
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An explanation of an abstract concept that is specific enough to allow a researcher to measure the concept is a(n)
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Operational Definition
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In sociological and scientific research, a hypothesis:
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is a testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
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The variable hypothesized to cause or influence another is called the:
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Independent Variable
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The degree to which a measure or scale truly reflects the phenomenon under study is known as:
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Validity.
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Which research technique do sociologists use to ensure that data are statistically representative of the population being studied?
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Sampling.
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Ethnography is an example of which type of research design?
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Observation
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In the 1930s, William F. Whyte moved into a low-income Italian neighborhood in Boston. For nearly four years, he was a member of the social circle of "corner boys" whom he describes in Street Corner Society. His goal was to gain greater insight into the community established by these men. What type of research technique did Whyte use?
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Participant Observation
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The unintended influence that observers of experiments can have on their subjects is known as:
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the Hawthorne effect.
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According to Max Weber, researchers should not allow their personal feelings to influence the interpretation of data. He referred to this as:
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Value Neutrality.
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Culture
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The totality of our shared language, knowledge, material objects, and behavior.
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Society
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The structure of relationships within which culture is created and shared through regularized patterns of social interaction
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Cultural Universal
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A common practice or belief shared by all societies.
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Sociobiology
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The systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior.
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Innovation
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The process of introducting a new idea or object to a culture through discovery or invention.
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Discovery
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The process of making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality.
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Invention
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The combination of existing cultural items into a form that did not exist before.
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Diffusion
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The process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society.
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Material Culture
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The physical or technological aspects of our daily lives.
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Non-material Culture
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Ways of using material objects, as well as customs, ideas, expressions, beliefs, knowledge, philosophies, governments, and patterns of communication.
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Technology
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Cultural information about how to use the material resources of the environment to satisfy human needs and desires.
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Cultural Lag
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A period of adjustment when the non-material culture is still struggling to adapt to new material conditions.
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Language
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A system of shared symbols; It includes speech, written characters, numerals, symbols, and nonverbal gestures and expressions.
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Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
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The idea that the language a person uses shapes his or her perception of reality and therefore his or her thoughts and actions.
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Non-Verbal Communication
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The use of gestures, facial expressions, and other visual images to communicate.
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Value
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A collective conception of what is considered good, desirable, and proper--or bad, undesirable, and improper--in a culture.
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Norm
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An established standard of behavior maintained by a society.
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Formal Norm
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A norm that generally has been written down and that specifies strict punishments for violators.
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Laws
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Formal Norms enforced by the state.
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Informal Norm
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A norm that is generally understood but not precisely recorded.
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Mores
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Norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society.
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Folkways
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Norms governing everyday behavior, whose violation raise comparatively little concern.
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Sanction
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A penalty or reward for conduct concerning a social norm
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Dominant Ideology
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A set of cultural beliefs and practices that legitimates existing powerful social, economic, and political interests.
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Subculture
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A segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of mores, folkways, and values that differs from the pattern of the larger society.
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Argot
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Specialized language used by members of a group or subculture.
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Counterculture
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A subculture that deliberately opposes certain aspects of the larger culture.
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Culture Shock
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The feelings of disorientation, uncertainty, and even fear that people experience when they encounter unfamiliar cultural practices.
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Ethnocentrism
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The tendency to assume that one's own culture and way of life represent what's normal or are superior to all others.
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Cultural Relativism
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The viewing of people's behavior from the perspective of their own culture.
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What do sociologists refer to as the structure of relationships within which a culture is created and shared through regularized patterns of social interaction?
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Society
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People's need for food, shelter, and clothing are examples of what George Murdock referred to as:
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Cultural Universals
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What is an invention?
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Combining existing cultural items into a form that did not exist before.
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What term do sociologists use to refer to teh process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society?
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Diffusion
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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
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Language shapes our perception of realty.
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Values represent ______, whereas norms provide guidelines for shared ___________.
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Beliefs; Behaviors
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What type of norms are deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society, often because they embody the most cherished principles of a people?
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Mores
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Which term describes the set of cultural beliefs and practices that help to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests?
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Dominant Ideology
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Terrorist groups are examples of:
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Countercultures
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What is the term used when one seeks to understand another culture from its perspective, rather than dismissing it as "strange" or "exotic"?
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Cultural Relativism
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socialization
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The lifelong process through which people learn the attitudes, values, and behaviors appropriate for members of a particular culture.
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self
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A distinct identity that sets us apart from others.
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looking-glass self
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A theory that we become who we are based on how we think others see us.
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"I"
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The acting self that exists in relation to the "Me".
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"Me"
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The socialized self that plans actions and judges performances based on the standards we have learned from others.
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significant other
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An individual who is most important in the development of the self, such as a parent, friend, or teacher.
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symbol
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A gesture, object, or word that forms the basis of human communication
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role taking
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The process of mentally assuming the perspective of another and responding from that imagined viewpoint.
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generalized other
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The attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole that a child takes into account in his or her behavior.
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dramaturgical approach
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A view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers.
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impression management
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The altering of the presentation of the self in order to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences.
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face-work
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The efforts people make to maintain a proper image and avoid public embarassment.
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cognitive theory of development
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The theory that children's thought progresses through four stages of development
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gender role
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Expectations regarding teh proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females.
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rite of passage
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A ritual marking the symbolic transition from one social position to another.
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life course approach
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A research orientation in which sociologists and other social scientists look closely at the social factors that influence people throughout their lives, from birth to death.
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anticipatory socialization
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Processes of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future positions, occupations, and social relationships.
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resocialization
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The process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one's life.
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total institution
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An institution that regulates all aspects of a person's life under a single authority, such as a prison, the military, a mental hospital, or a convent.
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degradation ceremony
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An aspect of the socialization process within some total institutions, in which people are subjected to humiliating rituals.
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midlife crisis
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A stressful period of self-evaluation that begins about age 40.
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sandwich generation
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The generation of adults who simultaneously try to meet the competing needs of their parents and their children
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social interaction
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The shared experiences through which people relate to one another
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social structure
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The way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.
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status
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The social positions we occupy relative to others.
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ascribed status
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A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
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achieved status
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A social position that is within our power to change.
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master status
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A status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position in society.
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social role
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A set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status.
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role conflict
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The situation that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social statuses held by the same person.
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role strain
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the difficulty that arises when the same social status imposes conflicting demands and expectations
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role exit
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the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity in order to establish a new role and identity
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group
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Any number of people with shared norms, values, and goals who interact with one another on a regular basis.
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primary group
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A small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation
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secondary group
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A formal, impersonal group in which there is little social intimacy or mutual understanding.
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in-group
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Any group or category to which people feel they belong.
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out-group
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A group or category to which people feel they do not belong.
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reference group
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Any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior.
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coalition
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A temporary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal.
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social network
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A series of social relationships that links individuals directly to others and through them indirectly to still more people.
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avatar
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A person's online representation as a character, whether in the form of a 2-D or 3-D image or simply through text.
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social institution
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An organized pattern of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs.
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bureaucracy
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A component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency.
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ideal type
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An abstract model of the essential characteristics of a phenomenon.
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alienation
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Loss of control over our creative human capacity to produce,, separation from the products we make, and isolation from our fellow producers.
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trained incapacity
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The tendency of workers in a bureaucracy to become so specialized that they develop blind spots and fail to notice potential problems.
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goal displacement
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Over-zealous conformity to official regulations of a bureaucracy.
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Peter principle
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A principle of organizational life according to which every employee within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence.
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bureaucratization
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The process by which a group, organization, or social movement increasingly relies on technical-rational decision making in the pursuit of efficiency.
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McDonaldization
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The process by which the principles of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control shape organization and decision making, in the United States and around the world.
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iron law of oligarchy
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The principle that all organizations, even democratic ones, tend to develop into a bureaucracy ruled by an elite few.
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classical theory
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An approach to the study of formal organizations that views workers as being motivated almost entirely by economic rewards.
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scientific management approach
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Another name for the classical theory of formal organization
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human relations approach
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An approach to the study of formal organizations that emphasizes the role of people, communication, and participation in a bureaucracy and tends to focus on the informal structure of the organization.
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Gemeinschaft
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A close-knit community, often found in rural areas, in which strong personal bonds unite members.
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Gesellschaft
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A community, often urban, taht is large and impersonal, with little commitment to the group or consensus on values.
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mechanical solidarity
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Social cohesion based on shared experiences, knowledge, and skills in which things function more or less the way they always have, with minimal change.
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organic solidarity
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A collective consciousness that rests on mutual interdependence, characteristic of societies with complex division of labor.
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hunting-and-gathering society
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A preindustrial society in which people rely on whatever foods and fibers are readily available in order to survive.
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horticultural society
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A preindustrial society in which people plant seeds and crops rather than merely subsist on available foods.
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agrarian society
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The most technologically advanced form of preindustrial society. Members are engaged primarily in the production of food, but they increase their crop yields through technological innovations such as the plow.
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industrial society
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A society that depends on mechanization to produce its goods and services.
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postindustrial society
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A society whose economic system is engaged primarily in teh processing and control of information.
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postmodern society
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A technologically sophisticated, pluralistic, interconnected, globalized society.
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social control
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The techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behavior in any society
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sanction
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A penalty or reward for conduct concerning a social norm.
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conformity
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The act of going along with peers--individuals of our own status who have no special right to direct our behavior.
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obedience
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Compliance with higher authorities in a hierarchical structure.
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informal social control
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Social control that is carried out casually by ordinary people through such means as laughter, smiles,and ridicule.
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Formal social control
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Social control that is carried out by authorized agents such as police officers, judges, school administrators, and employers.
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law
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Governmental social control
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control theory
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A view of conformity and deviance that suggests that our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform to society's norms.
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deviance
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Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.
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stigma
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A label used to devalue members of certain social groups.
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crime
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A violation of criminal law for which some governmental authority applies formal penalties.
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Index Crimes
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The eight types of crime reported annually by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Reports: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
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victimization survey
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A questionnaire or interview given to a sample of the population to determine whether people have been victims of crime.
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white-collar crime
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illegal acts committed by affluent, "respectable" individuals in the course of business activities.
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victimless crime
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A term used by sociologists to describe the willing exchange among adults of widely desired, but illegal, goods and services.
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organized crime
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The work of a group that regulates relations among criminal enterprises involved in illegal activities, including prostitution, gambling, and the smuggling and sale of illegal drugs
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transnational crime
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Crime that occurs across multiple national borders.
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anomie
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Durkheim's term for the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective
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anomie theory of deviance
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Merton's theory of deviance as an adaptation of socially prescribed goals or of the means governing their attainment, or both.
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cultural transmission
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A school of criminology that argues that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions.
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differential association
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A theory of deviance that holds that violation of rules results from exposure to attitudes favorable to criminal acts.
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social disorganization theory
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The theory that attributes increases in crime and deviance to the absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions, such as family, school, church, and local government.
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labeling theory
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An approach to deviance that attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants while others engaged in the same behavior are not.
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societal-reaction approach
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Another name for labeling theory
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differential justice
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Differences in the way social control is exercised over different groups.
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substantive definition of the family
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A definition of the family based on blood, meaning shared genetic heritage, and law, meaning social recognition and affirmation of the bond including both marriage and adoption
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kinship
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The state of being related to others.
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bilateral descent
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A kinship system in which both sides of a person's family are regarded as equally important
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patrilineal descent
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A kinship system in which only the father's relatives are significant.
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matrilineal descent
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A kinship system in which only the mother's relatives are significant.
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extended family
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A family in which relatives such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles- live in the same household as parents and their children.
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nuclear family
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A married couple and their unmarried children living together.
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monogamy
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A form of marriage in which one woman and one man are married only to each other.
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serial monogamy
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A form of marriage in which a person may have several spouses in his or her lifetime but only one spouse at a time.
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polygamy
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A form of marriage in which an individual may have several husbands or wives simultaneously
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Polygyny
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A form of polygamy in which a man may have more than one wife at the same time
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Polyandry
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A form of polygamy in which a woman may have more than one husband at the same time.
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functionalist definition of families
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A definition of families that focuses on what families do for society and for their members.
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Patriarchy
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A society in which men dominate in family decision making.
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Matriarchy
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A society in which women dominate in family decision making.
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egalitarian family
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An authority pattern in which spouses are regarded as equals.
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endogamy
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The restriction of mate selection to people within the same group.
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exogamy
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The requirement that people select a mate outside certain groups.
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incest taboo
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The prohibition of sexual relationships between certain culturally spyecified relatives.
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homogamy
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The conscious or unconscious tendency to select a mate with personal characteristics and interests similar to one's own.
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machismo
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A sense of virility, personal worth, and pride in one's maleness.
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familism
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Pride in the extended family, expressed through the maintenance of close ties and strong obligations to kinfolk outside the immediate family.
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adoption
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In a legal sense, a process that allows for the transfer of the legal rights, responsibilities and privileges of parenthood to a new legal parent or parents.
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single-parent family
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A family in which only one parent is present to care for the children.
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cohabitation
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The practice of living together as a male-female couple without marrying.
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domestic partnership
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Two unrelated adults who share a mutually caring relationship, reside together, and agree to be jointly responsible for their dependents, basic living expenses, and other common necessities.
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education
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A formal process of instruction in which some people consciously teach while others adopt the social role of learner.
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hidden curriculum
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Standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society and are taught subtly in schools.
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teacher-expectancy effect
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The impact that a teacher's expectations about a student's performance may have on the student's actual achievements.
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tracking
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The practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on the basis of their test scores and other criteria.
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correspondence principle
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The tendency of schools to promote the values expected of individuals in each social class and to prepare students for the types of jobs typically held by members of their class.
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credentialism
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An increase in the lowest level of education required to enter a field.
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substantive definition of religion
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The idea that religion has a unique content or substance relating to the sacred that separates it from other forms of knowledge and belief.
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sacred
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Elements beyond everyday life that inspire respect, awe, and even fear.
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profane
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The ordinary and commonplace elements of life as distinguished from the sacred.
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functionalist definition of religion
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The idea that religion unifies believers into a community through shared practices and a common set of beliefs relative to sacred things.
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religious belief
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A statement to which members of a particular religion adhere.
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fundamentalism
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Rigid adherence to core religious doctrines, often accompanied by a literal application of scripture or historical beliefs to today's world.
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sect
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A relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of faith.
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established sect
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A religious group that is the outgrowth of a sect, yet remains isolated from society.
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new religous movement (NRM) or CULT
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A small, alternative faith community that represents either a new religion or a major innovation in an existing faith.
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secularization
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Religion's diminishing influence in the public sphere, especially in politics and the econmy.
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protestant ethic
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Max Weber's term for the disciplined commitment to worldly labor driven aby a desire to bring glory to God, shared by followers Martin Luther and John Calvin
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liberation theology
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Use of a church, primarily Roman Catholocism, in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice from a secular society.
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Power
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The ability to exercise one's will over others even if they resist.
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Force
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The actual or threatened use of coercion to impose one's will on others
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influence
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The exercise of power through a process of persuasion
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authority
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Institutionalized power that is recognized by the people over whom it is exercised.
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traditional authority
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Legitimate power conferred by custom and accepted practice.
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rational-legal authority
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Authority based on formally agreed-upon and accepted rules, principles, and procedures of conduct that are established in order to accomplish goals in the most efficient manner possible.
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industrial society
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A society that depends on mechanization to produce its goods and services.
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economic system
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The social institution through which goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed.
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capitalism
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An economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits.
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laissez-faire
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A form of capitalism under which people compete freely, with minimal government intervention, in the economy.
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monopoly
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Control of a market by a single business firm.
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socialism
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An economic system under which the means of production and distribution are collectively owned.
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communism
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As an ideal type, an economic system under which all property is communally owned and no social distinctions are made on the basis of people's ability to produce.
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mixed economy
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An economic system that combines elements of both capitalism and socialism.
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informal economy
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Transfers of money, goods, or services that are not reported to the government.
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deindustrialization
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The systematic, widespread withdrawal of investment in basic aspects of productivity, such as factories and plants.
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downsizing
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Reductions in a company's workforce as part of deindustrialization.
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offshoring
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The transfer of work to foreign contractors.
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politics
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In Harold Lasswell's words, 'who gets what, when, and how'
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political system
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The social institution that is founded on a recognized set of procedures for implementing and achieving society's goals
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monarchy
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A form of government headed by a single member of a royal family, usually a king, queen, or some other hereditary ruler.
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oligarchy
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A form of government in which a few individuals rule.
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dictatorship
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A government in which one person has nearly total power to make and enforce laws.
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totalitarianism
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Virtually complete government control and surveillance over all aspects of a society's social and political life.
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democracy
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In a literal sense, government by the people.
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representative democracy
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A form of government in which certain individuals are selected to speak for the people.
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elite model
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A view of society as being ruled by a small group of individuals who share a common set of political and economic interests.
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power elite
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A small group of military, industrial, and government leaders who control the fate of the United States.
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pluralist model
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A view of society in which many competing groups within the community have access to government, so that no single group is dominant.
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war
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Conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with deadly weapons.
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terrorism
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The use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims.
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peace
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The absence of war, or more broadly, a proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations.
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social inequality
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A condition in which members of society have different amounts of wealth, prestige, or power.
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stratification
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A structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society
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ascribed status
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A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
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achieved status
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A social position that a person attains largely through his or her own efforts.
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slavery
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A system of enforced servitude in which some people are owned by others as property.
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caste
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A hereditary rank, usually religiously dictated, that tends to be fixed and immobile.
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estate system
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A system of stratification under which peasants were required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services. Also known as feudalism.
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class system
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A social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved characteristics can influence social mobility.
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social mobility
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Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another.
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open system
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A social system in which the position of each individual is influenced by his or her achieved status.
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closed system
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A social system in which there is little or no possibility of individual social mobility.
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horizontal mobility
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The movement of an individual from one social position to another of the same rank.
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vertical mobility
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The movement of an individual from one social position to another of a different rank.
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intergenerational mobility
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Changes in the social position of children relative to their parents.
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intragenerational mobility
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Changes in social position within a person's adult life.
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capitalism
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An economic system in which the means of production are held largely in rivate hands and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits.
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bourgeoisie
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Karl Marx's term for the capitalist class, comprising the owners of the means of production.
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Proletariat
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Karl Marx's term for the working class in a capitalist society.
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class consciousness
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In Karl Marx's view, a subjective awareness held by members of a class regarding their common vested interests and need for collective political action to bring about social change.
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dominant ideology
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A set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests.
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false consciousness
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A term used by Karl Marx to describe an attitude held by members of a class that does not accurately reflect their objective position.
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class
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A group of people who have a similar level of economic resources.
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status group
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People who have the same prestige or lifestyle, independent of their class positions
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party
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The capacity to organize to accomplish some particular goal.
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cultural capital
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Our tastes, knowledge, attitudes, language, and ways of thinking that we exchange in interaction with others.
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prestige
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The respect and admiration that an occupation holds in a society
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esteem
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The reputation that a specific person has earned within an occupation.
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socioeconomic status (SES)
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A measure of class that is based on income, education, occupation, and related variables.
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income
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Wages and salaries measured over some period such as per hour or year.
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wealth
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The total of all a person's material assets, including savings, land, stocks, and other types of property, minus his or her debt at a single point in time.
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absolute poverty
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A minimum level of subsistence that no family should be expected to live below.
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relative poverty
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A floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society, whatever their lifestyles, are judged to be disadvantaged in comparison with the nation as a whole.
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underclass
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The long-term poor who lack training and skills
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life chances
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The opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences.
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digital divide
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The relative lack of access to the latest technologies among low income group, racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents, and the citizens of developing countries.
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Modernization
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The far reaching process by which nations pass from traditional forms of social organization toward those characteristic of post-industrial Revolution societies.
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Colonialism
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The maintenance of political, social, economic, and cultural dominance over a people by a foreign power for an extended period.
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NeoColonialism
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Continuing dependence of former colonies on foreign countries.
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world systems analysis
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A view of the global economic system as one divided between certain industrialized nations that control wealth and developing countries that are controlled and exploited.
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dependency theory
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An approach contending that industrialized nations continue to exploit developing countries for their own gain.
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globalization
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The worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and the exchange of ideas.
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multinational corporation
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A commercial organization that is headquartered in one country but does business throughout the world.
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gross national income (GNI)
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The total value of a nation's goods and services.
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borderlands
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The area of common culture along the border between Mexico and the United States
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remittances
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The monies that immigrants return to their families of origin. Also called remesas.
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human rights
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Universal moral rights possessed by all people because they are human.
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