chapter 2 Flashcards
Absolute measure of poverty
A threshold or line (usually based on income) at or below which individuals or groups are identified as living in poverty
Poverty
Deficiencies in necessary material goods or desirable qualities, including economic, social, political, and cultural
relative measure of poverty
A measure that looks at individuals or groups relative to the rest of their community or society rather than setting an absolute line
Poverty thresholds
Measures of poverty used by the U.S. Census bureau that take into account family size, number of children and their ages
Poverty guidelines
A simplified version of The U.S. Census Bureau poverty thresholds, which take into account only the family size; the poverty guidelines are used to set the federal poverty line
Social safety net
Public programs intended to help those who are most vulnerable in a society
Self-made myth
The belief that anyone can rise from humble beginnings and become wealthy and successful simply by applying him or herself
Class
A person’s social position relative to the economic sector
Status
Social position, revolving around characteristics such as education, prestige, and religious affiliation
Power
The aspect of social structure related to political affiliations and connections
Socioeconomic status
A conceptualization of social class in terms of a continuum or index based on social and economic affairs
Social Mobility
upward or downward movement in social position over time in a society. That movement can be specific to individuals who change social positions or to categories of people, such as racial or ethnic groups
Inequality
Differences between individuals or groups in the quantities of scarce resources they possess
