Sociology Glossary Flashcards
Adaptive funeral rite
a funeral rite that is adjusted to the needs and wants of those directly involved; one, which has been altered to suit the trends of the times.
Blended family
a household or family unit created by one male and one female and the children from their previous marriages and may include children from the present marriage.
Bureaucratization
the creation of a system which governs through departments and subdivisions managed by sets of officials following an inflexible routine
Ceremony (ritual)
an instrumental action dealing with death, that is also expressional and that may or may not be charged with symbolic content expressing, among other things, the attitudes of the participants and possible onlookers (passive participants) who may be regarded as co-beneficiaries.
Class
a social grouping in which members possess roughly equivalent culturally valued attributes
Cohabitants
two unrelated adults of the opposite sex sharing the same living quarters
Contemporary
living or happening in the same period
Cultural relativism
the emotional attitude that all cultures are equal and pertinent
Cultural universal
like abstract patterns of and for living and dying, which are identifiable in all cultures
Culture
consists of abstract patterns (the rules, ideas, beliefs shared by members of society) of and for living and dying, which are learned directly or indirectly.
Customs
social behavior as dictated by the tradition of the people
Demographic
pertaining to demography; the science of vital statistics, or of births, deaths, marriages, ect. of populations
Egalitarian
male and female have equal rights, duties, and governing power
Enculturation (socialization)
the method by which the social values are internalized (learned)
Ethnic
any of the basic divisions or groups of humankind distinguished by customs, characteristics and languages, rather than physical characteristics of race.
Ethnocentrism
the emotional attitude that one’s own race, nation, group, or culture is superior to all others
Extended (joint) family
a household or family unit consisting of father and mother, all their children (except married daughters), their son’s wives and children (except married daughters)
Folkways
behaviors which are construed as somewhat less compulsive than mores of the same society and do not call for a strong reaction from the society if violated
Funeral
rites with the body present
Funeral rite
an all-inclusive term used to encompass all funerals and/or memorial services
Funeralization
a process involving all activities associated with final disposition
Humanistic funeral rite
a funeral rite that is in essence devoid of religious connotation.
Immediate disposition
any disposition of a human remains, which is completely devoid of any form of funeral rite at the time of disposition
Industrialization
individual crafting of products is replaced by manufacture of goods utilizing mass production techniques
Law
a must behavior not necessarily a basic or important pattern of a people (related to death) but one which is enforced by those governing; a fule of action prescribed by an authority able to enforce its will.
Matriarchal
the mother rules the family; a woman holding a position analogous to that of a patriarch
Memorial service
funeral rites with the body not present
Mobility
the state or quality of being mobile; the ability to move from place to place readily, or to move from class to class, either up or down
Modern
of or characteristic of the present or recent times, not ancient, often used to designate certain contemporary tendencies
Modified extended family
a household or family unit created by related nuclear families and/or friendships
Mores
must-behavior; the basic and important patterns of ideas and acts of a people as related to treatment of the dead, which calls for a strong reaction from the society if violated
Neo-localism
the tendency of offspring to move away from the area in which they were born
Non-traditional funeral rite
a funeral rite that deviates from the normal or prescribed circumstances of established custom
Nuclear family
a household or family unit consisting of one man and one woman married to each other and their children, if any
Patriarchal
the father rules the family; power is passed to the oldest male child
Religion
a culturally entrenched pattern of behavior made up of 1. sacred beliefs 2. emotional feelings accompanying the beliefs and 3. overt conduct presumably implementing the beliefs and feelings
Rites of passage
ceremonies centering around transition in life from one status to another (ex. Baptism, marriage and the funeral)
Ritual
ceremony
Rules
specified methods of precedure
Single parent family
a household or family unit consisting of one adult, either male or female, and his/her children
Social function
an event that allows those who have something in common with each other to deal with one another in regard to that which they share
Social stratification
categorization of people by money, prestige and power; a ranking of social status (position) in groups such as upper, middle and lower class
Socialization
enculturation
Society
a group of persons forming a single community with some interests in common
Sociology
the science of social groups; the processes that tend to maintain or change these forms of organizations and the relations between groups and individuals
Subculture
a division, or smaller identifiable unit of culture, connected to that culture by common trains, having unique traits to itself
Symbols
things to which socially created meaning is given
Taboos
must behavior that dictates the individual must abstain from certain acts dealing with death
Traditional funeral rite
a funeral rite that follows a prescribed ritual or ceremony that may be dictated either by religious belief or social custom
Urbanization
the change from rural to urban in character
