Unit 4 Flashcards
A social concept that groups certain people together based on physical traits like skin color, though there is no biological basis for such categorization.
race
A generalization about an entire category of people; it is generally presumed to describe a ‘typical’ member of that category
stereotype
An intentional or unintentional act which adversely affects opportunities because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, or national origin, or other factors such as age.
discrimination
Conscious, known bias that a person harbors toward or against a particular group.
explicit bias
A set of genes that creates a certain physical appearance
phenotype
Geographic areas that have high concentrations of a particular ethnicity, prevailing cultural norms, and in some cases, distinct economic systems
Ethnic enclave
Bias (associations, preferences, and prejudices) formed and harbored unconsciously through one’s lifelong interaction with people, media, school, and even language.
implicit bias
The systematic killing of one group of people by another.
genocide
A society in which racial and ethnic groups are distinct but have equal social standing; minority groups do not have to give up their distinctive lifestyles and cultural traditions in order to avoid prejudice and discrimination, and all groups have a roughly equal share of resources and political power.
pluralist society
Theory that holds that class, race, and gender are all intertwined and interact to create different levels of disadvantage in society
intersectionality
The physical and social separation of different racial or ethnic groups
segregation
The theory that prejudice arises from the frustration of those who are economically or socially disadvantaged, who then turn that aggression against others who are lower on the social hierarchy.
Scapegoat theory (of prejudice)
Theory that states that prejudice is a learned behavior; because prejudice is part of the culture that surrounds us all, it is present in all members of society to a greater or lesser degree
culture theory (of prejudice)
The process by which ethnic groups gradually give up their distinctive culture and traditions to adopt the patterns of the dominant culture.
assimilation
The sociological principle that states that we categorize other people on the basis of what is most noticeable (most salient) about them.
salience principle
The use of scientific theories, techniques, or research to rationalize racism, categorization of people, and racial superiority.
scientific racism
The underlying societal attitude that drives any form of racism.
systemic racism
Generally refers to a person’s cultural identity, derived from a shared sense of cultural, ancestral, and/or national identity.
ethnicity
A policy that requires institutions to favor under-represented minorities when determining whether to recruit or promote them.
Affirmative Action
Theory that assumes that class conflict is inevitable in society, and that those in the dominant class will use prejudice as a means to oppress those in the economically-deprived lower classes
conflict theory (of prejudice)
Racism that is embedded into institutions; policies, laws, and practices that disproportionately favor or disadvantage one race over another
institutional racism
A generalization made about an entire racial or ethnic category of people
racial-ethnic stereotype
A social philosophy that promotes the improvement and perpetuation of desirable genetic qualities by encouraging people with those traits to procreate, and discouraging, limiting, or preventing (such as with sterilization) people without those qualities from procreating.
eugenics
The separation of people by gender, particularly prominent in occupations.
gender segregation
The areas of study and professions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
STEM fields
The difference between the average earnings by men and the average earnings by women
gender wage gap
A period of time that new mothers take off from work following the birth of their baby or babies.
maternity leave
The process by which people discover themselves in relation to their society.
socialization
Societal norms and conventions that define what behaviors and characteristics should be aligned with each sex.
Gender roles
Emphasis on tasks, goals, and external affairs of the family unit regarding status, reputation, and relationship to other social institutions
instrumentality
Both a sociological perspective and a political movement that recognizes inequalities between the sexes and seeks to remedy those inequalities so that society provides equal treatment of and opportunity for all genders
feminism
The rationale (often unfounded) that victims of abuse or assault are partially or entirely at fault for their suffering.
victim blaming
____________ refers to the social component that reflects not only a person’s biological identity but the cultural and social values and roles assigned to that identity.
gender
A socially constructed way of describing personality traits, characteristics, and interests that are traditionally linked to male-bodied people.
masculine
When a person in authority, usually a supervisor, demands sexual favors of a subordinate as a condition of getting or keeping a job benefit.
quid pro quo harassment
A society in which men hold the dominant power.
patriarchy
The promotion of heterosexuality or assuming that heterosexuality is the default sexuality.
heteronormativity
A certain rank or position in an organization beyond which women have difficulty being successfully promoted.
glass ceiling
A society in which women hold the dominant power.
matriarchy
The act of men in female-dominated occupations being promoted through the ranks at a faster rate than their female coworkers.
glass escalator
Irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals.
homophobia
The designation of a given occupation as either “female” or “male,” generally based on societal perception of gender roles.
gender typing
A socially constructed way of describing personality traits, characteristics, and interests that are traditionally linked to female-bodied people.
feminine
A period of time that new fathers take off from work following the birth of their baby or babies.
paternity leave
A type of discrimination or abuse of power consisting of verbal or physical abuse of a sexual nature.
sexual harassment
When co-workers and/or a supervisor engage in unwelcome sexually-charged behavior making the workplace atmosphere intimidating, hostile, or offensive.
hostile work environment harassment
An analysis by Immanuel Wallerstein that divides the world into nations from most to least wealthy: core, semiperiphery, and periphery nations; the core nations dominate the world economically and politically.
world systems analysis
The state of living without reliable access to basic resources needed for survival, such as nutritious food, clean water, and decent shelter.
absolute poverty
The ownership of another human being.
slavery
A social and economic category within a caste system, into which a person is born, determining his or her social and economic status within society, and which cannot be changed.
caste
A measure of income or consumption inequality; a Gini coefficient of 0 indicates perfect equality, while a Gini coefficient of 1 indicates complete inequality.
Gini coefficient
Marx’s theory that the working conditions of capitalism leads people to be estranged from themselves and society.
alienation
A country that reflects indicators of advancement, comfort, and productivity, such as quality infrastructure (good roads and highways or efficient power grids) and a well-educated and technologically sophisticated workforce.
developed countries
A nation that lacks the industrialization and wealth of other nations; under world systems analysis, periphery nations transfer wealth to core nations.
periphery nation
A wealthy nation that is part of the global elite.
core nation
The state of living below in impoverished circumstances compared to the comfort and wealth of the rest of society.
relative poverty
What every human needs in order to survive, be healthy, and be protected, such as nutritious food, clean water, and decent shelter.
basic needs
The increase of population in city areas, mainly due to mass migrations, and the subsequent growth of urban areas to accommodate the increase of numbers.
urbanization
The categorization and ranking of groups of people to form a social and economic hierarchy.
social stratification
Emphasis on the internal affairs and emotional balance of the family unit.
expressiveness
A system of social and economic stratification within a population based on wealth and economic standing, which offers the opportunity for social mobility.
class system
The state of being poor, or living without a certain amount of materials and possessions that would otherwise make life comfortable or luxurious.
poverty
A country that currently lacks the resources and structures to provide advancement, comfort, and productive work opportunities for the majority of its residents.
developing countries
The physical and social separation of different racial or ethnic groups.
segregation
Status that someone earns through his or her personal qualities.
achieved status
Status given by society that the individual has no control over.
ascribed status
The phenomenon of there being far more women living in poverty than men.
feminization of poverty
An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods rather than by the government.
capitalism
A fairly rigid system of social stratification that offers little to no social mobility, and which often determines a person’s occupation, who they can marry, and even (in some cases) who they can touch.
caste system
The definition of financial circumstances below which an individual or family is considered ‘poor,’ usually determined by census statistics.
poverty line
The ability for people to change their class positions in society.
social mobility
