Sociology Terms Chapter 7, 8, 9

Bisexuality

Sexual attraction toward both genders

Homosexuality

Sexual attraction toward one's own gender

Heterosexuality

Sexual attraction toward the other gender

Blue collar

Skilled and semiskilled workers who perform manual labor

Postmodernism

Social class status passed down through cultural capital

Minority group

Social group systematically denied access to power and resources

Prestige

Social honor given based on membership in well-regarded groups

Open system

Social system with ample opportunities to move between classes

Closed system

Social system with little opportunity to move between classes

Race

Socially defined category based on biological differences

Ethnicity

Socially defined category based on common cultural factors

Social class

Stratification based on access to resources like wealth, power, and prestige

Caste system

Stratification based on family history and background

Feudal system

Stratification based on hereditary nobility

Structural functionalism

Stratification is functional to society, certain roles are more important

Intersectionality theory

Stratification systems intersect to create systems of oppression and privilege

Critical race theory

Study of race, racism, and power in social conceptions

Microaggressions

Subtle communications conveying denigrating messages to certain social groups

Gender binary

System of classifying gender into male and female

Meritocracy

System where rewards are based on merit

Institutional discrimination

Systematic discrimination by institutions affecting all members of a group

Social reproduction

Tendency of social classes to remain stable across generations

Heterogamy

Tendency to choose romantic partners dissimilar in class, race, etc.

Homogamy

Tendency to choose romantic partners similar in class, race, etc.

Everyday class consciousness

Awareness of one's own social status and others'

Gender expression

Behavioral manifestations of gender

White nationalism

Belief in building a nation around white identity

Sexism

Belief in male superiority

Feminism

Belief in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes

Racism

Belief in superiority of one racial or ethnic group

Cisgenders

Belief in the superiority of cisgender persons and identities

Heterosexism

Belief in the superiority of heterosexuality

Conflict theory

Belief in two main social classes and growing inequality

Inequality and the American Dream

Belief that hard work leads to material success

Heteronormativity

Belief that heterosexuality is the norm

Just-world hypothesis

Belief that the world is orderly and victims deserve their fates

Rape culture

Beliefs and norms normalizing sexual violence against women

Constructionists

Believe gender is socially determined, allowing for multiple possibilities

Essentialists

Believe gender roles have genetic or biological origin

Primary sex characteristics

Biological factors distinguishing males from females

Structural mobility

Changes in social status due to structural changes in society

Sexuality

Character or quality of being sexual

Reverse racism

Claim of discrimination against whites based on race

Middle class

Class composed primarily of white-collar workers

Lower middle class (working class)

Class consisting of blue-collar or service industry workers

Upper-middle class

Class consisting of highly educated professionals and managers

Cultural capital

Cultural assets that help gain advantages in society

Genocide

Deliberate extermination of a racial or ethnic group

Individual discrimination

Discrimination carried out by one person against another

Double consciousness

Divided identity experienced by Black people in the United States

Social stratification

Division of society into groups arranged in a hierarchy

First wave

Earliest period of feminist activism until women won the right to vote

Settler colonialism

Economic and political subjugation of minority group by dominant group

Upper class

Elite group with most of the country's wealth

Culture of poverty

Entrenched attitudes among the poor that hinder improvement

Situational ethnicity

Ethnic identity displayed or concealed depending on situation

Toxic masculinity

Extreme and harmful attitudes and behaviors in men

Slavery

Extreme form of social stratification based on legal ownership of people

Expressive role

Family member providing emotional support and nurturing

Instrumental role

Family member providing material support and authority

Homophobia

Fear or discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people

Transphobia

Fear or discrimination toward transgender or gender-nonconforming people

Second wave

Feminist activism during the 1960s and 1970s

Population transfer

Forcible removal of a group of people from their territory

Cisgender

Gender identity aligns with sex assigned at birth

Transgender

Gender identity differs from sex assigned at birth

Gender nonconforming

Gender identity or expression differs from societal expectations

Residential segregation

Geographical separation of the poor from the rest of the population

Prejudice

Idea about a group applied to all members, unlikely to change

Hegemonic masculinity

Ideal promoting independence, aggression, and toughness in men

Embodied identity

Identity generated through others' perceptions of physical traits

Race consciousness

Ideology acknowledging race as a powerful social construct

Color-blind racism

Ideology removing race as an explanation for unequal treatment

Sexual orientation or identity

Inclination to feel sexual desire toward a particular gender

Federal poverty line

Index defining 'official' poverty in the United States

Status inconsistency

Individual holding differing levels of status in wealth, power, or prestige

Gender identity

Individual's self-definition or sense of gender

Nonbinary

Individuals not exclusively men or women, or outside of such categories

Asexuality

Lack of sexual attraction or interest in sex

Social learning

Learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction

Apartheid

Legal segregation of racial and ethnic groups in South Africa

Gender role socialization

Lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine

Serfs

Lower stratum of forced laborers in the feudal system

White collar

Lower-level professional and management workers

Patriarchy

Male-dominated society

Hypogamy

Marrying 'down' in the social class hierarchy

Hypergamy

Marrying 'up' in the social class hierarchy

Socioeconomic status (SES)

Measure of an individual's place in a social class system

Wealth

Measure of net worth including income, property, and assets

Sex

Membership in male or female category based on biology

Weberian theory

Model of class status based on wealth, power, and prestige

Men's rights movement

Movement believing feminism discriminates against men

Vertical social mobility

Movement between different class statuses, upward or downward

Intragenerational mobility

Movement between social classes during an individual's lifetime

Intergenerational mobility

Movement between social classes from one generation to the next

Men's liberation

Movement discussing challenges of masculinity

Suffrage movement

Movement for women's voting rights

Social mobility

Movement of individuals or groups within social classes

Simplicity movement

Movement opposing consumerism and promoting nonmaterialistic values

Pro-feminist men's movement

Movement supporting feminism and equality for men and women

Horizontal mobility

Movement within a social class due to changing occupations

Absolute deprivation

Objective measure of poverty based on inability to meet minimal standards

Coming out

Openly declaring one's true identity to others

Assimilation

Pattern of relations between ethnic or racial groups

Intersex

Person with chromosomes or sex characteristics neither exclusively male nor female

Segregation

Physical and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity

Secondary sex characteristics

Physical differences between males and females unrelated to reproduction

Gender

Physical, behavioral, and personality traits considered normal for males and females

Underclass

Poorest group experiencing homelessness or chronic unemployment

Working poor

Poorly educated manual and service workers near or below the poverty line

Misogyny

Prejudice against women

Passing

Presenting as a member of a different group to avoid stigma

Symbolic interactionism

Race, class, and gender intersect to produce individual identity

Structural functionalism

Racial and ethnic differences are necessary for social ties

Conflict theory

Racial and ethnic differences create intergroup conflict

Third wave

Recent period of feminist activism focusing on diversity and identities

Relative deprivation

Relative measure of poverty based on standard of living

Symbolic ethnicity

Relevant ethnic identity only on specific occasions

Disenfranchisement

Removal of citizenship rights through economic, political, or legal means

Miscegenation

Romantic or sexual relationships between people of different races

Invisibility of poverty

Segregation, disenfranchisement, and law enforcement make poverty invisible

Queer theory

Theory about gender and sexual identity emphasizing difference and rejecting restrictive categories

Feminization of poverty

Trend showing women more likely to live in poverty

Implicit bias

Unconscious attitudes or stereotypes influencing perceptions and actions

Privilege

Unearned advantage for members of dominant social groups

Digital divide

Unequal access to computer and internet technology

Wealth gap

Unequal distribution of assets across a population

Social inequality

Unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige

Discrimination

Unequal treatment based on social group membership

Second shift

Unpaid housework and childcare expected of women after paid labor

Symbolic interactionism

Use of status differences to categorize ourselves and others

Antiracist allies

Whites and others working to end racial injustice

ILGBTQ

Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer

Cultural appropriation

Adoption of cultural elements without permission for dominant group's gain

Racial assimilation

Absorption of racial minority groups into the dominant group

Cultural assimilation

Acceptance of racial and ethnic variation within a society

Pluralism

Acceptance of racial and ethnic variation within a society