chapter 7 part 2

disfranchisement

the removal of the rights of citizenship through economic, political, or legal means

open system

a social system with ample opportunities to move from one class to another

relative deprivation

a relative measure of poverty based on the standard of living in a particular society

closed system

a social system with very little opportunity to move from one class to another

meritocracy

a system in which rewards are distributed based on merit

absolute deprivation

an objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care

just-word hypothesis

argument that people have a deep need to see the world as orderly, predictable, and fair, which creates a tendency to view victims of social injustice as deserving of their fates

structural mobility

changes in the social status of large numbers of people as a result of structural changes in society

intragenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs during the course of an individual's lifetime

intergenerational mobility

movement between social classes that occurs from one generation to the next

residential segregation

the geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area's population

vertical social mobility

the movement between different class statuses, often called either upward mobility or downward mobility

horizontal social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within a particular social class, most often a result of changing occupations

social mobility

the movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

digital divide

the unequal access to computer and Internet technology, both globally and within the United States

wealth gap

the unequal distribution of assets across a population

culture of poverty

entrenched attitudes that can develop among poor communities and lead the poor to accept their fate rather than attempt to improve their lot

federal poverty line

federal index that defines "official" poverty in the United States based on household income; updated annually