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
