Sociology Quiz 3 Chapters 10, 11, 14, 15

Sociology Key Concepts

• Profane: Refers to ordinary, everyday events of life as opposed to the sacred.

• Intergenerational Mobility: Cross-cultural studies indicate that mobility is generally increasing in both industrialized and developing nations.

• Fundamentalism: A social movement that stresses doctrinal conformity and a literal interpretation of sacred texts.

• Minority Group: Defined as a group that lacks control over its own life compared to a dominant group.

• Family vs. Kin Group: A family is a household unit, whereas kin groups consist of relatives who may not cohabitate.

• Prejudice: A negative attitude directed towards an entire category of people.

• Conflict Perspective: This viewpoint suggests that cultures practicing polyandry may devalue women's social worth.

• Ethnocentrism: Modernization and development terms often exhibit ethnocentric bias.

• Polygamy: George Murdock's research indicates that over 80% of 565 sampled societies practiced some form of polygamy.

• Social Inequality: Friedrich Engels argued that the family constitutes the primary source of social inequality.

• Institutional Discrimination: The systemic denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals or groups in society's normal operations.

• Symbolic Ethnicity: An example includes visiting an ethnic bakery that reflects cultural heritage.

• Discrimination: Defined as the process of denying rights due to prejudice or arbitrary reasons.

• Racial Group: Describes groups distinguished by physical differences that hold social significance.

• Sacred Concept: Encompasses elements that evoke awe, respect, or fear, beyond everyday life.

• Cultural Universal: The belief that the link between love and marriage is a cultural universal is incorrect.

• Dependency Theory: Argues that developing nations remain economically dependent and weak compared to core nations despite making advances.

• Largest Faith: Christianity is recognized as the world's single largest religion.

• Institutional Barriers: Historical example includes Puerto Ricans being barred from the Chicago Police Department due to height requirements, illustrating institutional discrimination.

• Poverty Mobility: In large developing nations, significant social mobility is seen as moving out of poverty.

• Endogamy: The practice of restricting mate selection to individuals within the same group.

• Industrial Revolution: Marked the onset of extreme resource inequality globally.

• Colonialism: Defined as the prolonged control of a people by a foreign power, encompassing political, social, economic, and cultural dominance.

• Ethnic Group: Characterized by distinct cultural patterns or national origins that set them apart from others.

• World Systems Theory: Periphery nations like Honduras and Ethiopia are seen as poor, developing countries exploited by wealthier nations.

• Hinduism: Distinguishing features set it apart from other religious practices.

• Religion's Manifest Functions: Involves providing meaning to the divine and conceptualizing the spiritual world.

• Nuclear Family: Comprises a married couple and their unmarried children living together.

• Extended Family: Includes a nuclear family living with relatives, for example, a couple and their children plus the husband's sister.

• Secularization: Refers to the diminishing influence of religion on various social institutions over time.