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Max Weber

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German sociologist, economist, legal scholar, historian and politician. He told his students that they should imply "verstehen" (German for understanding or insight) in their intellectual work. He advised the students that in order to comprehend behavior, one must learn the subject meanings people attached to their actions, how they themselves see and explain their behavior.

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technology

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The practical application of tools, skills, and knowledge to meet human needs and extend human abilities

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ethnocentrism

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The tendency to view one's own group and its cultural expectations as right, proper, and superior to others

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cultural relativism

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Setting aside personal beliefs and prejudices to understand a culture through the eyes of members of that culture, using its own standards

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values

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Nonmaterial shared judgments about what is desirable or undesirable, right or wrong, and good or bad; they express the basic ideals of any culture

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norms

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Rules of behavior shared by members of a society and rooted in the value system

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folkways

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Customs or desirable behaviors, but they are not strictly enforced

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mores

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Norms that most members observe because they have great moral significance in a society. Conforming to mores is a matter of right and wrong, and violations of many mores are treated very seriously

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incest taboo

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Prohibition against sex with a close relative

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white collar crime

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A violation of the law committed by an individual or a group in the course of a legitimate, respected occupation or financial activity. Also known as occupational crime. Occupational crimes include embezzlement, pilfering, bribery, tax evasion, price fixing, obstruction of justice, and various forms of fraud.

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stigma

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Disapproved characteristic that discredits a person's claim to a "normal" identity

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social stratification

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Refers to how individuals and groups are layered or ranked in society according to how many valued resources they possess

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wealth

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Comprises one's income, property, and total assets

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feminization of poverty

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Refers to the trend in which single females, increasingly younger and with children, make up a growing proportion of those in poverty

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prejudice

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Attitudes that prejudge a group, usually negatively and not based on facts

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discrimination

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Differential treatment of and harmful actions against minorities

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racism

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Any institutional arrangement that favors one racial group over another

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genocide

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The systematic effort of one group, usually the dominant group, to destroy a minority group

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pluralism

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Occurs when each ethnic or racial group in a country maintains its own culture and separate set of institutions

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assimilation

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The structural and cultural merging of minority and majority groups in society

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conflict theory

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Theory that focuses on societal groups competing for scarce resources.

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meritocracy

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A social group or organization in which people are allocated to positions according to their abilities and credentials; education is an example

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3 sources of inequality in schools

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Testing, tracking, and funding

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3 components of religion

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Meaning (system), belonging (system), and structural (system)

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myths

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Stories, true or not, embodying ideas about the world and transmitting values

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rituals

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Ceremonies or repetitive practices, often to invoke a sense of awe of the sacred and to make certain ideas and institutions sacralized

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symbols

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Actions or objects that represent something else and therefore have meaning beyond their own existence; flags and wedding rings are examples

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yarmulke

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Also known as skull cap or kippah; worn by Jewish men, symbolizes respect for and fear of God and serves to remind the wearer of the need for humility: There is always some distance between himself and God. These caps are also a sign of belonging and commitment to the Jewish community

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ecclesia

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Official state religions; refers to religious groups that claim as members everybody within the boundaries of a particular society

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mosque

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A Muslim place to pray, place of worship

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imam

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Muslim minister

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denominations

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Voluntary religious associations (not part of a state church) that accept members without strict prerequisites such as a particular national or ethnic membership or literal interpretation of scriptures. Seen as a legitimate form of religious expression but does not have religious dominance or monopoly in the society. Denominations coexist and usually are accepting of others.

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sect

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Religious groups that break away to protest against their parent religious, rejecting their parent churches as "compromised" and the social order as ungodly

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NRMs

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New religious movements, also known as cults. Innovative religious groups that may become established new religions if they survive for several generations.

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civil religion

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A shared public faith in the nation and what the nation stands for based on a country's history, social institutions, set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals that pervade secular life and institutions

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Karl Marx

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Sociologist who claimed religion is the "opiate of the people"

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polytheistic

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having many gods

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monotheistic

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having one god

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secularization

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The diminishing influence and role of religion in everyday life; involves a movement away from supernatural and sacred interpretations of the world and toward decisions based on empirical evidence and logic. (secularism?)

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oligarchy

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System based on a specific political ideology and run by a single ruling group or party of elites. [A form of government in which all the power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few. - Dictionary.com]

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capitalism

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(Market systems/capitalism) An economic system driven by the balance of supply and demand, allowing free competition to reward the efficient and innovators with profits; stresses individual planning and private ownership of property

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polygamous

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more than one spouse

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polygamy

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a form of marriage where an individual has several husbands or wives (male or female)

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polygyny

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a form of marriage in which a man may have multiple wives

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polyandry

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form of polygamy in which a woman has multiple husbands/lovers

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monogamy

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one man and one woman are married to each other

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machismo

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sense of virility, personal worth, and pride in one's maleness

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patrilineal

answer

males rule/ male line: inheritance through the male line

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matrilineal

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females rule/ female line: inheritance through the female line

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serial monogamy

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being married to several spouses in series (one at a time)

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exogamy

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Norm governing the choice of a mate that requires individuals to marry outside of their own immediate group. [The requirement that people select a mate outside their group.]

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endogamy

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Norms that require individuals to marry inside certain human boundaries, whatever the societal members see as protecting the homogeneity of the group. [The restriction of mate selection within one's own group.]

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homogamy

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The conscious or unconscious tendency to select a mate with personal characteristics and interests similar to one's own

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parallel cousins

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Children of same sex siblings (sister/sister, brother/brother)

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cross cousins

answer

Children of opposite sex siblings (sister/brother, brother/sister)

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cohabitation

answer

Practice of living together as a couple without marriage

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matriarchy

answer

A society in which women dominate in family decision making

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patriarchy

answer

A society in which men dominate in family decision making. Women found in this system find it more difficult to divorce.

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income

answer

The monetary payment received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments. [Dictionary.com]

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apartheid

answer

Any system or practice that separates people according to race, caste, etc. [Dictionary.com]

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idealistic

answer

Of or pertaining to idealism or idealists. [Dictionary.com]

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liberation theology

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A 20th-century Christian theology, emphasizing the Biblical and doctrinal theme of liberation from oppression, whether racial, sexual, economic, or political. [Dictionary.com]

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totemism

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The practice of having totems. [Dictionary.com] (toteism?)

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shamanism

answer

The animistic religion of northern Asia or any similar religion, embracing a belief that spirits can be influenced only by shamans. [Dictionary.com]

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epic

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Noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style. [Dictionary.com]

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riddle

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A question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning; a puzzling question, problem, or matter. [Dictionary.com]

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poetry

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The art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. Literary work in metrical form; verse. [Dictionary.com]

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temple

answer

An edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities. [Dictionary.com]

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synagogue

answer

A Jewish house of worship, often having facilities for religious instruction. [Dictionary.com]

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church

answer

A building for public Christian worship. [Dictionary.com]

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priest

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A person whose office it is to perform religious rites, and especially to make sacrificial offerings. [Dictionary.com]

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mullah

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A title of respect for a person who is learned in, teaches, or expounds the sacred law in Islamic countries. [Dictionary.com]

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blue collar crime

answer

Any crime committed by an individual from a lower social class. Also known as predatory crimes or street crimes. [Google search]

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gerentology

answer

The branch of science that deal with aging and the problems of aged persons. [Dictionary.com]

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activity theory

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(Activity theory of aging) Proposes that successful aging occurs when older adults stay active and maintain social interactions. Takes the view that the aging process is delayed and the quality of life is enhanced when old people remain socially active. [Google search]

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ageism

answer

Discrimination against persons of a certain age group. The tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment. [Dictionary.com]

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minority groups

answer

Groups in a population that differ from others in some characteristics and are therefore subject to less power, fewer privileges, and discrimination.

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stereotyping

answer

The process of categorizing large numbers of people and attributing to them personal qualities based on their dress, language, skin color, or other identifying features.

question

hate crimes

answer

Criminal offenses committed against a person, property, or group that are motivated by the offender's bias against a religion, an ethnic or racial group, a national origin, a gender, or a sexual orientation.

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glass ceiling

answer

Barriers that keep women from reaching the highest levels of corporate and public responsibility.

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affirmative action

answer

Positive (affirmative) steps to make sure that unintentional discrimination does not occur.

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infanticide

answer

The act of killing an infant. [Dictionary.com]

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matricide

answer

The act of killing one's mother. [Dictionary.com]

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patricide

answer

The act of killing one's father. [Dictionary.com]

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expulsion

answer

The act of driving out or expelling. [Dictionary.com]

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amalgamation

answer

the act of mixing or merging to as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine. [Dictionary.com]

question

segregation

answer

Keeps minorities powerless by formally separating them from the dominant group and depriving them of access to the dominant institutions.

question

Nelson Mandela

answer

First black president of South Africa

question

culture-bound syndrome

answer

A combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. [Google search]

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brain drain

answer

a loss of trained professional personnel to another company, nation, etc., that offers greater opportunity. [Dictionary.com]

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AIDS

answer

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

question

social epidemiology

answer

The branch of epidemiology that studies the social distribution and social determinants of health. Both specific features of, and pathways by which societal conditions affect health.

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Evolutionary Theory

answer

Borrows assumptions from both structural-functionalist and conflict theories in an attempt to determine how scarce resources are distributed and how that distribution results in stratification.

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equilibrium

answer

A state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces. [Dictionary.com]

question

vested interest

answer

A special interest in an existing system, arrangement, or institution for particular personal reasons. [Dictionary.com]

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Native American

answer

Indigenous people within the boundaries of the present-day United States. [Google search]

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reservation

answer

A tract of public land set apart for a special purpose, as for the use of an Indian tribe. [Dictionary.com]

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holistic medicine

answer

Identifying with principles of holism in a system of therapeutics, especially one considered outside the mainstream of scientific medicine, as naturopathy or chiropractic, and often involving nutritional measures. [Dictionary.com]

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human ecology

answer

The branch of sociology concerned with the spacing and interdependence of people and institutions. [Dictionary.com]

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cloning

answer

The process of producing a clone. Clone: A person or thing that duplicates, imitates, or closely resembles another in appearance, function, performance, or style. [Dictionary.com]

question

gene pool

answer

The total genetic information in the gametes of all the individuals in a population. [Dictionary.com]

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Luddites

answer

A member of any of various bands of workers in England (1811-16) organized to destroy manufacturing machinery, under the belief that its use diminished employment. [Dictionary.com]

question

relative deprivation

answer

The experience of being deprived of something to which one believes oneself to be entitled. It refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that they have less of what they believe themselves to be entitled than those around them. [wikipedia]

question

global warming

answer

An increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. [Dictionary.com]

question

McDonaldization

answer

pop-culture term for modern efficiency-driven organizations. Refers to trends of efficiency, predictability, calculation, and increased control (p. 135)

question

gender across cultures

answer

read section on pg 270

question

globalization

answer

the process by which the entire world is becoming a single interdependent sociocultural entity, due largely to the expansion of capitalism (p. 84)

question

multinational corporation

answer

A corporation with operations in two or more countries. Dictionary.com]

question

W.E.B. Du Bois

answer

African American sociologist, Harvard educated, along with other black sociologists conducted research that they hoped would help the struggle for racially equal society. (p. 50)

question

"One Child Only" rule

answer

Officially the family planning policy, is the population control policy of the People's Republic of China. [Wikipedia]

question

migration

answer

In terms of demographic processes, refers to the movement of people from one place to another (p. 415)

question

diffusion

answer

The spread of an invention or a discovery from one place to another. Diffusion often involves expansion of ideas across the globe, but it also requires individuals to adopt ideas at the micro level. (p. 463)

question

Khmer Rouge

answer

A Cambodian guerrilla and rebel force and political opposition movement, originally Communist and Communist-backed. (p. 383)

question

oligopoly

answer

The market condition that exists when there are few sellers, as a result of which they can greatly influence price and other market factors. [Dictionary.com]

question

elite theory

answer

Power elite theorists believe that a small group of elite individuals will rule societies. Individuals have limited power through interest groups, but real power is held by the power elite. (p. 373-374)

question

demography

answer

The study of human populations (p. 407)

question

antinatalist

answer

Antinatalist policies - those that discourage fertility (p. 416)

question

democratic socialism

answer

Collective or group planning of the development of society but within a democratic political system; the good of the whole is paramount (p. 387)

question

micro-level analysis

answer

analysis with a focus on individual or small-group interaction in specific situations (p. 21)

question

meso-level analysis

answer

analysis of intermediate-sized social units, smaller than the nation but large enough to encompass more than the local community or region (p. 21)

question

macro-level analysis

answer

analysis of the largest social units in the social world, including entire nations, global forces, and international social trends (p. 22)

question

social movements

answer

Consciously organized attempts outside of established institutional mechanisms to enhance or resist change through group action (p. 458)

question

collective behavior

answer

Actions that are spontaneous, unstructured, and disorganized that may violate norms; this behavior arises when people are trying to cope with stressful situations and unclear or uncertain situations (p. 453)

question

mobs

answer

Emotional crowds that engage in violence against a specific target; lynchings, killings, and hate crimes are examples (p. 454)

question

riots

answer

An outbreak of violence against random or shifting targets committed by crowds expressing frustration or anger against people, property, or groups in power; often occur due to conditions such as deprivation or an unresponsive or unfair governmental or judicial system (p. 454)

question

panic

answer

Occurs when a large number of individuals become fearful or try to flee threatening situations that are beyond their control, sometimes putting their lives in danger (p. 455)

question

rumors

answer

A form of mass behavior in which unsupported or unproven reports about a problem, an issue, or a concern circulate widely throughout the public (p. 455)

question

fads

answer

Temporary material objects, behaviors, or activities that spread rapidly and are copied enthusiastically by large numbers of people (p. 455)

question

fashions

answer

Refers to a social pattern favored by a large number of people for a limited period of time; clothing, styles, music genres, color schemes in home decor, types of automobiles, and architectural designs are examples (p. 455)

question

Mentawai

answer

(videos & papers)

question

Verstehen

answer

deep empathetic understanding (p. 52)

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