9.6: Key Terms

Introductory Sociology 3e · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition) The definition is case sensitive (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] (Optional) Caption for Image (Optional) External or Internal Link (Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") Illustration The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/ CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s) Definition Image Caption Link Source
    absolute poverty deprivation so severe that it puts day-to-day survival in jeopardy.        
    caste system a system in which people are born into a social standing that they will retain their entire lives        
    class a group who shares a common social status based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation        
    class system social standing based on social factors and individual accomplishments        
    class traits the typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class (also called class markers)        
    closed system a system of stratification that accommodates little change in social position.        
    conspicuous consumption the act of buying and using products to make a statement about one’s social standing        
    Davis-Moore thesis a thesis that argues some social stratification is a social necessity and is functional        
    downward mobility a lowering of one’s social class        
    endogamous marriages unions of people within the same social category        
    exogamous unions unions of spouses from different social categories        
    global stratification a comparison of the wealth, status, power, and economic stability of countries as a whole        
    ideology the cultural belief system that justifies a society’s system of stratification        
    income the money a person earns from work or investments        
    intergenerational mobility a difference in social class between different generations of a family        
    intragenerational mobility changes in a person's social mobility over the course of their lifetime.        
    meritocracy an ideal system in which personal effort—or merit—determines social standing        
    open system a system of stratification, based on achievement, that allows some movement and interaction between layers and classes.        
    primogeniture a law stating that all property passes to the firstborn son        
    relative poverty is not having the means to live the lifestyle of the average person in your country        
    social mobility the ability to change positions within a social stratification system        
    social stratification a socioeconomic system that divides society’s members into categories ranking from high to low, based on things like wealth, power, and prestige. Also called inequality.        
    socioeconomic status (SES) an individual’s level of wealth, power, and prestige        
    standard of living the level of wealth available to acquire material goods and comforts to maintain a particular socioeconomic lifestyle        
    status consistency the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across social categories like wealth, power, and prestige        
    structural mobility a societal change that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder        
    upward mobility an increase—or upward shift—in social class        
    wealth the value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance or salary.        

    9.6: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.