Status The amount of prestige
or importance a person has in the
eyes of other members of society.Stereotype A widely held but
overly simplified image of a person
or social group.Stigma A mark of disgrace or
an undesirable characteristic,
physical or social, that disqualifies
an individual from being fully
accepted by society. The
marginalization of individuals
in society, because they evoke
negative responses from others,
has been attributed to their having
assumed stigmatized identities,
which are demeaning in some way.Structuralism The idea that we
must understand things—such as
a text, human mind, or society—by
examining the elements, or pattern
of relationships, in its structure.Subculture A group that is seen
as a distinct and separate one
within the larger society because
while its members may agree with
most of a society’s values, beliefs,
and customs, they differ in others.Symbolic interactionism The
theory that the self is an entity that
arises through social interactions.Urbanization The process of
people moving from rural areas to
live in towns and cities, and the
social changes accompanying that.
The world is increasingly urban.Values Ideas or beliefs about
the worth of a thing, process, or
behavior. A person’s values govern
the way they behave; a society’s
values dictate what is important
or not important, and what is
acceptable or unacceptable.providing basic wants such as
food, housing, fuel, and clothing. In
wealthier countries today, poverty
is usually measured in relation to
the generally accepted standard
of living of the time, known as
relative poverty. Some definitions
of poverty now take account of
factors, such as skills or health, that
might produce social exclusion.
Proletariat In Marxist theory
(see Marxism), the social class
of people who labor for a wage.
Queer theory A cultural theory
that challenges binary notions of
sexuality and instead suggests that
sexualities are cultural constructs
influenced by time and place.
Racism Discriminating against
people, typically identified by
skin color, on the basis of alleged
biological differences, when in fact
such biological differences have
been proven by science not to exist.
Right-wing In the political
spectrum, the conservative ideas
of those who favor traditional social
arrangements and values.
Roles The patterns of behavior that
are expected from individuals in
society. See also gender role.
Secularization The process
whereby religion and its
institutions lose social significance.
Self-estrangement The sense
of alienation from oneself, either
through a negative view of self or
a sense that one’s labor belongs
to another person or organization.
Sexism Prejudice, discrimination,
or stereotyping of people because
of their male or female sex.
Sexual orientation An
individual’s attraction toward
people of a particular biological sex.Simulacra Images that have no
basis in reality yet appear to reflect
things in the physical world.Social class A status hierarchy
within the social system, reflecting
power, wealth, education, and
prestige. Although these classes
vary by society, Western models
generally recognize three broad
groups. The upper class is a small
social group that has the highest
status and owns a disproportionate
amount of society’s wealth. The
term middle class refers to well-
educated people who do non-
manual work, often in offices.
Working class refers to people with
manual jobs, such as factory or
agricultural work.Social mobility The movement of
people or categories of people, such
as families, from one social class
to another.Social networks The links
between individuals, families,
and groups with similar interests.Social structure The social
institutions and relationships that
form the framework of a society.Socialism A political doctrine
that aims to establish social and
economic equality. Socialists argue
that if the economy was under
the control of the majority of the
population, a more equitable social
structure would be created.State An organized authority
that has legitimate control over
a territory, and a monopoly of the
use of force within its territory.GLOSSARY 343