This document defines 55 key terms related to social inequality, including ascribed and achieved status, apartheid, blue collar/white collar workers, civil rights, discrimination, feminism, gendered division of labor, glass ceiling, Marxism, meritocracy, poverty, prejudice, privilege, racism, social mobility, stratification, and more. It provides brief definitions for each term to concisely explain concepts about social class, inequality, and related sociological topics.

1. Chapter 3-Social Inequality Flashcards
1 Define: Achieved Status
A position that is earned or chosen.
2 Define: Ageism
When holds prejudice or discriminate based on ones age.
3 Define: Apartheid
A policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race.
4 Define: Ascribed Status
A position or social group in which one is born into.
5 Define: Blue Collar/White Collar Worker
Those who do manual labor/Those who work in offices
6 Define: Bourgeoise
The upper class
7 Define: Caste
A system in which ascribed status is rigidly applied and there's no social mobility.
8 Define: Civil/Human Rights
A right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person.
9 Define: Closed Society
A culture in which there is rigid structure and little freedom or tolerance of belief
10 Define: Culture of Poverty
Refers to the social theory that explains the cycle of poverty.
11 Define: Dependency Culture
A lifestyle where one relies on someone or something else to fulfill their needs (usually financial)
12 Define: Discrimination
The prejudicial treatment of different people based on race, colour, age, etc

2. 13 Define: Distribution of wealth/Redistribution of wealth
How financial assets and income transferred and spread amongst society.
14 Define: Domestic Labour
Work done in the home
15 Define: Elite
A select group that is superior than others.
16 Define: Embourgeoisement/Proletarianisation
A Marxist theory, it refers to the social process whereby people move from being either an employer,
unemployed or self employed to being employed as wage labor.
17 Define: Equal Opportunities
The right to be treated without discrimination.
18 Define:Fatalism
The state in which poor people feel there is nothing they can do to change their situation so they're just stuck
there and pass this belief on to future generations resulting in a cycle of poverty.
19 Define: Feminism
A movement for granting women politic, social and economic equality with men.
20 Define: Gendered Division of Labour
The division of labor in societies is directly tied to socio-cultural pattens which determine the tasks that women
and men should perform.
21 Division: Glass Ceiling
An intangible barrier within a hierarchy that prevent women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions.
22 Define: Immediate/Deferred Gratification
The result of something you do gives you satisfaction right away/
The result of something you do gives satisfaction where you have to wait for it to pay off
23 Define: Industrial Societies
A society driven by the use of technology for mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity
of labour.

3. 24. Define: Intergenerational Social Mobility
Social mobility between generations. Measured by comparing occupational status of father and son.
25 Define: Intragenerational Social Mobility
Social mobility within a single generation. Measured by comparing ones status at different points in time.
26 Define: Life Chances
The level of opportunity an individual has to acquire material, social and cultural rewards in life based on race,
gender, age, etc.
27 Define: Lifestyle
The way one lives.
28 Define: Marxism
Based off of the views of Karl Marx that society constitutes of the bourgeoisie and the proletariats.
29 Define: Meritocracy
A system which believes that if you do good things or meet society's expectation you will be rewarded.
30 Define: Absolute Poverty
When a persons income is insufficient to obtain the basic requirements to survive.
31 Define: Middle Class
The solution between the upper and working classes.
32 Define: Occupational Structure
SThe total distribution of occupation in society according to skill level, economic function or social status.
33 Define: Open Society
A society characterized by a flexible structure, freedom or belief, and wide dissemination of information.
34 Define: Patriarchy
A system of domination by which wealthy, white, male ruling class have ruling authority over everyone else.
35 Define: Poverty Line
The estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the necessities of life.
36 Define: Poverty Trap

4. Spiraling mechanism which forces people to remain poor.
37 Define: Prejudice
An attitude (often based on stereotyping) which makes us think in a favorable way towards a specific group. It
can be positive or negative, usually associated with negative feelings.
38 Define: Privileged Group
A group that has a degree of superiority over everyone else.
39 Define: Professions/Professional Worker
A paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.
40 Define: Racism/Institutional Racism
The belief that some races of people are better than others, and holding prejudice and stereotypes against
them.
41 Define: Relative Poverty
When someone cannot meet general standard of living, poor compared to others.
42 Define: Reserve Army of Labour
In Marxian analysis, the segment of labour force which is held in reserve to be called into the work force when
need arises.
43 Define: Scapegoating
A person or group that is made to bear the blame for others, even though they didn't necessarily commit the
crime.
44 Define: Skilled/Unskilled Worker
Any labour that has training, knowledge and ability in their work/Any labour that doesn't have training and
knowledge and ability in their work.
45 Define: Slavery
The involuntary subjection to another or others.
46 Define: Social Exclusion
Social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society.
47 Define: Social Inequality
StThe uneven distribution of resources i.e wealth and income and the opportunities related to it i.e education

5. 48 Define: Social Mobility
StuThe movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between social
strata in a society.
49 Define: Social Stratification
StuThe way society is structured into different classes.
50 Define: Traditional Societies
Stu Refers to a society characterized by an orientation to the past, with a predominant role for custom.
51 Define: Underclass
St The lowest social stratum in a country or community, consisted of poor and unemployed.
52 Define: Upper Class
StuThe highest social stratum in a society, usually consisted of rich and employed.
53 Define: Wealth
StuAn abundance of valuable possessions or money.
54 Define: Welfare State
StuA system whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well being of its citizens especially
those under privileged.
55 Define: Working Class
StuThe social group consisting of people who are employed for wages, especially in manual or industrial work.