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Absolutism
Approach to defining deviance that rests on the assumption that all human behavior can be considered either inherently good or inherently bad
Criminalization
Official definition of an act of deviance as a crime
Deterrence Theory
Theory of deviance positing that people will be prevented from engaging in a deviant act if they judge the costs of such an act of outweigh its benefits
Deviance
Behavior, ideas, or attributes of an individual or group that some people in society find offensive
Labeling theory
Theory stating that deviance is the consequence of the application of rules and sanctions to an offender; a deviant is an individual to whom the identity "deviant" has been successfully applied
Medicalization
Definition of behavior as a medical problem, mandating the medical profession to provide some kind of treatment for it
Relativism
Approach to defining deviance that rests on the assumption that deviance is socially created by collective human judgments and ideas
Bureaucracy
Large hierarchical organization governed by formal rules and regulations and having clearly specified work tasks
Division of labor
Specialization of different people or groups in different tasks, characteristic of most bureaucracies
Free-rider Problem
Tendency for people to refrain from contributing to the common good when a resource is available without any personal cost or contribution
Hierarchy of authority
Ranking of people or tasks in a bureaucracy form those at the top, where there is a greap deal of power and authority, to those at the bottom, where there is very little power and authority
McDonaldization
Process by which the characteristicsand principles of the fast food restaurant come to dominate other areas of social life
multinational corporation
company that has manufacturing, production, and marketing divisions in multiple countries
Oligarchy
System of authority in which many people are ruled by a privileged few
Social structure
Framework of society- social institutions, organizations, groups, statuses and roles, cultural beliefs, and institutionalized norms- that adds order and predictability to our private lives
Tragedy of the commons
Situation in which people acting individually and in their own self-interest use up commonly available (but limited) resources. creating disaster for the entire community
Absolute poverty
Inability to afford the minimal requirements for sustaining a reasonably healthy existence
Authority
Possession of some status or quality that compels others to obey one's directives or commands
Caste System
Stratification system based on heredity, with little movement allowed across strata
Colonization
Process of expanding economic markets by invading and establishing control over a weaker country and its people
Competitive individualism
Cultural belief that those who succeed in society are those who work hardest and have the best abilities and that those who suffer don't work hard enough or lack the necessary traits or abilities
Culture-of-poverty thesis
Belief that poor people, resigned to their position in society, develop a unique value structure to deal with their lack of success
Estate system (feudal system)
Stratification system in which high-status groups own land and have power based on noble birth
False Consciousness
Situation in which people in the lower classes come to accept a belief system that harms them; the primary means by which powerful classes in society prevent protest and revolution
Means of production
Land, commercial enterprises, factories, and wealth that form the economic basis of class societies
Middle Class
In a society stratified by social class, a group of people who have an intermediate level of wealth, income, and prestige, such as managers, supervisors, executives, small business owners, and professionals
Near-poor
Individuals or families whose earnings are between 100% and 125% of the poverty line
Poor
In a society stratified by social class, a group of people who work for minimum wage or are chronically unemployed
Poverty line
Amount of yearly income a family requires to meet its basic needs, according to the federal government
Poverty Rate
Percentage of people whose income falls below the poverty line
Power
Ability to affect decisions in ways that benefit a person or protect his or her interests
Prestige
Respect and honor given to some people in society
Relative poverty
Individuals' economic position compared with the living standards of the majority of society
Slavery
Economic form of inequality in which some people are legally the property of others
Social Class
Group of people who share a similar economic position in society, based on their wealth and income
Social mobility
Movement of people or groups from one class to another
Socioeconomic status
Prestige, honor, respect, and lifestyle associated with different positions or groups in society
Stratification
Ranking system for groups of people that perpetuates unequal rewards and life chances in society
Upper class
In society stratified by social class, a group of people who have high income and prestige and who own vast amounts of property and other forms of wealth, such as owners of large corporations, top financiers, rich celebrities and politicians and members of prestigious families
Working Class
In a society stratified by social class, a group of people who have a low level of wealth, income, and prestige, such as industrial and factory workers, office workers, clerks, and farm and manual laborers
Working poor
Employed people who consistently earn wages but do not make enough to survive

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