AQA GCSE Sociology key terms

Merton’s response in which an individual abandons conventional success goals but continues to follow approved rules and routines.

The pattern of behaviour expected of someone occupying a particular social position.

The process through which people are selected for and placed into positions in society, particularly occupational roles.

A clash between the demands of different roles held by the same person.

Ideas that justify the ruling class’s dominance and present the existing social order as fair, normal or inevitable.

Ideas that justify the dominance of the ruling class and present the existing social order as normal or natural.

Relating to the countryside, generally less densely populated than urban areas.

A family consisting of a same-sex couple and their children.

A group selected from a wider population for research.

A list of members of the population from which a sample is selected.

A reward or punishment used to encourage conformity to rules or norms.

Standardised school tests used to assess whether pupils meet expected attainment standards in English and mathematics.

A person or group blamed for something that is not their fault.

The values, beliefs and moral expectations which characterise a school.

Information already collected by someone else, which a researcher uses for a new investigation or analysis.

The learning of norms and values through agencies beyond the family, such as schools.

Information or research already produced by others, which a researcher uses for a new investigation.

The declining influence of religion in society.

A pattern in which partners have separate domestic responsibilities, typically divided by gender, and tend to have separate leisure activities.

Responsibilities divided between partners, commonly along traditional gender lines, with relatively separate leisure activities.

The process of assigning pupils to schools, classes or groups, affecting the educational opportunities available to them.

Support targeted at people who meet particular conditions, commonly financial need assessed through means testing.

Means-tested benefits targeted at those in greatest financial need. Pension Credit for pensioners on low incomes is an example.

The unequal application of the law, with some offences or groups receiving more attention than others.

A school which selects pupils by assessed ability, commonly through an entrance examination; a grammar school is an example.

Choosing which research information to use and which to leave out, for example to focus on a subgroup. Selection can produce a biased account if contrary evidence is excluded.

The ability to control one’s own behaviour and follow rules without needing constant supervision or punishment.