Eduqas GCSE Sociology key terms

The practical ability to locate and contact potential participants, secure their participation and, where necessary, enter their setting and maintain their cooperation.

A social position gained through a person's actions, effort or accomplishments rather than assigned by birth or background.

A relatively well-paid manual worker whose income enables a comfortable standard of living.

A population in which older people make up an increasing proportion of the total.

Unfair treatment or discrimination against someone because of their age.

A group or institution that influences behaviour through socialisation, everyday expectations and social pressure rather than official enforcement of laws or regulations.

An institution or social group that influences behaviour and encourages people to follow rules or expectations.

A person, group or institution that helps people learn culture and develop their identity.

A feeling of disconnection from an activity, particularly when someone has little control over it or finds it unfulfilling.

A value or observation that differs from the general pattern and may need further investigation.

A state of normlessness in which shared rules lose their authority or no longer provide clear guidance for behaviour.

Protection that prevents research participants’ identities from being revealed or recognised.

A pupil group whose shared values reject school authority and the importance of academic work.

A marriage in which families help select a partner, but both individuals freely decide whether to marry.

A social position assigned by birth or background rather than gained through personal achievement.

A measure of performance in eight GCSE-level qualifications in England. English and mathematics receive extra weighting, giving a maximum score of 90.

A difference in educational results between groups of pupils, measured using the same indicator.

Power that people accept as legitimate: they recognise the right of a person or institution to give orders.

Organising pupils into broad ability groups, such as higher, middle and lower bands.

A vertically extended family with several generations alive but few members in each generation.

A set of ideas and values through which people understand the world and guide their actions; it may be religious or non-religious.

A systematic influence that distorts research findings, such as a researcher's expectations affecting how responses are interpreted.

An adult child who returns to live with their parents after previously leaving the parental home.

The capitalist class who own businesses and other means of production and employ workers.

A person who earns income to support a household.

Directing children towards particular activities, toys or interests according to expectations about their gender.

An economic system in which businesses are mainly privately owned and produce goods and services for profit.