Eduqas GCSE Sociology key terms

An expectation about how people should behave in a particular society, group or situation.

A family consisting of two parents and their child or children. In debates about the traditional nuclear family, the model usually means a married heterosexual couple with a male breadwinner and a female homemaker.

The influence of upbringing, social interaction and the environment on a person's development.

A recording framework containing pre-set categories of behaviour for a researcher to observe.

A change in people's behaviour caused by their awareness that they are being observed.

The concentration of different social groups in different kinds of jobs or at different levels within occupations.

Numerical information about crime collected by official agencies and published by government, including police-recorded crime.

Numerical information produced by government departments or other public bodies, such as published counts of police-recorded offences.

An informal network of connections, traditionally between former male pupils of elite schools and universities, which can help members gain jobs, promotions and influence.

A Chinese policy introduced in 1979 that restricted couples living in cities to one child, with possible penalties for having a second child.

A question that allows the respondent to answer in their own words rather than choosing from supplied answers.

Defining a concept in terms of what will actually be observed or measured in a study.

A sample consisting of people who are available and willing to participate at the time of the research; also called an opportunity sample.

A technique in which a researcher selects people who are available and willing to participate at the time.

The comparison of society to a living body, with interconnected institutions performing functions that support the whole.

Having a larger share of a particular population, such as prisoners, than of the wider population used for comparison.

Observation in which the people being studied know that the researcher is conducting research.

A research method in which the researcher joins a group and takes part in its activities while studying it.

An organised group seeking political or social power, including political parties, pressure groups and trade unions.

A system of social relationships in which men hold greater power and authority than women.

A recurring relationship or arrangement in data, such as one group consistently having higher values than another.

A group of people of similar age or social position, often sharing interests.

Influence from people of a similar age or status to behave in ways accepted by their group.

A unit used to describe the difference between percentages. A rise from 30% to 40% is an increase of 10 percentage points.

A record of someone's experiences, thoughts or activities, such as a diary or personal journal.

Small business owners who own their businesses but do not belong to the class of large property owners.

An injury or adverse effect on a person’s bodily health or safety caused by taking part in research.