Sociology key terms

A situation in which people lack the resources to meet basic needs such as sufficient food, clothing and shelter.

A state-funded school run by an academy trust, outside local-authority control and funded directly by government. Academies do not charge school fees. Before 2010, the policy chiefly involved replacing failing schools with sponsored academies; conversion expanded after 2010.

The ability to reach the people, places or information needed for a study and gain entry or permission where required.

The extent to which environments, information and services can be used by people with different needs.

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 or accomplishments.

Success in education, commonly measured through examination results and qualifications.

Having substantial money and material possessions.

A relatively well-paid manual worker whose income supports a higher standard of living without necessarily changing their class position or outlook.

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

Prejudice or discrimination based on a person's 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.

Influencing which issues receive public attention by selecting and giving prominence to particular stories.

A group or institution that socialises people and encourages conformity, such as a family, school, peer group or police force.

An individual, group or institution that influences how people learn society’s norms, values and behaviour.

In Marxism, workers’ estrangement from their work because they lack control over the work they do and the products they make.

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

In Merton’s explanation, a weakening of the rules governing behaviour when the pursuit of success becomes more important than using socially approved means.

Protection that prevents a research participant’s identity from being revealed or worked out from the information presented.

A pupil subculture whose values and behaviour oppose school rules or academic expectations, for example by valuing truancy or refusing homework.

Behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to other people.

Taking or controlling the benefits of another person's work. Delphy and Leonard argue that men appropriate women's labour within the family.

A privileged part of the upper class holding hereditary titles, such as duke or earl, passed down through families; its members are often wealthy landowners.

A marriage in which relatives help select a partner and both people marrying freely consent.

A social position assigned to someone rather than gained through their own effort or achievement.

The process through which immigrants adopt the dominant culture's norms, values and ways of life, moving away from their previous culture.

A person who has left their own country to seek safety and protection in another, often after experiencing persecution.

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.