Sociology key terms

A change in people’s behaviour caused by their awareness that they are being studied.

The concentration of different social groups in different types of jobs; in Walby's account, women are concentrated in low-paid, low-status employment.

Quantitative crime data compiled by official bodies, including police-recorded figures collected by the Home Office and official survey estimates.

Numerical information collected and published by government bodies or public agencies, such as divorce figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, which inspects schools and other education and children's services in England.

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

Control of a country or organisation by a small group of powerful people, usually pursuing their own interests.

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 allowing respondents to answer in their own words and add detail.

A society in which movement between positions in the social hierarchy is possible.

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.

Differences in family structures and in how families organise roles, responsibilities and domestic labour.

A structured system of faith and worship shared by a substantial group, such as Christianity, Islam or Judaism.

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 research is taking place.

Parents’ ability to express a preference for which school their child attends, subject to available places and admission arrangements.

A research method in which the researcher takes part in the activities of a group while observing its members.

Judgements based on a person's particular relationship with others, rather than rules applied equally to everyone.

Standards specific to a family or relationship, through which children are judged by their own parents rather than by rules applied equally to everyone.

For Weber, an organised group seeking political or social power; this includes political parties, pressure groups and interest groups.

A family in which a male member holds dominant authority.

Walby's term for arrangements in which men benefit from and exploit women's unpaid labour in the home.

An organised pattern of relationships or practices that helps maintain men's domination over women.

A system of social organisation in which men hold dominant power and women are subordinated.

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

People of a similar age or social position, whose approval can influence an individual’s behaviour.

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