Social inequality key words

Social inequality key words

Absolute poverty- A situation in which someone lacks the money to pay for food, clothing and housing necessary to maintain a healthy way of life

Achieved status – A social position which individuals are able to gain through, for example, hard work and/or educational qualifications

Ageism – Being prejudiced against people because of their age

Ascribed status – A position or social standing given to an individual on the basis of inherited characteristics

Cycle of deprivation – A social process which may lead the children of poor parents to suffer poverty when adults. The factors identified as driving the process will depend on the perspective of the sociologist outlining the cycle

Dependency culture – Some people who rely on state benefits are seen as developing a way of life in which they become so dependent on benefits that they lose the motivation to work

Environmental poverty – Deprivation experienced in neighbourhoods that are ugly, unsafe and which lack adequate services and amenities.

Ethnic group – A social group whose members share an identity based on their cultural traditions or cultural characteristics such as religion or language

Ethnic minority – An identifiable section of society with a distinct culture which constitutes a relatively small proportion of…