Sociological Concepts: Definitions and Terminology

Race

Physical characteristics, such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features.

Ethnicity

Refers to cultural differences that separate one group of people from another, including language, religion, and nationality.

Racialization

The process by which society assigns race to individuals and groups, where certain physical characteristics become associated with specific races.

Visible Minority

A term used in Canada to describe people who are not part of the racial majority.

Racialized Group

Groups singled out for unequal treatment based on their racial or ethnic characteristics.

Family (Fam)

Two or more people bound together by ties of mutual consent, birth, or adoption.

Diversity in Canadian Families

The variety of family forms in Canada, including different patterns of coupling, uncoupling, and other lifestyle choices.

Family Decline Perspective

The view that recent changes in family patterns indicate a decline in family values and social life.

Family Pluralism Perspective

The view that there is not one 'ideal' family form, but rather a variety of family forms that can provide for people's needs and societal functions.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

Medical techniques, such as in vitro fertilization, used to assist people in achieving pregnancy.

Common-Law Unions

A type of intimate relationship where a couple lives together without being legally married.

Stepfamily

Families where one partner has children from a previous relationship.

Belief System (Beli Sys)

A set of beliefs and practices forming a particular worldview.

Religious Patterns (Religious Pat)

Trends and commonalities seen in the practice of religion across different societies.

Manifest Functions

The intended, obvious functions of a social institution or practice.

Latent Functions

The unintended, hidden, less obvious functions.

Paradigm Shifts

A change in how people think and get things done that upends and replaces a prior paradigm; a new way of looking at the world.

Restorative Justice (Restor Just)

A system of criminal justice focused on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.

Epidemiological Transition

This refers to the shift in the major causes of death from infectious diseases to chronic diseases over time.

Underlying Causes of Death

The root causes leading to the official causes of death (e.g., lifestyle factors or social conditions).

Medicalization

This is the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems.

Postmodern

The concept that the world cannot be fully defined or understood.