Sociology and Culture
- ableism
/'eɪ.blɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities. - adaptation
/ˌæd.əp'teɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of changing to fit a new environment or different conditions. - ageism
/'eɪ.dʒɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group, especially the elderly. - agnosticism
/ægˈnɒs.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The belief that the existence or non-existence of a god or gods is unknown or unknowable. - alienation
/ˌæl.i.əˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
Feeling isolated and separated from everyone else. - altruism
/'æl.truː.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Selfless concern for the well-being of others. - amalgamation
/əˌmæl.ɡəˈmeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. - anarchy
/'æn.ɑːr.ki/ (noun)
A state of society without government or law. - anthropocentric
/ˌæn.θrə.pəˈsen.trɪk/ (adjective)
Regarding human beings as the central element of the universe. - anthropomorphism
/ˌæn.θrə.pəˈmɔːr.fɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object. - anti-Semitism
/ˌæn.tiˈsɛm.ɪ.tɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. - antisocial
/ˌæn.tiˈsoʊ.ʃəl/ (adjective)
Contrary to the laws and customs of society; devoid of or antagonistic to sociable instincts or practices. - apartheid
/əˈpɑːr.teɪd/ (noun)
A policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race, specifically in South Africa. - apolitical
/ˌeɪ.pəˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl/ (adjective)
Not interested or involved in politics. - aristocracy
/ˌær.ɪˈstɒk.rə.si/ (noun)
The highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices. - asceticism
/əˈsɛt.ɪ.sɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons. - assimilation
/əˌsɪm.əˈleɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of taking in and fully understanding information or ideas. - atheism
/ˈeɪ.θi.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods. - bias
/ˈbaɪ.əs/ (noun)
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. - bigotry
/ˈbɪg.ə.tri/ (noun)
Intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself. - blackball
/ˈblæk.bɔːl/ (verb)
To reject someone, usually from joining a club or group, by a secret vote. - bourgeois
/ˈbʊər.ʒwɑː/ (noun)
Of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. - caste
/kæst/ (noun)
Any class or group of society sharing common cultural features. - chauvinism
/ˈʃoʊ.vɪ.nɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Exaggerated or aggressive patriotism; excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause, group, or sex. - chic
/ʃiːk/ (adjective)
Elegantly and stylishly fashionable. - civility
/sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ti/ (noun)
Formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech. - class
/klæs/ (noun)
A system of ordering society whereby people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status. - class consciousness
/klæs ˈkɒn.ʃəs.nɪs/ (noun)
Awareness of one's own social or economic rank in society. - classism
/ˈklæs.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class. - collective behavior
/kəˈlɛk.tɪv bɪˈheɪ.vjər/ (noun)
The behavior of people in crowds, social movements, or other gatherings. - conformity
/kənˈfɔːr.mɪ.ti/ (noun)
Compliance with standards, rules, or laws; behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions. - convention
/kənˈvɛn.ʃən/ (noun)
A way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity. - counterculture
/ˈkaʊn.tərˌkʌl.tʃər/ (noun)
A way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm. - craze
/kreɪz/ (noun)
An enthusiasm for a particular activity or object that appears suddenly and achieves widespread but short-lived popularity. - custom
/ˈkʌs.təm/ (noun)
A traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time. - decorum
/dɪˈkɔːr.əm/ (noun)
Behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety. - dehumanize
/diːˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/ (verb)
Deprive of positive human qualities. - desegregation
/ˌdiːˌsɛɡ.rɪˈgeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. - deviance
/ˈdiː.vi.əns/ (noun)
Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society. - discrimination
/dɪˌskrɪm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. - double standard
/ˈdʌb.əl ˈstæn.dərd/ (noun)
A rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups. - doxy
/ˈdɒk.si/ (noun)
Opinions or beliefs that are accepted with unthinking conventional reverence. - establishment
/ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/ (noun)
The ruling class of a society; the authorities in power. - ethnic cleansing
/ˈɛθ.nɪk ˈklen.zɪŋ/ (noun)
The mass expulsion or killing of members of one ethnic or religious group in an area by those of another. - ethnocentrism
/ˌɛθ.noʊˈsɛn.trɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture. - ethos
/ˈiː.θɒs/ (noun)
The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations. - etiquette
/ˈɛt.ɪ.kɛt/ (noun)
The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group. - eugenics
/juːˈdʒɛn.ɪks/ (noun)
The science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. - fad
/fæd/ (noun)
An intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze. - fashion
/ˈfæʃ.ən/ (noun)
A popular trend, especially in styles of dress, ornament, or behavior. - fellowship
/ˈfɛl.oʊˌʃɪp/ (noun)
Friendly association, especially with people who share one's interests. - feminism
/ˈfɛm.ɪ.nɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. - flag-waving
/ˈflæɡ ˌweɪ.vɪŋ/ (noun)
The action of being excessively patriotic or showing extreme loyalty to one's country. - folklore
/ˈfoʊk.lɔːr/ (noun)
The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. - folkway
/ˈfoʊk.weɪ/ (noun)
The traditional behavior or way of life of a particular community or group of people. - formality
/fɔːrˈmæl.ɪ.ti/ (noun)
The rigid observance of rules of convention or etiquette. - gay rights
/ɡeɪ raɪts/ (noun)
Rights, such as marriage, workplace, and housing equality, advocated as entitled to homosexuals. - gender bias
/ˈdʒɛn.dər baɪəs/ (noun)
The preference or prejudice toward one gender over the other. - general will
/ˈdʒɛn.ər.əl wɪl/ (noun)
The will of the people as a whole, considered as a guiding principle of governance. - gentrification
/ˌdʒɛn.trɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. - glass ceiling
/ɡlæs ˈsiː.lɪŋ/ (noun)
An unofficially acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities. - global village
/ˈɡloʊ.bəl ˈvɪl.ɪdʒ/ (noun)
The world considered as a single community linked by telecommunications. - grassroots
/ˈɡræs.ruːts/ (noun)
The most basic level of an activity or organization. - groundswell
/ˈɡraʊnd.swɛl/ (noun)
A buildup of opinion or feeling in a large section of the population. - groupthink
/ˈɡruːp.θɪŋk/ (noun)
The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility. - hard-line
/ˈhɑːrd ˌlaɪn/ (adjective)
Uncompromising; strict, especially in maintaining a firm policy. - hate crime
/heɪt kraɪm/ (noun)
A crime, typically involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds. - hero worship
/ˈhɪər.oʊ ˈwɜːr.ʃɪp/ (noun)
Excessive admiration for someone. - homophobia
/ˌhoʊ.moʊˈfoʊ.bi.ə/ (noun)
Dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people. - honor system
/ˈɒn.ər ˈsɪs.təm/ (noun)
A system of rules or guidelines that rely on people's honesty and integrity, without active monitoring and enforcement. - humanism
/ˈhjuː.mə.nɪ.zəm/ (noun)
A rationalist outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. - iconoclasm
/aɪˈkɒn.əˌklæz.əm/ (noun)
The action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices. - ideology
/ˌaɪ.diˈɒl.ə.dʒi/ (noun)
A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. - individualism
/ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪdʒ.u.əl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant. - indoctrination
/ɪnˌdɒk.trɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. - internalization
/ɪnˌtɜː.nə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of integrating attitudes, values, standards, and the opinions of others into one's own identity or self-concept. - ism
/ɪz.əm/ (noun)
A distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement. - isolationism
/ˌaɪ.səˈleɪ.ʃən.ɪz.əm/ (noun)
A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries. - jingoism
/ˈdʒɪŋ.ɡoʊ.ɪz.əm/ (noun)
Extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy. - lifestyle
/ˈlaɪf.staɪl/ (noun)
The way in which a person or group lives. - lower class
/ˈloʊ.ər klæs/ (noun)
The social group that has the lowest status; often associated with low income and poverty. - lunatic fringe
/ˈluː.nə.tɪk frɪndʒ/ (noun)
A group of people with extreme, eccentric, or fanatical views. - manners
/ˈmæn.ərz/ (noun)
Polite or well-bred social behavior. - martyrdom
/ˈmɑːr.tər.dəm/ (noun)
The death or suffering of a martyr; a display of feigned or exaggerated suffering to obtain sympathy or admiration. - mass hysteria
/mæs hɪˈstɛr.i.ə/ (noun)
A phenomenon that transmits collective illusions of threats, whether real or imaginary, through a population in society as a result of rumors and fear. - master race
/ˈmæs.tər reɪs/ (noun)
A concept in Nazi ideology in which the putatively superior Aryan race dominated other races. - middle class
/ˈmɪd.əl klæs/ (noun)
A social group between the upper and working classes, including professional and business workers and their families. - middle-of-the-road
/ˈmɪd.əl əv ðə roʊd/ (adjective)
Moderate; avoiding extremes of opinion or action. - misery index
/ˈmɪz.ə.ri ˈɪn.dɛks/ (noun)
An economic indicator created by adding the unemployment rate to the inflation rate. - mode
/moʊd/ (noun)
A way or manner in which something occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done. - mores
/ˈmɔː.reɪz/ (noun)
The essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community. - movement
/ˈmuːv.mənt/ (noun)
A group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas. - multiculturalism
/ˌmʌl.tiˈkʌl.tʃə.rə.lɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society. - nationalism
/ˈnæʃ.ən.əl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. - networking
/ˈnɛt.wɜːrk.ɪŋ/ (noun)
The action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. - nihilism
/ˈnaɪ.ɪ.lɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. - nonviolence
/ˌnɒnˈvaɪ.ə.ləns/ (noun)
The use of peaceful means, not force, to bring about political or social change. - outing
/ˈaʊ.tɪŋ/ (noun)
The act of making public the homosexuality of a prominent person. - particularism
/pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə.rɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Exclusive or special devotion to a particular interest or group. - passive resistance
/ˈpæs.ɪv rɪˈzɪs.təns/ (noun)
Nonviolent opposition to authority, especially a refusal to cooperate with legal requirements. - patriarchy
/ˈpeɪ.tri.ɑːr.ki/ (noun)
A social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. - politically correct
/pəˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl.li kəˈrɛkt/ (adjective)
Avoiding language or behavior that any particular group of people might feel is unkind or offensive. - prejudice
/ˈprɛdʒ.ʊ.dɪs/ (noun)
Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience; bias, partiality. - pro-choice
/proʊ ˈtʃɔɪs/ (adjective)
Advocating the legal right to choose to have an elective abortion. - pro-life
/proʊ laɪf/ (adjective)
Opposing abortion and euthanasia; advocating for the protection of human life from conception to natural death. - propriety
/prəˈpraɪ.ə.ti/ (noun)
The state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals. - provincialism
/prəˈvɪn.ʃəl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The way of life or mode of thought characteristic of the provinces, regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded. - public service
/ˈpʌb.lɪk ˈsɜːr.vɪs/ (noun)
A service which is provided by government to people living within its jurisdiction, either directly or by financing private provision of services. - purge
/pɜːrdʒ/ (verb)
To rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify. - quota system
/ˈkwoʊ.tə ˈsɪs.təm/ (noun)
A system, originally determined by legislation, in which a limit is placed on the number of immigrants allowed to enter a country. - race riot
/reɪs ˈraɪ.ət/ (noun)
A public outbreak of violence between two racial groups in a community. - racism
/ˈreɪ.sɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. - rage
/reɪdʒ/ (noun)
Violent and uncontrolled anger. - rally
/ˈræl.i/ (noun)
A mass meeting of people making a political protest or showing support for a cause. - redbait
/ˈredˌbeɪt/ (verb)
To harass or persecute someone on account of known or suspected communist views. - regionalism
/ˈriː.dʒən.əl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Loyalty to the interests of a particular region. - resistance
/rɪˈzɪs.təns/ (noun)
Refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument. - reverse discrimination
/rɪˈvɜːrs dɪˌskrɪm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The practice or policy of favoring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously. - riot
/ˈraɪ.ət/ (noun)
A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd. - sacred cow
/ˈseɪ.krɪd kaʊ/ (noun)
An idea, custom, or institution held, especially unreasonably, to be above criticism. - scapegoat
/ˈskeɪpˌɡoʊt/ (noun)
A person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. - sectionalism
/ˈsek.ʃən.əl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Excessive regard for sectional or local interests; regional or local spirit, prejudice, etc. - segregation
/ˌsɛɡ.rɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The action or state of setting someone or something apart from others. - separatism
/ˈsɛp.ər.ə.tɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The advocacy or practice of separation of a certain group of people from a larger body on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or gender. - sexism
/ˈsɛk.sɪ.zəm/ (noun)
Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. - sexual harassment
/ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl həˈræs.mənt/ (noun)
Harassment (typically of a woman by a man) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. - sit-in
/ˈsɪt ɪn/ (noun)
A form of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met. - social engineering
/ˈsoʊ.ʃəl ˌɛn.dʒɪˈnɪə.rɪŋ/ (noun)
The use of centralized planning in an attempt to manage social change and regulate the future development and behavior of a society. - social perception
/ˈsoʊ.ʃəl pərˈsɛp.ʃən/ (noun)
The process of interpreting information about another person. - socialization
/ˌsoʊ.ʃə.lɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ (noun)
The process by which individuals learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society. - stereotype
/ˈstɛr.i.oʊ.taɪp/ (noun)
A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. - style
/staɪl/ (noun)
A manner of doing something or a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed. - suppression
/səˈprɛʃ.ən/ (noun)
The action of suppressing something such as an activity or publication. - taboo
/təˈbuː/ (noun)
A social or religious custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing. - territoriality
/ˌtɛr.ɪˈtɔːr.i.əl.ɪ.ti/ (noun)
The behaviors and attitudes of individuals or groups regarding their territory or domain. - terrorism
/ˈtɛr.ər.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. - theism
/ˈθiː.ɪz.əm/ (noun)
Belief in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe. - tokenism
/ˈtoʊ.kən.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality. - tolerance
/ˈtɒl.ər.əns/ (noun)
The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behavior that one dislikes or disagrees with. - tradition
/trəˈdɪʃ.ən/ (noun)
The transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way. - trendy
/ˈtrɛn.di/ (adjective)
Very fashionable or up to date. - tribalism
/ˈtraɪ.bəl.ɪ.zəm/ (noun)
The state or fact of being organized in a tribe or tribes; the behavior and attitudes that stem from strong loyalty to one's own tribe or social group. - unfashionable
/ʌnˈfæʃ.ən.ə.bəl/ (adjective)
Not fashionable or popular at a particular time. - universal
/ˌjuː.nɪˈvɜːr.səl/ (adjective)
Applicable to all cases; affecting or done by all people or things in the world or in a particular group. - up-to-date
/ʌp tə ˈdeɪt/ (adjective)
Incorporating the latest developments and trends; current. - upper class
/ˈʌp.ər klæs/ (noun)
The social group that has the highest status in society, especially the aristocracy. - upward mobility
/ˈʌp.wərd moʊˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ (noun)
The ability or opportunity to move to a higher social or economic position. - values
/ˈvæl.juːz/ (noun)
The principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life. - vogue
/voʊg/ (noun)
The prevailing fashion or style at a particular time. - yuppie
/ˈjʌp.i/ (noun)
A young person with a well-paid job and a fashionable lifestyle.