OSU Sociology 101 Chapter 14
Order by
34 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Economic system | the social institution through which goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed |
| political system | the social institution that is founded on a recognized set of procedures for implementing and achieving society's goals |
| capitalism | an economic system in which the means of production are held largely in private hands and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits |
| industrial society | a society that depends on mechanization to produce its good and services |
| laissez-faire | a form of capitalism under which people compete freely, with minimal government intervention in the economy |
| monopoly | control of a market by a single business firm |
| communism | as an ideal type, an economic system under which all property is communally owned and no social distinctions are made on the basis of people's ability to produce |
| socialism | an economic system under which the means of production and distribution are collectively owned |
| informal economy | transfers of money, goods, or services that are not reported to the government |
| force | the actual or threatened use of coercion to impose one's will on others |
| politics | in Harold Lasswell's words, "who gets what, when and how" |
| power | the ability to exercise one's will over others |
| authority | institutionalized power that is recognized by the people over whom it is exercised |
| influence | the exercise of power through a process of persuasion |
| traditional authority | legitimate power conferred by custom and accepted practice |
| charismatic authority | power made legitimate by a leader's exceptional personal or emotional appeal to his or her followers |
| dictatorship | a government in which one person has nearly total power to make and enforce laws |
| monarchy | a form of government headed by a single member of a royal family, usually a king, queen or some other hereditary ruler |
| oligarchy | a form of government in which a few individuals rule |
| rational-legal authority | power made legitimate by law |
| democracy | in a literal sense, government by the people |
| representative democracy | a form of government in which certain individuals are selected to speak for the people |
| totalitarianism | virtually complete government control and surveillance over all aspects of a society's social and political life |
| elite model | a view of society as being ruled by a small group of individuals who share a common set of political and economic interests |
| power elite | a small group of military, industrial, and government leaders who control the fate of the U.S. |
| pluralist model | a view of society in which many competing groups within the community have access to government, so that no single group is dominant |
| peace | the absence of war, or more broadly, a proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations |
| war | conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with deadly weapons |
| terrorism | the use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims |
| microfinancing | lending small sums of money to the poor so they can work their way out of poverty |
| deindustrialization | the systematic, widespread withdrawal of investment in basic aspects of productivity, such as factories and plants |
| color-blind racism | the use of the principle race neutrality to defend a racially unequal status quo |
| affirmative action | positive efforts to recruit minority group members or women for jobs, promotions and educational opportunities |
| downsizing | reductions taken in a company's workforce as part of deindustrialization |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.