Glossary

an oppressive and discriminatory attitude or belief.

the process of adapting to a new culture.

significant and persistent disparity in academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students.

traumas that occur in an individual’s life before they turn 18, which include neglect, abuse, and household difficulties.

housing that can be accessed and maintained while paying for and meeting other basic needs such as food, transportation, access to work and school, clothing, and health care.

the developmental changes and transitions that come with being a child, adolescent, or adult.

a person who forms relationships with and advocates with or for others who are marginalized but do not have that marginalized identity themselves.

a program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that gathers demographic information annually in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

the behaviors, efforts, and actions people carry out to seek, create, and maintain a sense of community and rootedness.

the use of a medium, such as clay or paint, to construct a representation of the real thing. Artistic representations are constructions of reality.

an acculturation strategy consisting of pursuing and adopting the cultural norms, values, and traditions of the new society or dominant culture.

the tendency to choose intimate mates who are more like oneself.

the theory that the capacity to form emotional attachments to others is primarily developed during infancy and early childhood.

a specific set of beauty standards regarding traits that are ingrained in women throughout their lives.

when a person has been exposed to and has internalized elements from two or more cultures.

a social construct composed of two parts that are framed as absolute and unchanging opposites.

the number of live births per 1,000 women in the total population.

a body of critical and creative work written by Black women in the United States regarding feminism and how it often ignores racism and class oppression.

real estate that is considered high risk due to low elevation and flooding due to climate change may not qualify for loans.

a series of laws and diplomatic agreements initiated in 1942, when the United States signed an agreement with Mexico.

the daily work that keeps a household running and the adults and children within it well cared for.

the act of providing support or watching over a person.

the intentional emotional, negligent, physical, or sexual mistreatment of a child by an adult.

usually used to refer to non-parental care of a young child, often in a paid provider’s home or in a childcare center.

the acknowledgement that it is difficult to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality care without some kind of subsidy or support.

nonbiological kinship bonds, whether legally recognized or not, deliberately chosen for the purpose of mutual support and love.

a person who identifies in accordance with their gender assignment.

a societal viewpoint that focuses on meeting the needs and goals of all members of a community, rather than focusing on individual successes.

prejudice or discrimination that favors people with lighter skin over those with darker skin, especially within a racial or ethnic group.

in addition to economic stability, these marriages also have an expectation of love, affection, friendship, and sexual fidelity and satisfaction.

within the fields of anthropology and sociology, the act of examining and contrasting social processes and institutions with a view to draw inferences and understand patterns.

a parenting style that emphasizes adult-led enrichment programs for children.

households that pay 30% or more of monthly income toward housing.

the act of making an activity or person illegal by making their activity a criminal offense.

the practice of a dominant or hegemonic culture actively or passively contributing to the erasure, or disappearing, of a non-dominant or minoritized culture.

the focus on staying other-centered in order to learn about and understand the experiences and viewpoints of people with social identities different from your own.

the shared meanings and shared experiences passed down over time by individuals in a group, such as beliefs, values, symbols, means of communication, religion, logics, rituals, fashions, etiquette, foods, and art that unite a particular society.

a U.S. immigration policy that allows individuals who arrived in the United States as children to remain and work in the country for a renewable period of two years. This policy has been legalized and implemented inconsistently in the 2000s.

statistical data about particular groups and changes in trends within the overall population.

the visible or hidden and temporary or permanent conditions that create barriers or challenges in one’s life.

the unequal treatment of an individual or group on the basis of their statuses (e.g., age, beliefs, ethnicity, sex).

the state of being rejected or being deprived of a right or privilege, especially the right to vote.

behaviors that cause harm to self, others, or society.

a framework that looks at individuals within their environments.

the cumulative impact of fewer resources and other harm directed at students of color.

when older people are deprived of care or intentionally harmed by their caretakers.

nonphysical maltreatment through verbal language.

the regulation or hiding of emotions as a part of a work role.

a concept rooted in the patriarchy that women must conform to the needs and desires of men by compliance with the normative ideas of femininity.

an intersectional social movement pioneered by African American, Indigenous, Latinx, female, lower-income, and other people from historically oppressed populations fighting against environmental discrimination within their communities and across the world.

the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.

ensuring that people have what they need in order to have a healthy, successful life that is equal to others. Different from equality in that some may receive more help than others in order to be at the same level of success.

a subgroup of a population with a set of shared social, cultural, and historical experiences; relatively distinctive beliefs, values, and behaviors; and some sense of identity of belonging to the subgroup.

a sense of self that is derived from a sense of belonging to a group, a culture, and a particular setting.

the shared social, cultural, and historical experiences, stemming from common national, ancestral, or regional backgrounds, that make subgroups of a population different from one another.

an approach that focuses on the “whole” person and the major concerns of death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness.

a primary form of research in natural and physical sciences that involves comparing and contrasting at least two different interventions.

an act that protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities.

the structure of a family, including the members and their relationships to one another.

the way a family’s members behave toward each other and within society.

behaviors with symbolic meanings that can be clearly described and serve to organize and affirm central family ideas.

the predictable, repeated, consistent patterns that characterize everyday home life.

the reproductive rate for people who want to have biological children who are able to get pregnant and give birth.

a series of social movements and political campaigns for radical and liberal reforms regarding sex and gender equity, women's issues, and sexism.

the number of people in a specific age range who are able to give birth.

the language learned in early childhood.

geographic locations where there is very limited or no access to affordable and nutritious foods.

low or very low access to food of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet (may or may not show patterns of disrupted eating).

no or little reported indications of food access problems or limitations.

the previous name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people.

The interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture.

the process by which a religious or ethnic minority group is forced to give up their own identity by taking on the cultural characteristics of an established and generally larger community.

a socially constructed expression of a person’s sexual identity which influences the status, roles, and norms for their behavior.

trauma that moves from one generation to the next, as experiences of parents affect the biological, social, mental, or emotional development of their children and sometimes also their grandchildren (also “intergenerational trauma” or “multigenerational trauma”).

the concern for the future and one’s own contribution to the next generation.

the deliberate destruction, in whole or in part, by a government or its agents of a racial, sexual, religious, tribal, or political minority. It can involve not only mass murder but also starvation; forced deportation; and political, economic, and biological subjugation.

an artificial, unseen, and often unacknowledged discriminatory barrier that prevents otherwise qualified people such as women and minorities from rising to positions of leadership and power, particularly within a corporation.

purposeful promotion of women into positions with high risk for failure.

quick movement from entry-level to power-holding, higher-paying leadership jobs.

a family in which grandparents are the primary caregivers to their grandchildren; usually the parents are not present.

the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.

equal access to health benefits for all people, regardless of identity.

a type of insurance, paid for by the consumer or another entity, that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses.

a specific type of culturally valued masculinity tied to marriage, heterosexuality, and patriarchal authority that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of women, nonbinary people, gay men, and other marginalized groups of men.

the extent to which individuals are involved with their heritage, ethnic, or nondominant culture.

a framework articulated by multiple Indigenous groups that emphasizes self-actualization not just of the individual but of the community as the most primary of needs.

cumulative emotional and psychological wounding across generations, including the lifespan, which emanates from massive group trauma.

fear, hatred, or prejudice toward gay people.

all the people occupying a housing unit.

lacking a permanent place to live.

an approach with the belief that people need basic necessities like food and shelter before focusing on other needs such as substance use, employment, or budget.

having a place to live but having uncertainty about meeting basic needs or needing to move frequently.

an unconscious tendency to favor one person, group, or point of view over another usually based on social characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race or socioeconomic status.

being confined within a prison or jail.

emphasizes the needs and success of the individual over the needs of a community.

responsibilities and roles are more fluid and the enhancement of individual well-being and psychological growth is added to expectations.

a relationship in which roles are clearly defined between the man and the woman in the pursuit of economic and familial stability.

an acculturation strategy utilized by those who wish to maintain one’s original culture as a member of an ethnocultural group while also participating as an integral member of the larger social network.

a phenomenon in which the descendants of a person who has experienced a terrifying event show adverse emotional and behavioral reactions to the event that are similar to those of the person who experienced the event.

an approach originally advanced by women of color that finds it critical to look at how identities and characteristics (such as ethnicity, race, and gender) overlap and influence each other to create complex hierarchies of power and oppression.

a variation in sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals.

any incident or pattern of behaviors (physical, psychological, sexual, or verbal) used by one partner to maintain power and control over the relationship.

characterized by mutual trust, caring, and acceptance and often imply a romantic or sexual relationship.

concerned with equity, equality, fairness and sometimes punishment.

effort to build and maintain relationships between family members.

the social structure that ties people together (whether by blood, marriage, legal processes, or other agreements) and includes family relationships.

a social science theory created by German sociologist Max Weber in 1920. The theory of life chances postulates that an individual’s opportunity to lead a successful and fulfilling life are correlated to a variety of factors, including social stratification, social class, social mobility, and social equality, all of which can give a person low or high life chances.

the idealized notion of a heterosexual man as the intended audience in a way that facilitates men objectifying or sexualizing women and women seeing themselves as objects of men's desire.

an acculturation strategy where a person neither seeks relationships with aspects of the host culture nor maintains their heritage, culture, and identity.

can include the emotional significance of an action or way of being; the intention or reason for doing something; something that we create and feel; closely linked to motivation.

a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.

a wide range of mental health disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior.

the process of preparing for war or another conflict; can refer to the transformation of a civilian agency becoming more like a military operation.

the rate of death for a particular group or in a particular area.

more than two generations of a family living together.

a parenting style that emphasizes child-led games and activities, often in multi-age groups from the same family or neighborhood.

a discussion about the relationship between biological and environmental factors in a child’s development.

failure to meet a child's basic needs.

a family group that consists of two parents and their children living together in one household.

a social meaning imposed on one's being that defines them as an object or thing, typically within a sexual context.

the act of staying free from the influence of personal experiences and opinions.

a type of field research that includes both participant observation and nonparticipant observation.

substances that affect the neurons in our brain by blocking pain and providing a feeling of calm and euphoria.

the geographical location where a person was born and spent (at least) their early years in.

the grouping together of multiple ethnicities and nationalities under a single label.

usually refers to Baumrind’s four styles of parenting, which include authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved.

any act, completed or attempted, that physically hurts or injures someone.

having intimate relationships with more than one person at a time.

the estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the necessities of life, adjusted annually for inflation.

focuses on the intimate relationships of family members. Being a part of a loving relationship that will last forever, or an indefinite amount of time, is seen as a core part of being a family member

experiences that help children develop and promote resilience, even if they also have some adverse or traumatic childhood experiences.

a way of using creative work to communicate used by activists and social movements.

a framework that emphasizes our relationships and that society’s expectations motivate much of our behavior and the importance of conscious thought.

art in any medium whose form, function, and meaning are created for the general public, often through a public process.

focuses on contributions to society such as the production of children or caring for others.

maintained through public funds to educate children living in that community or district without cost to families.

can include the aim, goal, or intention of an action; a long-term guiding principle; the impact our life has on the world.

the descriptive, in-depth study of a topic.

the numbers-based, measurable study of a topic.

the categorization of humans using observable physical or biological criteria, such as skin color, hair color or texture, facial features, etc.

a society or environment where there is a culture of disbelief and lack of support for sexual violence survivors through normalizing and trivializing sexual violence despite its prevalent occurrence.

the discriminatory practice of refusing loans to creditworthy applicants in neighborhoods that banks deem undesirable or racially occupied.

a person who does not own their place of living but pays another party to live in their place of living.

the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way.

a systematic investigation into a particular topic, examining materials, sources, and/or behaviors.

the physical separation of two or more groups into different neighborhoods.

an intentional way of handling an offense involving three stakeholders within an organization or community

a social science that studies how to build, strengthen, and repair relationships among individuals, as well as connections within communities.

a ritual or celebration that marks the passage when a person leaves one status, role, set of conditions, or group to enter another.

conditions relating to public health, especially the provision of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal.

the process of formulating hypotheses, making observations, gathering and testing data, drawing conclusions, and modifying hypotheses.

the study of existing research.

a program that authorizes the payment of rental housing assistance to private landlords on behalf of low-income households.

a binary, gender-based ideology that emerged during the industrial period that stated women were best suited for home and domestic work while men were best suited for public work.

an acculturation strategy where a person places a high value on maintaining the integrity of their original cultural identity and avoids interaction with those of the new society.

a biological descriptor involving chromosomes and internal/external reproductive organs.

maltreatment, violation, and exploitation where a perpetrator forces, coerces, or threatens someone into sexual contact for sexual gratification and/or financial benefit.

a person’s emotional, romantic, erotic, and spiritual attractions toward another in relation to their own sex or gender.

making degrading comments, touching in unpleasant means of harm, or addressing a partner in a degrading way during sexual intercourse, which includes marital rape.

the pattern of romantic and/or sexual attraction to others in relation to one’s own gender identity.

a type of farming in which families rent small plots of land from a landowner in return for a portion of their crop, to be given to the landowner at the end of each year.

places and organizations that provide temporary living space for houseless families and individuals.

describes traits that may be biologically determined and/or socially constructed. Examples include sex, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, age, sexuality, nationality, first language, and religion.

similar to socioeconomic status with a closer focus on income and wealth.

meaning assigned to an object or event by mutual agreement (explicit or implicit) of the members of a society; can change over time and/or location.

hierarchical value assigned to perceived differences between one socially constructed idea and another. Class, race, and other hierarchies based on social identity are social constructions of difference.

a person’s sense of self as defined by and in relation to the combination of social characteristics, roles, and groups to which they belong.

focuses on equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal treatment as well as meaningful actions to correct past discrimination.

an individual’s or family’s movement through the class hierarchy due to changes in income, occupation, or wealth.

a view of diagnoses from a social and environmental perspective that considers multiple ecological levels.

a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a social goal, such as carrying out change or resisting or undoing the status quo.

a large issue that affects many people, can threaten the health and well-being of society, is recognized as a problem by many, includes multiple causes and effects, and needs a systemic solution.

society's layers, made of people, represent the uneven distribution of society’s resources.

the organization of institutions within society; this affects the ways individuals and families interact together.

a person’s income or material wealth, educational status, and/or occupational status.

viewpoints that emphasize causes, effects, and actions of groups of individuals,including patterns of behaviors.

a family group that consists of two parents and their children living together in one household.

a negative or discriminatory attitude toward others related to a specific characteristic or difference, often of a marginalized identity.

societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the social class ladder.

a loan taken to attend college that has not yet been repaid.

influenced by personal experiences and opinions.

a disease that affects the brain and includes the uncontrolled use of something despite harmful consequences (sometimes called substance abuse).

a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people.

a method by which sociologists gather their data by asking questions.

a concept that refers to how marginalized groups of people are left absent, condemned, or trivialized through mass media representations, instead portraying oppressive ideologies created and enforced by dominant groups.

a structural framework, explanation, or tool that has been tested and evaluated over time.

individuals who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.

the act of casting a person in a media role often based on physical appearance or stereotypes.

a population census that takes place every 10 years and is legally mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

the government department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food in the United States.

an intimate relationship, in which two or more people commit to some kind of union, including marriage.

an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings.

combinations of visual events in which information, meaning, or pleasure are expressed tangibly or visibly.

the process whereby citizens register with election officials in order to become eligible to vote.

supplied by the government or other public entity for families to use to offset the cost of a private school.

water that has been used for a domestic or industrial purpose that must be cleaned before it is used again.

the quality of being light or White skinned in color and the normalization of White racial identity throughout history in the United States.