Key words

• Class

  A form of stratification. A hierarchy of people based on their qualifications, status and income. There are 4 main classes: upper, middle, working and underclass.
• conflict theory 


  refers to sociologists who believe there is a clash of interests between people of different gorups e.g. men and women, rich and poor
• consensus theory

  refers to sociologists who believe that society works based on everyone conforming to the rules of society
• discrimination

  acting on your prejudice verbally or physically
• ethnicity

  where someone is from or their parents are from geographically
• gender 


  whether you are male or female based on society and your environment
• hate crime

  acts of violence or hostility towards someone because of who they are or who someone thinks they are
• institutional racism


  When an establishment is overtly or covertly discriminatory to someone based on their race or ethnicity.
• life chances

  the opportunities someone has to improve their quality of life
• prejudice


  when you judge someone based on their behaviour or appearance. you only think this
• race 


  the colour of your skin
• racism

  when someone is discriminatory towards another either verbally or physically based on their skin colour or ethnicity
• sex


  whether you are a boy or girl. biologically and physically