SOCIAL STUDIES ® TIIONS T A MIN A E X C E S C R O F K F K O O B K R O WO W
GLOSSARY
CLARE EASTLAND
Topic 1 The functions of the family
Glossary accountability when persons in positions of power and authority can show that they have acted properly Act a bill which has passed through parliament and become law adoption when parents legally take on someone else’s child as their own all-inclusive a type of holiday or tourism accommodation in which the price includes everything: flights, accommodation, food, drinks and activities alternative life styles non-traditional ways of living, such as non-married couples with children, communes or people who do not work annulment when a marriage is declared null and void by a court of law Association of Caribbean States (ACS) an organisation of Caribbean and Latin American countries set up in 1994 ATM automated teller machine, a machine which allows you use a card to withdraw money and provides other services authoritarian style of government or leadership where the ruler or leader makes all the decisions without listening to others aviation hub a place where international and intraregional air services meet, enabling passengers to change planes easily for onward travel ballot paper the paper on which someone marks their vote bicameral a Parliament with two houses, often a house of representatives and a senate bilateral agreement an agreement between two countries bill a proposal for legislation, which when passed by Parliament becomes an Act biofuels fuels made from crops or by-products, such as woodchip or maize stalks biogas fuel gas, e.g. methane, made from decaying manure or vegetation birth rate the number of children born in one year per 1000 of the population black market market which profits from the trade in scarce or illegal goods brain drain the emigration of educated, skilled or qualified workers breadwinner the person who goes out to work and earns an income for the family
British overseas territories countries which come under the law and sovereignty of Britain budget a plan for income and expenditure cabinet the council which advises the executive, usually made up of Ministers campaign a series of activities working towards a particular result candidate a person who stands for election as a Parliamentary representative capital (1) money or assets invested or used for business; (2) the main administrative city of a country carbon emissions carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, given off by vehicles and industrial processes career a life-long occupation or profession, usually requiring special training Caribbean Community (CARICOM) an economic and social organisation of states in the Caribbean region; the main organisation promoting regional integration in the Caribbean, set up in 1973 CARICOM Regional Development Fund a fund used to help less developed states achieve similar levels of prosperity and economic development to more developed ones so that they can integrate as equal partners CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) an economic organisation of states in the Caribbean region promoting a single market Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) an attempt to integrate the economies of and promote economic development and cooperation between ex-British colonies from 1965 to1973 censorship the control of the content of all forms of media census a government survey of population which usually takes place once every ten years channel a route through which communication occurs charismatic a type of leadership in which the leader inspires the followers by his or her personality child abuse mistreatment of children physically, sexually, emotionally or by neglect or labour exploitation civil service the permanent and professional part of public service which advises Ministers and implements policy
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Glossary climate change changes in world climate, such as more extreme weather events, thought to be caused by global warming and greenhouse gas emissions coalition government a government formed by two or more parties working together commercialisation using something in order to make money out of it commodities goods which are bought and sold common currency a currency shared by more than one country common law relationship a couple who live together without being married communication the transfer of ideas, information, opinions and attitudes from one person to another communications the forms in which ideas, information, opinions and attitudes are transmitted and received consensual relationship a union between two people who are not legally married conservation preserving or restoring something for the future constituency a group of voters in a particular area who elect a representative constitution the set of rules by which a country is governed constitutional monarchy a country which has a monarch as head of state, whose powers are restrained by the constitution consumer a person or organisation who acquires goods or services contraception methods of family planning, to prevent pregnancy copyright legal ownership and protection for the creator of a work of art or literature corruption dishonest behaviour by someone in power or authority credit a short-term loan to obtain goods or services in advance of payment credit card a small plastic card issued by a bank, allowing the holder to purchase goods or services in advance of payment, or to borrow money credit union a financial institution owned and run by its members which provides banking and other services crown colony a system of government by which colonies were governed directly by Britain cultural diversity variation in cultural practices, often the result of ethnic diversity cultural integration the intermixing of different cultural elements
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cultural penetration the influencing of one culture by another cultural retention keeping cultural elements from the past culture the way of life of a people, including beliefs, patterns of behaviour, interaction and customs, passed down from one generation to the next currency a system of money in use in a particular country custody protective care, guardianship or imprisonment death rate the number of deaths per 1000 of the population each year debit card a small plastic card issued by a bank, allowing the holder to obtain cash from their own bank account, and buy goods and services deforestation cutting down or removing forests demand the willingness of consumers to buy a product democracy a form of government in which allows adult citizens to elect representatives demography the study of population dependency ratio the ratio of the non-working population (children and older people) to the working age population depopulation the loss of population from a particular area or country desertion abandoning another person or family devaluation reducing the value of a country’s currency relative to other currencies developing country a country which has lower average income and standards of living than developed countries and relies on a few export crops or small number of industries disposable income income after tax diversification making something more diverse or varied, increasing the variety of something, such as types of industries divorce when a marriage is legally ended domestic tourist a tourist who travels within his or her own country domestic violence abusive, violent or threatening behaviour within the family or household e-commerce the use of electronic means for commercial transactions such as banking or buying and selling e-ticketing the issuing of electronic tickets for transport and accommodation economic integration bringing together the economies of two or more countries by removing
Glossary trade barriers, allowing free movement of people, goods and capital, and often having a single currency economic leakage outflow of foreign exchange which has just been earned economic link a link between two businesses, industries or countries, e.g. where one acts as the market for something produced by the other economies of scale savings in costs per unit resulting from increased production eco-tourism tourism which focuses on the natural environment and tries to be sustainable egalitarian based on the principle of equality for all people electoral commission the body which oversees elections electoral register the list of voters electorate the body of people eligible to vote emigration movement of people out of an area or country employment being in paid work entrepreneur a person who sets up and runs a business environment everything in the world around us, including both natural and built elements environmental impact assessment a study of the potential impacts of a development on the environment equality being equal in rights or opportunities ethnic group a group of people with common ancestors and a common cultural heritage exchange rate the rate at which one country’s currency can be exchanged for another’s excursionist a person who visits somewhere for the day but sleeps somewhere else executive branch of government with power to carry out plans, laws, etc. expectation belief that a person will do something extended family a family comprising more than the nuclear family, who live together; it might include more than two generations or additional relatives such as uncles, aunts and cousins external migration migration from one country to another family planning controlling the number and spacing of children in a family, usually using contraception family tree a diagram which shows relationships between family members over generations fertility rate the average number of children which a woman can expect to have over her lifetime
first-past-the-post an electoral system based on constituencies so that each constituency elects one representative to Parliament floating voter a person who is undecided which way to vote folkways cultural traditions and patterns of behaviour established over a long period of time food security availability of a sure supply of food for household or country foreign exchange earnings received in a currency other than the local currency which can be used to buy imports formal group a social group which has a formal structure, leadership hierarchy, written rules, etc. formal schooling schooling within the mainstream education system from nursery through primary and secondary schools to colleges and university fossil fuels fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that have taken thousands of years to form in the Earth from dead plants or animals franchise the right to vote in a general election freedom of the press the right of newspapers and other media to report information and express opinions freely generation gap differences between people of different generations which can sometimes lead to conflict geothermal energy energy which comes from the heat within the Earth global warming the gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and seas caused by greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere globalisation the process by which the world’s countries, societies and economies are becoming more interconnected because of improvements in transport and communications glut over-supply of something goods tangible products greenhouse effect the effect caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere, which trap heat from the sun’s rays harmonisation the process of bringing together, unifying, making compatible, similar or consistent head of state the main public representative of a country, usually a monarch or president heritage something valuable passed down from one generation to the next hire purchase system by which a person can pay for something in instalments while using it
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Glossary homemaker spouse who is responsible for looking after the home and children home-porting when a cruise ship has a home or regular port at which it changes passengers and they fly out to join the ship there host country a country to which tourists come, or immigrants move human resources people, their skills, education, qualifications and qualities, used as a resource for development human rights rights outlined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, many of which are enshrined in national constitutions hung parliament when one party does not have an overall majority of seats hydro-electricity using the power or flow of water to generate electricity identity crisis a problem or issue about a person’s sense of themselves immigration people moving into a country or area incest sexual relations between close members of a family infant mortality rate the number of babies who die in their first year per 1000 live births inflation gradually increasing prices of most goods and services informal group a social group which does not have written rules, membership requirements, or formal leadership infrastructure basic facilities, structures, equipment and systems essential to support businesses and daily life, including transport, communications and utilities, such as electricity distribution networks inheritance the passing of assets or goods from someone who has died to others institution (1) a formal secondary group set up for a particular purpose and enduring over a long time; (2) a social norm: a generally accepted unwritten rule or standard of behaviour which reflects agreed values, endures over time and is passed on from one generation to the next integration the process of combining, amalgamating or unifying interest group a group of people with a common interest or interests, or common goals, such as a pressure group internal migration migration within a country international migration migration from one country or region to another
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internet banking using the internet to transfer funds, pay bills, check statements, etc. investment spending on equipment, machinery, training or anything else which will increase future productivity investment bonds a form of savings issued by governments or corporations which promise to pay the owner a specific sum at the end of a fixed period involuntary group a social group which members do not choose to join, such as the family joint family an extended family of adult siblings living together with their partners and children, and sometimes also including their parents judiciary the branch of government which interprets the law and maintains law and order juvenile delinquency criminal activities carried out by children and young people labour force everyone of working age who is working or looking for work laissez-faire leadership a style of group leadership which lets members do as they see fit legal separation when a couple formally separate in a court of law legislature the branch of government which makes a country’s laws libel an incorrect written and published statement which damages someone’s reputation life expectancy the average number of years which someone is expected to live literacy the ability to read and write maintenance payments payments by an absent parent to maintain a partner and/or children majority government or absolute majority a government which has an overall majority of seats in Parliament manifesto a document setting out the policies of a political party marginalisation when someone is or feels sidelined market a place where something is sold marketing finding customers and telling them about a product marks of identity symbols or colours which indicate group membership marriage a formal, legal relationship between a couple mass media institutions which communicate to reach a large audience matriarchal a family in which the mother has the authority
Glossary matrifocal a family headed by a mother or where a mother is the focal point matrilineal tracing descent through the mother’s line matrilocal a family living with the mother’s family migration moving from one place to live in another mineral resources natural resources extracted from the Earth’s rocks, such as coal, bauxite and metal ores monogamy one man married to one woman mores cultural norms which are strongly held and reinforce moral values mortgage a form of loan used to buy a house or other property multicultural a society which has different cultures multilateral agreement an agreement or treaty between three or more countries or groups of countries multinational company or corporation a large business which operates in many countries natural increase the difference between the birth rate and the death rate natural resources features of the environment which are not built by humans but which are used by them naturalisation the process by which a foreigner can become a citizen net immigration when more people move into an area or country than move out net migration the difference between the numbers of people emigrating and immigrating non-renewable resources resources which are not able to renew themselves, such as fossil fuels and minerals norms unwritten rules about acceptable behaviour nuclear family a family of two parents and their children, living together ombudsman an independent person who investigates complaints and arranges fair settlements of disputes, usually between citizens and government opinion polls surveys of public opinion, often about voting intentions opposition the second party in Parliament, which opposes the government oral traditions knowledge, beliefs and customs passed by word of mouth from one generation to the next Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) a sub-regional organisation of eastern states, set up in 1981 Parliament a national elected or representative body which makes laws patriarchal family in which the father has authority
patrifocal family in which the father is the main focus patrilineal tracing descent through the male line patrilocal a family which lives with the father’s family peer group (1) a group of friends about the same age; (2) all the people of about the same age personal loan a loan of money from a financial institution to an individual piracy illegal copying and distribution of material owned by someone else for gain plagiarism copying of another person’s work and passing it off as your own pollution emission of substances which harm the environment polyandry the marriage of one woman to more than one husband at the same time polygamy the marriage of one person to more than one partner at the same time polygyny the marriage of one man to more than one wife at the same time population the number of people living in an area or country population density the number of people living in an area, per square kilometre population distribution the spread of people across an area population pyramid a type of graph consisting of a two-part bar chart which shows the structure of a population by age and gender poverty not having enough money or resources to meet one’s needs pressure group a group which campaigns, putting pressure on government and business primary group a social group of people who frequently interact face-to-face and know each other well primary industries or sector industries which extract natural resources primary or preventative health care health care designed to prevent illness and the spread of disease prime minister the leader of the government, usually also the leader of the main political party procreation reproduction, the biological process of having children propaganda media coverage which intentionally presents a particular view in order to persuade people proportional representation an electoral system in which the number of representatives per party are directly proportional to the number of votes they receive
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Glossary protocol an agreement added to an existing treaty which is then binding on the signatories public services services provided by government push and pull factors factors which encourage people to migrate away from or towards an area receiver the person or organisation which receives a message reconstituted or reconstructed family a family comprising two parents with children from one or more previous relationships recycling processing waste materials, such as old bottles or paper, into new objects regional integration the joining or working together of countries within a region regional migration people moving to live elsewhere within the region registrar the official responsible for recording births, deaths and marriages regulatory bodies a government agency which regulates a particular area of activity rehabilitation retraining or assistance for people to return to normal life after a period of illness, imprisonment or other difficulty remittances money sent home by migrants working abroad renewable resources those resources which are capable of renewing themselves representatives people who represent the views and interests of the electorate republic a democratic state which has a president rather than a monarch as head of state resort a large hotel with many facilities or a tourist destination with many hotels resources anything natural or built which can be used by humans retrenchment when companies cut back their scale of operations, often resulting in loss of jobs revenue income a government receives from taxes, duties and other sources ritual an action or ceremony performed in a customary way role expected behaviour which belongs to a particular position role conflict when there are conflicts or disagreements between different roles, e.g. in a family role model someone who acts as a model in a social role and whose behaviour is followed by others rural to urban migration movement from the countryside into the towns and cities sanctions penalties for disobeying a rule or law
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savings income not spent but put away for use in the future scholarship a grant made to support a student’s education, usually gained by merit secondary or curative health care medical services which aim to treat or cure people, often in hospitals and clinics secondary group a large group with a formal structure, within which interaction between all members is not necessarily frequent or face-to-face secondary industries or sector industries which process natural resources to manufacture goods secret ballot a voting method which ensures that each person’s vote is kept secret secretariat an administrative office, usually at government or regional level self-employment working for oneself, owning a business sender the person or organisation who sends a message separation of powers the constitutional principle that limits and separates the powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary services intangible actions which satisfy consumers’ needs sexually transmitted diseases diseases which are passed from one person to another during sexual activity sibling family a family comprising siblings and headed by one of them sibling rivalry competition between brothers and sisters signal an action, sound or visual sign that communicates a message single market countries forming a trade bloc with free movement of goods and money and a common policy on trade with outside countries single-parent family a family with only one parent living in the household with their children slander a false spoken statement which damages someone’s reputation smear campaign a campaign by a political party to discredit their opponents social agency an organisation that deals with social problems social control control of individual behaviour by norms, expectations, rewards, sanctions etc. within society social group a group of two or more people who interact together regularly and usually have some common purpose
Glossary social interaction actions, communications or relationship between individuals or between groups social issue a matter of concern or importance to society social problem an undesirable behaviour or conditions which affects many people in society socialisation the process by which individuals learn to become members of society solar energy using energy from the sun to make electricity special needs mental, emotional, or physical problems that require special assistance status social position relative to others street children children who live on the streets because they have been abandoned or have run away from home substance abuse the use of legal or illegal substances in a harmful or addictive way suicide when an individual ends his or her own life supplier a person or organisation which supplies goods or services supply the quantity of an item available on the market supply chain or distribution chain the chain along which goods pass from manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to consumers supply country a country from which tourists or migrants originate sustainable development development that uses resources in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs symbol something that represents or stands for something else tariffs taxes on imports and exports teenage pregnancy pregnancy which occurs while a girl is aged 13 to 19 tertiary industries or sector industries which provide services thrift the ability to use money and assets wisely to get the best use from them time share a type of accommodation that is partowned by different people who each buy the right to stay there for a certain length of time each year tourism the movement of people from where they live to somewhere else for leisure, holidays or other non-work reasons tourism product something that particularly attracts tourists to a destination or holiday, such as sandy beaches or a music festival
tourist attraction any natural or cultural feature, event or service which attracts tourists to visit it trade liberalisation removing barriers to trade between countries, such as tariffs, subsidies or quotas, so that all imports and exports are treated equally trading bloc an agreement between countries, often part of a single market, which encourages intraregional trade trading patterns the goods and services countries trade, with whom and in what direction trafficking (of people) illegal trading or smuggling transparency an honest way of doing things which allows people to see what is being done treasury bills short-term government investment bonds turnout number or percentage of voters who vote underdeveloped country a less-developed or nonindustrialised country with low living standards underemployed working part-time or in a job for which someone is too highly skilled or qualified unemployable a person who does not have the necessary education, skills, or attitudes to get a job unemployment rate the percentage of the workforce who are looking for work unicameral a Parliament with only one house or chamber union (1) a marriage or family partnership between two people; (2) a group of workers joined together to represent their interests to employers universal adult suffrage or franchise when all adults (people over the age of 18) have the right to vote unplanned pregnancy a pregnancy which occurs accidentally or is unintended urban to rural migration movement of people from the town or city to the countryside urbanisation increasing numbers of people living in towns and cities visiting relationship a long-term sexual relationship between a couple who do not live together visitor a person who visit somewhere for less than 24 hours voluntary group a social group which members do choose to join voter participation or turnout the percentage of eligible or registered voters who actually vote West Indies Federation (WFI) an attempt at regional integration by British colonies, from 1958 to 1962 will a document in which someone specifies how his or her estate should be managed and distributed after his or her death
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