376. Society
See also 93. COMMUNALISM ; 185. GOVERNMENT ; 322. POLITICS .
- activism
- the attitude of taking an active part in events, especially in a social context. —activist, n.
- anthropophobia
- an abnormal fear of people, especially in groups.
- aristocracy
- 1. government by the best people.
- 2. an upper class based on quality, nobility, etc.
- aristocraticism
- a dedication to aristocratie behavior.
- aristocratism
- the attitudes and actions of aristocrats.
- autocracy
- a society or nation ruled by a person with absolute authority. —autocrat, n. —autocratie, adj.
- beerocracy
- In England. the aristocracy that gained its wealth and social posi-tion from the ownership of breweries.
- chemocracy
- a Utopian society in which all foods and other material needs will be prepared by chemical processes. —chemocrat, n.
- chrysocracy
- an upper class based on wealth. Also chrysoaristocracy .
- civics
- the area of political science concerned with citizenship.
- confraternity
- a brotherhood, especially a group of men bound by a common goal or interest.
- cottonocracy
- that portion of the upper class whose wealth comes from the cotton trade. —cottonocrat, n.
- democratism
- a doctrine of or belief in social equality or the right of all people to participate equally in politics.
- do-goodism
- attitudes or actions of well-intentioned but sometimes ineffectual people, especially in the area of social reform.
- ecology, oecology
- the branch of sociology that studies the environmental spacing and interdependence of people and their institutions. — ecologist, oecologist , n. — ecologie, oecologic, ecological, oecological , adj.
- enculturation
- the process by which a person adapts to and assimilates the culture in which he lives.
- exclusionism
- the doctrine or practice of excluding certain groups or individuals from enjoyment of certain rights or privileges. —exclusionist, n.
- Fichteanism
- theories and beliefs of J. G. Fichte (1762-1814), German philosopher and social thinker, a precursor of socialism. — Fichtean, n., adj.
- foolocracy
- government or domination of society by fools.
- fractionalism
- the state of being nonhomogeneous or inharmonious. —fractionalization, n.
- fraternity
- a fellowship or association of men, as for a benevolent or charitable purpose or at a college.
- kakotopia
- a state in which the worst possible conditions exist in government, society, law. etc. See also 406. UTOPIA .
- landocracy
- a ruling class that owes its power to its possession of land. —landocrat, n.
- manorialism
- 1. the system of manorial social and political organization, as in the Middle Ages.
- 2. its principles and practices.
- 3. Sometimes Pejorative. any small, strong unit of local political and social organization.
- matriarchate
- 1. a matriarchal form of government.
- 2. a family, tribe, or other social group ruled by a matriarch or matriarchs. —matriarchic, adj.
- mediocracy
- government or dominance of society by the médiocre.
- meritocracy
- a powerful class composed of people who have achieved position on the basis of their merit rather than by birth or privilege. —meritocrat, n.
- moneyocracy
- government or domination of society by the rich.
- oecology
- ecology.
- oiligarchy
- Facetious. a wealthy and dominant force in society whose wealth and power is based on control of oil.
- orthogenesis
- the sociological theory that all cultures or societies follow the same fixed course of determinate evolution. See also 147. EVOLUTION . —orthogenetic, adj.
- pariahism
- the condition of being outcast from society. —pariahdom, n.
- parsonarchy
- the domination of a social group, especially a small rural com-munity, by the parson.
- parvenuism
- 1. behavior or attitudes typical of one who has recently acquired wealth or social position.
- 2. the state or quality of being a parvenu or upstart. —parvenu, n., adj.
- phratry
- 1. a subdivision of an ancient Greek tribe or phyle.
- 2. a clan or other unit of a primitive tribe.
- reclusion
- the state of living apart from society, like a hermit. —recluse, n. —reclusive, adj.
- seneschalship
- the rank, position or jurisdiction of a steward of a medieval prince or nobleman.
- snobocracy
- Facetious. snobs as a class in society.
- socialization
- the process of adapting to a social group; social intercourse or activity.
- sociocracy
- collective government or government by society as a whole.
- sociologism
- a theory asserted sociologistically. —sociologistic, adj.
- sociology
- 1. the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society.
- 2. the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc. —sociologist, n. —sociologie, sociological, adj.
- sociometry
- the measurement of social attitudes within a group by sampling expressions of social acceptance or rejection. —sociometrist, n. —sociometrie, adj.
- socionomy
- Rare. the study of the laws that govern the development of society.
- sodality
- a fellowship, brotherhood, or other association of a benevolent nature, especially in the Roman Catholic Church. —sodalist, n. , adj.
- solidarism
- Sociology. a theory that the possibility of founding a social organization upon a solidarity of interests is to be found in the natural interde-pendence of members of a society. —solidarist, n. —solidaristic, adj.
- solidarity
- the feeling or expression of union in a group formed by a common interest.
- sorority
- a fellowship or association of women, as for a benevolent or charitable purpose or at a college.
- sorosis
- a woman’s club or society, named after a club of that name, founded in 1869.
- squirearchy
- In Britain. the squires or landed gentry as a class.
- syssitia
- the practice or custom, as among the ancient Spartans and Cretans, of eating the main meal of the day together in public to strengthen social and political bonds.
- telesia, telesis
- the harnessing of natural and social forces for a beneficial goal.
- totemism
- 1. the practice of having a natural object or animate being, as a bird or animal, as the emblem of a family, clan, or group.
- 2. the practice of regarding such a totem as mystically related to the family, clan, or group and therefore not to be hunted.
- 3. a system of tribal organization according to totems. —totemic, adj.
- welfarism
- the beliefs and policies associated with the welfare system.
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