Flashcards for Social Organization
Topics 3:  Non-kinship Based Social Groups
(11 cards)

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Copyright © 2004 by Dennis O'Neil. All rights reserved.

The general term for age-based categories of people recognized by a culture. In North America, for example, we generally label people as children, teenagers, adults, middle aged, and elderly or senior citizens.

age grades

The term for age grades that are clearly recognized in a culture as distinct identifiable groups of people. They consist of people of similar age and usually of the same gender who share a common identity and maintain close ties throughout their lives. They also pass through age-related statuses together as a group.

age sets

The term for a ritual that marks the transition between age-based statuses or from one phase of life to another.

rites of passage

The region where age sets are especially common.

Sub-Saharan Africa

The region where the cattle herding Masai people live.

East Africa (southern Kenya and northern Tanzania)

The new status that Masai boys acquire at about 12-14 years old. They are ritually circumcised together in a ritual marking their transition to this new status.

moran (or warrior)

The kinds of societies in which gender-based groups are most likely to be institutionalized and not mandatory for everyone of the same gender. (Hint: think in terms of small-scale and large-scale societies.)

large-scale societies

The general term for the kind of association that is typified by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, fraternities, and sororities in North America.

gender-based groups

The general term for the kind of association in which membership is based on vocation, avocation, common residence, religious belief, political belief, or past experience.

voluntary association

The kind of status that membership in voluntary associations is generally based on in most societies. (Hint: think in terms of achieved and ascribed status.)

achieved status

The kind of societies in which voluntary associations are least likely to exist. (Hint: think in terms of small-scale and large-scale societies.)

small-scale societies