Davis-Moore thesis the assertion that social stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society

debit card a device that allows its owner to charge purchases against his or her bank account

deductive logical thought reasoning that transforms general theory into specific hypotheses suitable for scientific testing

deferred gratification forgoing something in the present in the hope of achieving greater gains in the future

definition of the situation the way we look at matters in life; the way we define reality or some particular situation

degradation ceremony a term coined by Harold Garfinkel to describe an attempt to remake the self by stripping away an individual’s self-identity and stamping a new one in its place; a ritual designed to strip an individual of his or her identity as a group member — for example, a court martial or the defrocking of a priest

dehumanization the act or process of reducing people to objects that do not deserve the treatment accorded humans

democracy a system of government in which authority derives from the people; derived from two Greek words that translate literally as “power to the people”

democratic leader a leader who leads by trying to reach a consensus

democratic socialism a hybrid economic system in which capitalism is mixed with state ownership

demographic transition theory a thesis linking demographic changes to a society’s level of technological development

demographic variables the three factors that influence population growth: fertility, mortality, and net migration

demography the study of the size, composition, growth, and distribution of human populations

demonstration a public meeting, march, etc. for a political or moral purpose

denomination a church, independent of the state, that accepts religious pluralism

dependency ratio the number of paid workers required so that dependent individuals, usually seniors and children, can be adequately supported

dependency theory a model of economic and social development that explains global inequality in terms of the historical exploitation of poor societies by rich ones

dependent variable a factor that is changed by an independent variable

depersonalization dealing with people as though they were objects — in the case of medical care, as though patients were merely cases and diseases, not persons

deposit receipts a receipt stating that a certain amount of goods is on deposit in a warehouse or bank; the receipt is used as a form of money

descent the system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations

deterrence the attempt to discourage criminality through punishment

deviance the recognized violation of cultural norms

dictatorship a form of government in which power is seized by an individual

differential association Edwin Sutherland’s term to indicate that associating with some groups results in learning an “excess of definitions” of social deviance, and, by extension, in a greater likelihood that one will become socially deviant

diffusion the spread of invention or discovery from one area to another; identified by William Ogburn as the final of three processes of social change

direct democracy a form of democracy in which the eligible voters meet together to discuss issues and make their decisions

direct-fee system a health care system in which patients pay directly for the services of physicians and hospitals

disabling environment an environment harmful to health

discovery a new way of seeing reality; identified by William Ogburn as the second of three processes of social change

discrimination an act of unfair treatment directed against an individual or a group

disengagement theory the proposition that society enhances its orderly operation by disengaging people from positions of responsibility as they reach old age

divine right of kings the idea that the king’s authority comes directly from God

division of labour the splitting of a group’s or a society’s tasks into specialties

documents in its narrow sense, written sources that provide data; in its extended sense, archival material of any sort, including photographs, movies, and so on

dominant group the group with the most power, greatest privileges, and highest social status

downward social mobility movement down the social-class ladder

dramaturgical analysis an approach, pioneered by Erving Goffman, analyzing social life in terms of drama or the stage; also called dramaturgy

dual labour market workers split along racial, ethnic, gender, age, or any other lines; this split is exploited by owners to weaken the bargaining power of workers

dyad the smallest possible group, consisting of two people