face-saving behaviour techniques used to salvage a performance that is going sour

fad an unconventional social pattern that people embrace briefly but enthusiastically

faith belief anchored in conviction rather than scientific evidence

false consciousness Karl Marx’s term to refer to workers identifying with the interests of capitalists

family a social institution that unites individuals into cooperative groups that oversee the bearing and raising of children

family of orientation the family in which a person grows up

family of procreation the family formed when a couple’s first child is born

family unit a social group of two or more people, related by blood, marriage, or adoption, who usually live together

family violence emotional, physical, or sexual abuse of one family member by another

fashion a pattern of behaviour that catches people’s attention and lasts longer than a fad

fecundity the number of children women are theoretically capable of bearing

feminism the advocacy of social equality for women and men, in opposition to patriarchy and sexism

feminist theories all three types of feminist theories — Marxist, liberal, and radical — hold that women are oppressed by gender roles that are products of social, historical, and cultural factors

feminization of poverty the trend by which women represent an increasing proportion of the poor

feral children children assumed to have been raised by animals, in the wilderness isolated from other humans

fertility the incidence of childbearing in a country’s population

fertility rate the number of children the average woman bears

fiat money currency issued by a government that is not backed by stored value

folkways a society’s customs for routine, casual interaction. Less important than norms

formal operational stage Piaget’s term for the level of development in which individuals think abstractly and critically

formal organization a large secondary group that is organized to achieve specific goals

front stage where performances are given

functional analysis a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of various parts, each with a function that, when fulfilled, contributes to society’s equilibrium; also known as functionalism and structural functionalism

functional illiteracy a lack of reading and writing skills needed for everyday living

functional requisites the major tasks a society must fulfill if it is to survive

fundamentalism a conservative religious doctrine that opposes intellectualism and worldly accommodation in favour of restoring traditional, otherworldly spirituality