gatekeeping the process by which education opens and closes doors of opportunity; another term for the social placement function of education

Gemeinschaft a type of society dominated by intimate relationships; a community in which everyone knows everyone else and people share a sense of togetherness

gender the personal traits and social meanings that members of a society attach to being female and male

gender age the relative vales of men’s and women’s ages in a particular culture

gender identity traits that females and males, guided by their culture, incorporate into their personalities

gender role the behaviours and attitudes considered appropriate because one is a female or a male

gender socialization the ways society sets children on different courses in life because they are male or female

gender stratification the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between women and men

gender the social characteristics that a society considers proper for its males and females; masculinity or femininity

generalizability the extent to which the findings from one group (or sample) can be generalized or applied to other groups (or populations)

generalized other the norms, values, attitudes, and expectations of “people in general”; the child’s ability to take the role of the generalized other is a significant step in the development of a self

genetic predispositions inborn tendencies, in this context, to commit socially deviant acts

genocide the systematic annihilation or attempted annihilation of a people based on their presumed race or ethnicity

gentrification the displacement of the poor by the relatively affluent, who renovate the former’s homes

gerontocracy a form of social organization in which the elderly have the most wealth, power, and prestige

gerontology the study of aging and the elderly

Gesellschaft a type of society dominated by impersonal relationships, individual accomplishments, and self-interest

gestures the ways in which people use their bodies to communicate with one another

glass ceiling barriers to social advancement that many women face in some organizations

global economy economic activity spanning many nations of the world with little regard for national borders

global perspective the study of the larger world and our society’s place in it

global warming an increase in the earth’s temperature due to the greenhouse effect

globalization the extensive movement of capital and ideas between nations due to the expansion of capitalism

goal displacement replacement of one goal by another; in this context, the adoption of new goals by an organization; also known as goal replacement

gold standard paper money backed by gold

gossip rumour about people’s personal affairs

government a formal organization that directs the political life of a society

graying of Canada a term that refers to the rising proportion of older people as a percentage of the Canadian population

greenhouse effect a rise in the earth’s average temperature (global warming) due to an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

gross national product (GNP)the amount of goods and services produced by a nation

group dynamics the ways individuals affect groups and the ways groups influence individuals

group defined differently by various sociologists, but in a general sense, people who have something in common and who believe that what they have in common is significant; also called a social group

groupthink Irving Janis’ term for a narrowing of thought by a group of people, leading to the perception that there is only one correct answer, and a situation in which to even suggest alternatives becomes a sign of disloyalty

growth rate the net change in a population after adding births, subtracting deaths, and either adding or subtracting net migration