nationalism a strong identity with a nation, accompanied by the desire for that nation to be dominant

natural environment the earth’s surface and atmosphere, including living organisms, as well as the air, water, soil, and other resources necessary to sustain life

natural sciences the intellectual and academic disciplines designed to comprehend, explain, and predict events in our natural environment

negative sanction an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal prison sentence or an execution

neocolonialism a new form of global power relationships that involves not direct political control but economic exploitation by multinational corporations

neolocality a residential pattern in which a married couple lives apart from the parents of both spouses

net migration rate the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants per 1000 population

network a web of social ties that links people who identify and interact little with one another

networking the process of consciously using or cultivating networks for some gain

new social movements social movements with a new emphasis on the world, instead of on a condition in a specific country

new technology the emerging technologies of an era that have a significant impact on social life

noncentrist party a political party that represents less popular ideas

nonmaterial culture a group’s ways of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing (its common patterns of behaviour, including language and other forms of interaction)

nonverbal communication communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech

norms rules and expectations by which a society guides the behaviour of its members

nuclear family (conjugal family) a family unit composed of one or two parents and their children

nuclear proliferation the acquisition of nuclear-weapons technology by more and more nations