Personal Dictionary
By: Tatiana Pinda
25 words per quarter ending with a poetry slam
Sociology (noun)
[soh-see-ol-uh-jee]
1. Where you found it: I found the word in the book, You
may ask yourself, “Sociology also tends more toward
comparative case study whereas anthropology is more like
the history in its focus on particular circumstances (36).”
1. Guess: i think its the study of socializing
1. Dictionary Definition: the science or study of the origin,
development, organization, and functioning of human
society; the science of the fundamental laws of social
relations, institutions,
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it shows two
people interacting with one another and sociology is the
study of human society and the way we interact with one
another
Dubious (Adjective)
[doo-bee-uh s]
1. Where you found it: I found this word when I was reading the
article, Promoting Bad Statistic. I think it is important because its
describing how someone is questioning a true fact “Anyone who
questions a presumably true number must have dubious reasons for
doing so.” (27)
1. Guess: I think that the word has to do with being skeptical about
something
1. Dictionary Definition: doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt;
unquestionable
1. Visualization: I chose a person thinking and being questionable
which is the definition of dubious
Debunk (verb)
[ dee-bun-k]
1.
I found the word while reading the article, Promoting Bad
Statistics, “ the press debunked this statistic in 1985, but only
four years after missing children became a highly publicized issue.”
(22)
1.
I think this word might have to do with discrediting a source or
idea
1.
Dictionary Definition: To show that something (such as a belief or
theory) is not true : to show the falseness of (a story, idea,
statement,
1.
I chose this image because the word debunked means to show
something is not true. Poseidon is a greek mythological god and a
myth is a false belief or idea
Globalization (noun)
[gloh-buh-luh-zey-shuh n]
1. Where you found it: I found this word when i was reading
the article, Global Culture, “optimistic hyperglobalizers agree
with their pessimistic colleagues that cultural globalization
creates more sameness, but they consider this outcome to be a
good thing.” (54)
1. Guess: I am guessing that this word might have to do with
something relating to the world
1. Dictionary Definition: a process of interaction and
integration among the people, companies, and governments of
different nations
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because Globalization
is about interacting with people of different cultures or nations
and the visual shows people engaging with another around the
“globe”
homogenizing(verb)
[huh-moj-uh-nahyz, hoh-]
1. Where you found it: I found the word in the article, Global
Culture, “It is one thing to acknowledge the existence of powerful
homogenizing tendencies in the world, but it is quite another to
assert that the cultural diversity existing on our planet is to vanish.”
(54)
2. Guess: The greek root homo means same so i think homogenizing
has someone to do with being the same
1. Dictionary Definition: to make uniform or similar.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because milk is uniform thats
what homogenizing
Secular (Adjective)
[sek-yuh-ler]
Include the following for each word.
1. Where you found it: I found the word in the book, You may ask
yourself, “Comte claimed that a secular basis for morality did
indeed exist- we could determine right and wrong without a reference
to higher powers
1. Guess: From its context, I think it has to do with being logical.
1. Dictionary Definition:not pertaining to or connected with religion
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because the word secular means
not connected or related to religion which the image shows religion
being x out
Epoch (noun)
[ep-uh-k]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “In the current epoch, that fault line divided society into a
small number of capitalists and large number of workers whose
interests were opposed.” (24)
1. Guess: I’m guessing from the context and the previous sentences it
has something to do with historical time
1. Dictionary Definition: a period of time in history or a person's life,
typically one marked by notable events
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because a timeline usually a
representation of events that have occurred in history or a person’s
life
Paradigm (noun)
[par-uh-dahym]
1. Where you found it: I found the word while reading, You may
ask yourself, “If there was a theoretical paradigm that
undergirded much of the research of the Chicago School, it would
be the theory of the social self.” (26)
1. Guess: I think the word in the sentence means an example of
something
1. Dictionary Definition:a model or pattern for something that
may be copied
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because its an example of an
atom and the definition of a paradigm is a model of something
Precursor(noun)
[pri-kur-ser ]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You
May Ask Yourself, “This was an important precursor
to the notion of the social construction of reality.” (27)
1. Guess: Well pre- means before so i think it has
something to do with coming before a thing
1. Dictionary Definition: Something that comes before
something else and that often leads to or influences its
development
1. Visualization: I chose this picture of ancestors
because it is something or someone that comes before
something else just like the precursor
Eschewed (verb)
[es-chOO-d]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “A strain of thought that developed in the 1960s was
symbolic interactionism, which eschewed big theories of society and
instead focused on how face-to-face interaction create...(31)”
1. Guess: I think the word means to stay away from something
1. Dictionary Definition: deliberately avoid using; abstain from.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because the person is abstaining
from eating junk food and eshewed means to abstain from
Succinctly (Adjective)
[suh k-singkt-lee]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “postmodernism can perhaps be summarized succinctly as
the notion that these shared meaning have eroded (32).”
1. Guess: I think the word succinctly means shortly, since its talking
about summarizing something
1. Dictionary Definition: expressed in few words; concise; terse.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because the dart its precisely in
the middle and succinctly means concise.
Deploy (verb)
[de-ploy]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “political scientists, deploy a variety of methods, ranging
from historical case studies to abstract statistical models. (37)”
1. Guess: I think the word has something to do with setting up
something
1. Dictionary Definition:to come into a position ready for use
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it represents something
in position which is the definition of deploy
Flux (noun)
[fluhks]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “we should keep in my mind that disciplinary boundaries
are in a constant state of flux (37).”
1. Guess: i think it has to do with something constantly flucuating
1. Dictionary Definition: the state of constant change
1. Visualization: I chose this picture of because our lives our
constantly changing and we may have plans but they’re not set in
stone which is what flux is a state of constant change
Dichotomies (noun)
[di·chot·o·my]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “another split exists between theorists and empiricists.
These are false dichotomies, however, they merely act as shorthand
for deeper intellectual divisions for which they are poor proxies (38).”
1. Guess: Di means two and in its context i think it means to split
something
1. Dictionary Definition: a division or contrast between two things
that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture of the brain because
dichotomies means a contrast between two things and the left and
right side have very different functions although its just one thing.
empirical (adjective)
[em·pir·i·cal]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You
May Ask Yourself, “an inductive approach starts with
empirical observations observations and then works to
form a theory (45).”
1. Guess: something that has to do with observations
1. Dictionary Definition: based on, concerned with, or
verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory
or pure logic
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because empirical
means to verify something based on observation and the
image shows to guys testing an experience
Milieux
1. Where you found it: I found the word while reading, The
Sociological Imagination: the promise, “ their visions and their
powers are limited to the close-up scenes of job, family,
neighborhood. in other, milleux, they move vicariously and remain
spectators.”
1. Guess: i think the word means someones element
1. Dictionary Definition: a person's social environment.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it represents a person's
social environment which is what milleux means
Feudal (noun)
[fyood-l]
1. Where you found it: I found the word while reading, The
Sociological Imagination: the promise, “when a society is
industrialized, a peasant becomes a worker; a feudal lord is
liquidated or becomes a businessman. “
1. Guess: I’m guessing the word has something to do with the middle
ages
1. Dictionary Definition: absurdly outdated or old-fashioned.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because feudal means outdated
or old fashioned which is what the image shows a man on a horse
with the middle ages attire
Ambivalent (Adjective)
[am-biv-uh-luh nt]
1. Where you found it: I found this word when I was reading the
article, Leaving Home for College by David Karp and I thought it was
important because the word was repeated about three to four times
throughout the whole article, “Young people are ambivalent
regarding independence; it is hard to break away” (60).
1. Guess: I would assume that from its context that it has to do with
being unsure about something.
1. Dictionary Definition: having mixed feelings about someone or
something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing)
courses
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because the face looks like its
feeling uneasy about something.
Emulate (Verb)
em-yuh-leyt
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “from the ideal woman to the ideal form of government to
the ideal citizen, which humanity ought to emulate.” (80)
1. Guess: within the context of the sentence, I believe it has to do with
coping someone or something
1. Dictionary Definition: to try to equal or excel; imitate
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it shows a little girl
imitating the older girl and it coincides with the definition of emulate
which is to imitate.
Geocentric (adjective)
[jee-oh-sen-trik]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May
Ask Yourself, “In a geocentric universe, humans living on
earth stand at its center, and this idea corresponds to
Christian notions that humans are the lords of the earth (83).”
1. Guess: I think the words means earth center because the
word geo means earth, ic means pertaining to and center is
the middle
1. Dictionary Definition: having or representing the earth as
a center
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it represents the
earth as the center which is what geocentric means
Anthropology (noun)
[an-thruh-pol-uh-jee]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “the field of anthropology is split between physical
anthropologists, and biologists but who study human relations
similarly to what sociologist do (35).”
1. Guess: i think the word means the study of man since the greek
root word of anthrop which comes from the word anthropos
meaning man and logy is study of.
1. Dictionary Definition: the science that deals with the origins,
physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and
social customs and beliefs of humankind.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it shows the evolution
of man and anthropology is the study of humankind
Manifestation
[man-uh-fuh-stey-shuhn]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May
Ask Yourself, “statistical analysis is the most typical
manifestation of this kind of research, but by no means the
only one (39).”
1. Guess: i think the word means a demonstration of something
1. Dictionary Definition: an event, action, or object that
clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an
abstract idea
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because like the word
manifestation the image shows or embodies something like
art
Pervasiveness (Adjective)
[per-vey-siv-nes]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You
May Ask Yourself, “the pervasiveness of such images is
harmful to women and girls in our society (66).”
1. Guess: i think the word in its context has to do with
popularity of such images
1. Dictionary Definition: spreading widely throughout an
area or a group of people.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because in the reading
it talked about how girls see other people in the media and
how the pervasiveness (or popularity) of such images are
harmful to women in our society
Socialization (noun)
[soh-shuh-luh-zey-shuh n]
1. Where you found it: I found this while reading, You May Ask
Yourself, “we call this process by which you learn how to become a
functioning member of society socialization (117).”
1. Guess: i think it means learning to socialize with people
1. Dictionary Definition: a continuing process whereby an individual
acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior,
and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because our family is the first
people that teach us about how we are to act in certain situation and
about values
Sadist (Noun)
sa·dist
1. Where you found it: I found this while
reading, True Notebooks, “By the films end,
however, when Clint Eastwood gets drunk and
hunts down the sadists who lynched Morgan
Freeman (23).”
1. Guess: i think it means someone who is a bully
1. Dictionary Definition: a person who enjoys
being cruel.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it
represents the meaning of sadist perfectly. This
image shows someone inflicting pain on
someone else
Perverse Incentives (adjective)
per·verse in·cen·tive
What I think it means: An unreasonable motivation
Dictionary Definition: Reward structures that lead to
suboptimal outcomes by stimulating counterproductive
behavior.
Where it was found: “But that view played right into
Murray’s thesis about perverse incentives” (You May Ask
Yourself, Pg.383).
Illustration: This illustration is a visual representation
of the term perverse incentive as it shows a man choking
and riding an old lady’s back in order to catch a bill.
money was a negative motive that lead him to hurt this
woman.
Double Consciousness (adjective)
dou·ble con·scious·ness
What I think it means: Being very conscious of your actions
Dictionary Definition: a term used to describe an individual whose
identity is divided into several facets. As a theoretical tool, “double
consciousness” reveals the psycho-social divisions in American society
and allows for a full understanding of those divisions.
Where It was found: “It is a peculiar sensation, this doubleconsciousness,
this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of
measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused
contempt and pity” (223).
illustration: This visual represents someone living life inside someone
else
and from the other person’s eyes.
Recession (noun)
re·ces·sion
Guess: an economic depression
Dictionary Definition: a period of temporary economic decline during
which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by
a fall in GDP in two successive quarters
Where I found it: “which underscore the serious the serious systemic
vulnerabilities that existed for Americans even before the current
recession,” The Great American Recession by Judith Treas (pg. 191)
Illustration: The visualization shows money flying away from the guy
because of the economic decline and the recession
Emancipation (noun)
eman·ci·pa·tion
What I think it means: to be liberated in some way
Dictionary Definition: the freeing of someone from
slavery.
Where I found it: “Here in America, in the few days
since Emancipation, the black man’s turning hither and
thither in hesitant and doubtful striving has often made his
very strength to lose effectiveness, to seem like absence
of power, like weakness, The Souls of Black Folk by
W.E.B Du Bois (224).”
illustration: The illustration shows a man joyful after
being freed
Savant (Noun)
sa·vant
Guess: Servant, or worker
Where I found it: Understanding Society: Chapter
31 The Souls of Black Folk “The would-be black
savant was confronted by the paradox that the
knowledge people needed was a twice-told tale to
his white neighbors, while the knowledge which
would teach the white world was Greek to his own
flesh and blood. “ (pg. 224)
Dictionary Definition: a person of learning; one
with detailed knowledge in some specialized field
(usually in art, math, science)
Illustration: Savant syndrome; William Horberg
who is known as the human camera.
Demagogue (Noun)
dem·a·gogue
Guess: something relating to the people
Where you found it: Understanding Society, Chapter 31: The Souls of
Black Folk, “By the poverty and ignorance of his people, the Negro
minister or doctor was tempted toward quackery and demagogy; and
by the criticism of the other world, toward ideals that made him
ashamed of his lowly tasks.” (pg. 224)
Dictionary Definition: a political leader who tries to get support by
making false claims and promises and using arguments based on
emotion rather than reason
Illustration: Hitler used his political power to kill thousands of Jews
with the help of his followers who he lied to.
Gender Roles (Adjective)
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading the
article, Gay Marriage by Steven Seidman, “ Today, we recognize
spouses as equal before the law, and gender roles are not enforced
by the state” (361).
1. Guess: I’m think it’s expectations that society holds for how men
and women should act based on their gender
1. Dictionary Definition: cultural and personal. They determine
how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact
within the context of society.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it perfect;y portrays
the term gender roles. This picture shows a girl playing with a doll
(“feminine”) and a boy playing with a toy car (“masculine”)
Fatherhood (Noun)
[fah-th er-hoo d]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading
the article, The Myth of the Missing Black Father by
Roberta L. Coles & Charles Green, “ While it would be
remiss to argue that there are not many absent black
fathers, absence is only one slice of the fatherhood pie
and a smaller slice that is normally thought (363).”
1. Guess: I’m think it means being a father
1. Dictionary Definition: the state of being a father
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because
fatherhood means not only being a father but also
being present in their child’s life and being loving
towards them as shown in the image
Nuclear Family
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the Family chapter in You May Ask
Yourself, “ the traditional nuclear family, consisting
of a mother and father, and their children was a
functional necessity in modern industrial society”
(Chapter 12, 455)
1. Guess: I’m think it means traditional
1. Dictionary Definition: The part of a family that
includes only the father, mother, and children
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it best
illustrates the definition of a nuclear family. The
picture portrays a father, mother, and their
children, which is the traditional model for what a
family looks like
Industrialization (Noun)
[in-duhs-tree-uh-luh-zey-shuh n]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the article, The Myth of the Missing Black
Father by Roberta L. Coles & Charles Green,
“According to Lamb, during the agricultural area,
fathers were expected to be the “moral teachers;”
during the industrialization, breadwinners” (364).
1. Guess: I’m think it has to do with transforming
something
1. Dictionary Definition: The process in which a
society or country (or world) transforms itself from
a primarily agricultural society into one based on
the manufacturing of goods and services
1. Visualization: I chose this picture
industrialization was a shift from farming to
factories and manufacturing
Sexual Harassment
(noun)
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading,
Chapter 8: Gender of You May Ask Yourself, “Although
legally entitled to enter all lines of work, women routinely
face sexual harassment” (Conley, 313).
1. Guess: I’m think it means to bother someone by being
inappropriate
1. Dictionary Definition: harassment (typically of a
woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social
situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual
advances or obscene remarks.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it illustrates
the meaning of sexual harassment- making unwanted
advances (mainly towards woman)
Cult (noun)
[kuhlt]
1. Where you found it: I found it while reading
Chapter 16: Religion of You May Ask Yourself,
“All religion begin as cults, and their leaders offer
new insights, claiming that they are the word of
God” (Conley, 649).
1. Guess: i think it means a group of people who
believe in something strongly
1. Dictionary Definition: a system of religious
veneration and devotion directed toward a
particular figure or object.
1. Visualization: the image shows the KKK which
is a cult and their teaching are not orthodox
Deviance (Noun)
[dee-vee-uh ns
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the article, The Medicalization of
Deviance, “We call this “the medicalization of
deviance,” and suggest that these examples
illustrate how medical definitions of deviant
behavior are becoming more prevalent in
modern industrial societies like our own”
(Conrad & Schneider, 152)
1. Guess: I’m think it means straying from what is
accepted by society
1. Dictionary Definition: Deviance is defined as
the recognized violation of cultural norms.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it
illustrates the definition of deviance-meaning
departing from usual or accepted norms
Sexism (Noun)
[sek-siz-uh m]
1. Where you found it: I found this word
while reading the article, chapter 8: Gender
of You May Ask Yourself, “Critics referred to
the speech as a blatant example in academia
of sexism” (Conley, 309),
1. Guess: I’m think it means being
discriminative towards a certain sex
1. Dictionary Definition: prejudice,
stereotyping, or discrimination, typically
against women, on the basis of sex.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because
it’s an advertisement for pens that are
designed for women and it illustrates an
example of sexism
Glass Ceiling (Noun)
1. Where you found it: I found this word
while reading, Chapter 8: Gender of You May
Ask Yourself, “When women do enter more
prestigious corporate worlds, they often
encounter gendered barriers to reaching the
very top; the so-called glass ceiling”
(Conley, 315).
1. Guess: I’m think it means a gap between
men in women in the workplace
1. Dictionary Definition: an unfair system or
set of attitudes that prevents some people
(such as women or people of a certain race)
from getting the most powerful jobs
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because
it illustrates what the glass ceiling is and
shows a woman trying to break it
Middle Class (Noun)
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading the
article, America Without a Middle Class, “ While Wall Street
executives and others who owned lots of stock celebrated how
good the recovery was for them, middle class families were
left empty-handed” (Warren, 181).
1. Guess: I’m think that it the class between the upper and lower
class
1. Dictionary Definition: the social group between the upper
and working classes, including professional and business
workers and their families.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it represents the
class system and the one in between is the middle class
Religion (Noun)
[ri-lij-uh n]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading Chapter 16: Religion of You May Ask
Yourself, “In broad terms, religion is the way
people make sense of their world- the shared stories
that guide how they live” (Conley, 613).
1. Guess: I’m think it means having shared beliefs
and practices
1. Dictionary Definition: A religion is an organized
collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and
worldviews that relate humanity to an order of
existence.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it
illustrates different types of religions and the
definition of religion- is a group of people who have
shared beliefs
Monogamy (noun)
mo·nog·a·my
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading
the article, the family chapter of You May Ask Yourself,
“another basic social structure that governs your love
life; how many partners you're expected to have, In
societies that practice monogamy, a person can partner
with one another” (chapter 12, 453).
1. Guess: Mono means one
1. Dictionary Definition: he practice or state of being
married to one person at a time
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it shows
just a couple which portrays what monogamy is being
married to one person
Feminism (noun)
fem·i·nism
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading Chapter 8: Gender from You May Ask
Yourself, “Feminism was at first embraced as a
consciousness-raising movement to get people
to understand that gender is an organizing
principle of life” (Conley, 283).
1. Guess: i think it has to do with women rights
1. Dictionary Definition: the belief that men
and women should have equal rights and
opportunities
1. Visualization: The image shows a girl
holding a sign stating the reason she needs
feminism
Gender (Noun)
[jen-der]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the article, The Social Construction of
Gender, “Acker uses this concept to explain not just
that gender expectations are passed to men and
women within institutions, but that the institutions
themselves are structured along gendered lines”
(Andersen, 251).
1. Guess: I’m think it means being male or female
1. Dictionary Definition: The state of being male or
female (typically used with reference to social and
cultural differences rather than biological ones)
1. Visualization: The picture shows a male and
female which illustrates what the definition of
gender is
Adolescence (Noun)
[ad-l-es-uh ns]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading
the article, Guyland, “it is both a stage of life, a liminal
undefined time span between adolescence and adulthood,
(Kimmel, 254).
1. Guess: I’m think it has to do with you’re young adult
period
1. Dictionary Definition: the period following the onset
of puberty during which a young person develops from a
child into an adult.
1. Visualization: The picture shows a group of teenagers
which represent the definition of adolescence which
occurs during your teenage years
Homophobia (Noun)
[hoh-muh-foh-bee-uh]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the article, Guyland, “
1. Guess: I’m think it means fear of homosexuals
1. Dictionary Definition: dislike of or prejudice
against homosexual people.
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because it
demonstrates the meaning of homophobiadislike against homosexual people. The image
shows a woman protesting against gay marriage
Masculinity (Adjective)
[mas-kyuh-lin-e-t]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while reading the
article, Guyland, “
1. Guess: I’m think it has to do with being manly
1. Dictionary Definition: possession of the qualities
traditionally associated with men
1. Visualization: I chose this picture because the
masculinity means having qualities that generally are
associated with men . The image shows the character as
being manly and strong which is a characteristic often
associated with men
Patriarchy (Noun)
[pey-tree-ahr-kee]
1. Where you found it: I found this word while
reading the article, Chapter 8: Gender of You May
Ask Yourself, “What is the root of patriarchy, a
system of involving the subordination of
femininity to masculinity?” (291-292)
1. Guess: I’m think it means when the father or a
male is the head of the family
1. Dictionary Definition: a system of society or
government in which the father or eldest male is
head of the family and descent is traced through
the male line
1. Visualization: The picture i chose illustrates
the definition of patriarchy because in most
religions, men are only allowed to be apart of the
church or religious gatherings.