KV N0.

-1 AFS BHUJ
Glossary –social science
Class x
Taken from NCERT ,NYSSA and
TERMS AND VOCABULARY of Karen R. Todorov
For quick revision
Ethnic A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same
ethnic group believe in their common descent because of similarities of
physical type or of culture or both. They need not always have the same
religion or nationality.
Majoritariani A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in
sm whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the
minority.
Civil war A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that
becomes so intense that it appears like a war.
Prudential: Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses.
Prudential decisions are usually contrasted with decisions based purely
on moral considerations
Jurisdiction: The area over which someone has legal authority. The area may be
defined in terms of geographical boundaries or in terms of certain kinds
of subjects.
Coalition a government formed by the coming together of at least two political
government parties usually partners in a coalition form a political alliance and adopt a
common programme
or
A government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties,
usually when no single party enjoys majority support of
the members in a legislature
Civil Rights refers to a set of events and reform movements aimed at abolishing legal
Movement racial discrimination against African-Americans. Led by Martin Luther
in the USA King Jr., this movement practiced non-violent methods of civil
(1954-1968) disobedience against racially discriminatory laws and practices.
AFRICAN- Afro American, black American, OR black are the terms used to refer
AMERICANS mainly to descendants of Africans who were brought into America as
slaves between the 17th century and early 19th century
The Black movement emerged in 1966 and lasted till 1975, which was a more
Power militant anti-racist movement, advocating even violence if necessary to
end racism in the US.
Homogeneous A society that has similar kinds of people, especially where there are no
society: significant ethnic differences.
Migrant: Anybody who shifts from one region or country to another region within
a country or to another country, usually for work or other economic
opportunities.
Sexual A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women
division of of the family, or organised by them through the domestic helpers.
labour:
Feminist: A womanor a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for
women and men.
Patriarchy: Literally, rule by father, this concept is used to refer to a system that
values men more and gives them power over women.
Family laws Those laws that deal with family related matters such as marriage,
divorce, adoption, inheritance, etc. In our country, different family laws
apply to followers of different religions.
Urbanisation: Shift of population from rural areas to urban areas
Occupational Shift from one occupation to another, usually when a new generation
mobility: takes up occupations other than those practiced by their ancestors.
Caste A ladder like formation in which all the caste groups are placed from the
hierarchy: ‘highest’ to the ‘lowest’ castes.
Maoists: Those communists who believe in the ideology of Mao, the leader of the
Chinese Revolution. They seek to overthrow the government through an
armed revolution so as to establish the rule of the peasants and workers.
Partisan: A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction.
Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a
balanced view on an issue.
Ruling Party: Political party that runs government.
Defection: Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected
(to a legislative body) to a different party.
Affidavit a signed document submitted to an officer, where a person makes a
sworn statement regarding his/her personal information
Branches of Constitution to divide the power of government between legislative,
Government executive and judicial branches
Power When the power does not rest with any one organ(branch) or level or
Sharing: - individuals of the state rather it is shared among the organs like legislature,
executive and judiciary and levels and people of the nation.

Federalism Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided

between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.
Or
The power is shared among the central government and various states,
regional and local governments and both the central and non-central
governments are answerable to the citizens of the country who elect
them.
Apartheid Apartheid – policy of separation of the races enforced by law

Anticline: A fold in sedimentary strata that resembles an arch.

Gross It is a monetary measure of the value of goods and services
Domestic produced within a natural economy at a given period of time. Normally it
Product: is one year.
Geologist: A scientist who studies the composition, structure and history of the
earth.
Geothermal The gradual increase in temperature with depth in the crust. The average
Gradient: is 30°C per kilometer in the upper crust.
Humus: Dead and decayed organic matter adds to the fertility of the top soil.

Rock: A consolidated mixture of minerals

Igneous Rocks: Rocks which have solidified from molten magma.

Metamorphic Rocks: Rocks which were originally igneous or

sedimentary, but have changed in character and appearance.

Sedimentary Rocks: Rocks which have been deposited as beds and layers
of sediments
Minerals - a naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a
definite chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure,
color, and hardness.
Oil Trap: A geological structure that allows for significant amounts of oil and gas to
accumulate
Manganese A type of sediment scattered on the ocean floor, consisting mainly of
Nodules: manganese and iron, and usually containing small amounts of copper,
nickel and cobalt.
Soil - Soil - unconsolidated material found at the surface of Earth, which is
divided into layers (or horizons) characterized by the accumulation or
loss of organic and inorganic compounds.
Scarcity The conflict between unlimited need and wants and limited natural and
human resources

Nationalism The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than
collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals.
Or
The feeling of pride in and devotion to one’s countryor the desire of a
people to control their own government free from foreign interference or
rule
Capitalism – Economic system characterized by the following: private property
ownership exists; individuals and companies are allowed to compete for
their own economic gain; and free market forces determine the prices of
goods and services.

OR
An economic system based on the private ownership of means of
production and distribution in the goal is to produce profit
(glossary by frank w elwell)
Socialism Socialism – any one of various systems in which the means of producing
goods are owned by the community or the government rather than by
private individuals with all people sharing in the work and the goods
produced.
Globalisation Globalisation is generally associated with economy as the free movement
of capital, goods, technology, ideas and people across the globe.
Globalisation in a broader sense also includes cultural exchanges
between different countries of the world.
 Or
Globalization is the integration or interconnection between the countries
through trade and foreign investments by Multi-NationalCorporations
(MNCs).
Indentured A form of labour widely used in the plantations from the mid-nineteenth
labour century. Labourers worked on the basis of contracts that did not specify
any rights of
labourers but gave immense power to employers. Employers could bring
criminal
charges against labourers and punish and jail them for non-fulfilment of
contracts
Syncretic Characterised by syncretism; aims to bring together different beliefs and
practices, seeing their essential unity rather than their difference

Concentratio A prison where people are detained without due process of law. The
n camp word evokes an image of a place of torture and brutal treatment
Republic A form of government based on popular consent and popular
representation. It is based on the power of the people as opposed to
monarchy
Obscurantist Person or ideas that mislead
Napalm An organic compound used to thicken gasoline for firebombs. The
mixture burns slowly and when it comes in contact with surfaces like the
human body, it sticks and continues to burn. Developed in the US, it was
used in the Second World War. Despite an international outcry, it was
used in Vietnam.
Forced A process by which the colonial state forced people to join the army
recruitment
Boycott The refusal to deal and associate with people, or participate in activities,
or buy and
use things; usually a form of protest
Picket A form of demonstration or protest by which people block the entrance
to a shop,
factory or office
Begar Labour that villagers were forced to contribute without any payment
satyagraha. The idea of satyagrah emphasises the power of truth and the need to
search for truth. It suggested that if the cause is true, if the struggle is
against injustice, then physical force is not necessary to fight the
oppressor.
Dissenter One who refuses to accept established beliefs and practices
Indentured A bonded labourer under contract to work for an employer for a specific
labour – amount of time, to pay off his passage to a new country or home
Tariff – Tax imposed on a country’s imports from the rest of the world. Tariffs are
levied at the point of entry, i.e., at the border or the airport
Exchange They link national currencies for purposes of international trade. There
rates are
broadly two kinds of exchange rates: fixed exchange rate and floating
exchange rate
 Fixed exchange rates – When exchange rates are fixed and governments
intervene to prevent movements in them
Flexible or floating exchange rates – These rates fluctuate depending on
demand and supply of currencies in foreign exchange markets, in
principle without interference by governments

Growth rate The growth rate of population indicates the rate at which the population
of population is growing. In estimating the growth rate the increase in population is
compared with the base population. It can be measured annually or over
a decade
Birth rate : The number of live births for every 1000 persons in a year.

Death rate The number of deaths per 1000 persons in year.

Sex-ratio : Sex-ratio is defined as the number of females per thousand males.
Life The average number of years one is expected to live.
expectancy
Density of The average number of persons per unit area, such as a square kilometre.
population
Dependency The ratio of people of dependent age (below 15 and above 60 years) to
ratio people of economically active ages (15-59 years).

Tariff – Tariff – tax on foreign goods brought into a country. An official schedule
of taxes imposed by a government on imports or exports
Unemployme Unemployment – the situation in which people are willing and able to
nt – work at current wages but do not have jobs.
Barter Barter – the direct trading of goods and services between people without
the use of money.
Capital – cash, goods, natural resources, or human skills that are used to produce
income.
Domestic activities dealing with the production and distribution of goods and
Economy – services within ones own country.
Economic actions taken to improve the ability of people to more productively use
Development capital, natural and human resources in the production of goods and
– services.
WTO World Trade Organization (WTO) - An international agency which
encourages trade between member nations, administers global trade
agreements and resolves disputes when they arise.
CONSUMER A person who acquires goods or service for personal use rather than for
resale or use in production or manufacturing
Developing A country that typically is in process of growth, often characterized by
nation low rates of urbanization, industrialization, literacy and capital formation
and has relatively high rates of infant mortality.
BEST OF LUCK
Compiled by -JK Soni
.