The general term for age-based categories of people recognized by a culture. In North America, for example, we generally label people as children, teenagers, adults, middle aged, and elderly or senior citizens. | age grades |
The term for age grades that are clearly recognized in a culture as distinct identifiable groups of people. They consist of people of similar age and usually of the same gender who share a common identity and maintain close ties throughout their lives. They also pass through age-related statuses together as a group. | age sets |
The term for a ritual that marks the transition between age-based statuses or from one phase of life to another. | rites of passage |
The region where age sets are especially common. | Sub-Saharan Africa |
The region where the cattle herding Masai people live. | East Africa (southern Kenya and northern Tanzania) |
The new status that Masai boys acquire at about 12-14 years old. They are ritually circumcised together in a ritual marking their transition to this new status. | moran (or warrior) |
The kinds of societies in which gender-based groups are most likely to be institutionalized and not mandatory for everyone of the same gender. (Hint: think in terms of small-scale and large-scale societies.) | large-scale societies |
The general term for the kind of association that is typified by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, fraternities, and sororities in North America. | gender-based groups |
The general term for the kind of association in which membership is based on vocation, avocation, common residence, religious belief, political belief, or past experience. | voluntary association |
The kind of status that membership in voluntary associations is generally based on in most societies. (Hint: think in terms of achieved and ascribed status.) | achieved status |
The kind of societies in which voluntary associations are least likely to exist. (Hint: think in terms of small-scale and large-scale societies.) | small-scale societies |