IELTS Family & Society Vocabulary - Advanced

The process by which a person or family adopts the culture of a different society while potentially losing elements of their own.

A state of estrangement from one's family, community, or society, often arising from social or economic change.

A social condition characterised by a breakdown of social norms and values, leading to personal and family instability.

The process by which a person or group adopts the culture and identity of a dominant society, often at the expense of their original identity.

Relating to a parenting or social style that enforces strict obedience to authority, often leaving little room for individual expression.

A cultural value system that prioritises the needs and goals of the group or family over those of the individual.

The process of treating something that was not previously a market commodity — such as childcare or surrogacy — as a product to be bought and sold.

Respectful submission to the authority or wishes of parents, elders, or those of higher social standing.

A scattered population whose origins lie in a different place, maintaining cultural identity while living abroad.

The process of breaking up and losing cohesion, particularly applied to the decline of traditional family structures.

The quality of being devoted to home and family life, often used to describe traditional gender expectations.

The process of being freed from social, legal, or political restrictions, particularly regarding women's roles in the family.

The state of being alienated or no longer close to someone who was once a family member or friend.

The virtue of deep respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, central to Confucian and many Asian family values.

The dominant cultural ideal of masculinity that legitimises male authority within the family and wider society.

The assumption that heterosexual relationships and the nuclear family represent the natural or default social norm.

Relating to or occurring between different generations within a family or society.

The way in which overlapping social identities — such as gender, race, and class — interact to shape individual experience within families and society.

Blood relationship or the social bonds of family, used in anthropology and sociology to describe family ties.

A social or political ideology that promotes childbearing and larger families as desirable for individuals and the nation.

The practice of limiting someone's freedom for their own good, especially the tendency of men to make decisions on behalf of women and children.

A social system in which men hold primary authority within families and society, often at the expense of women's rights.

The theory, associated with Judith Butler, that gender is not innate but is constructed through repeated social performances within family and society.

A parenting style characterised by high warmth and low demands, giving children significant freedom with little discipline.

A cultural and intellectual movement that assumes the goals of feminism have been achieved, while often subtly reinforcing traditional gender roles.

A social class characterised by insecure, temporary employment with few benefits, making stable family formation extremely difficult.

A policy or attitude that encourages people to have more children, typically in response to declining birth rates.

The principle of separating religion from public and family life, often linked to changing social and family values.

The processes — primarily performed within families — through which societies sustain themselves across generations, including childcare, education, and emotional labour.

A cultural group within a larger culture, often with distinct values, norms, and family practices.

Extending or operating across national borders, particularly describing families separated by migration.