Ch. 5: CULTURE, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY Flashcards
symbolic culture
Consists of symbols that are recognized by people of the same culture
Material culture
Involves physical objects or artifacts
includes clothing, hairstyles, food, and home design
importance placed on material objects can often reflect the culture’s values ex. american dream involves a car: symbol of mobility, independence
non-material culture
specific to social thoughts and ideas such as values
popular culture
phrase used to describe features of culture that appeal to the masses often those communicated through mass media such as radio and television
high culture
describe those features often limited to the consumption of the elite, like the ballet or opera
cultural universals
patterns or traits that are common to all people
pertain to basic human experiences, including birth, death, and illness
values
defined as a culture’s standard for evaluating what is good or bad
often define how people in a society should behave but they may not actually reflect how people do behave
beliefs
the convictions or principles that people hold
norms
the visible and invisible rules of social conduct within a society
sociobiology
a study of how biology and evolution have affected human social behaviour
primarily applies darwins principle of natural selection to social behaviour suggesting there is a biological basis for many behaviours
Discuss Cultural diffusion
The transfer of elements of culture from one social group to another
contributes to cultural similarities between different societies
can be direct or indirect or sometimes forced
rate has increased lately as result of cross cultural communication (media, transportation)
Cultural competence
effective interactions between people from different cultures
cultural transmission
the process through which this information is spread across generations or the mechanisms of learning
social change
societies experience a change in state
can be subtle like development of new linguistic phrases, or radical like revolutions
Revolutions
transformative social changes
cultural lag
the “lag” of creation of new social rules when there are transformative social changes
Transition shock
When individuals experience changes that necessitate a period of adjustment
culture shock
When transition shock is the result of an individual being subjected to alternative cultures and foreign environments such as through leisure travel or permanent relocation
deeper emotions than homesickness
Challenges an individuals assumptions about their social surroundings
reverse culture shock
The same experiences of culture shock but upon an individuals return to their initial environment
Sociocultural evolution
A set of theories describing the processes through which societies and cultures have progressed over time
less concerned with evolution of human bodies but instead questions how human minds have evolved for us to succeed as beings with natural social tendencies
human population
the collection of people in a defined geographical area and refers to the number of people in the area
population studies
interested in demographic shifts
Why is the world as a whole experiencing a period of population growth predicted to continue for many decades?
Much of the growth attributed to advances in agricultural production and innovations in medicine contributing to changes in birth and death rates
overpopulation
When there are more people than can be sustained
What is the concern in societies experiencing population declines?
maintaining economic success
Carrying capacity
the total possible population that can be supported with relevant resources and without significant negative efffects in a given area
Population equilibrium
the point at which carrying capacity is met
population projections
estimates of future populations made from mathematical extrapolations of previous data
are based on birth rates, death rates, and migrations. doesnt consider unpredicted effects on population like catastrophes
what was the global population in 2011. What is it projected to be in 2050?
was 7 billion in 2011
predicted to be 9-11 billion
population pyramids
graphical illustrations in which population distributions (age, sex) are sometimes represented
creates age and sex specific groups (cohorts) using either total population or percentages
x axis represents population. y-axis separates men and women. tradition puts men on the left and women on the right.
creates a clear distinct shape that describes the social structure
can help predict population trends and determine the social needs for dependents (children, people of retirement age)
Crude Birth Rate (CBR)
the annual number of births per 1,000 people in a population
CBR <10 = low
CBR >20 = high
age specific birth rates
The annual number of births per 1,000 people in an age group
Age specific death rates
The annual number of deaths per 1,000 people in an age group
fertility
The ability of a woman to reproduce
The general fertility rate
The annual number of births per 1,000 woman in a population
total fertility rate
predicts the total number of births per single woman in a population
operates on the assumption that the woman experiences the current recorded age specific fertility rates and reaches the end of her reproductive life
more complicated measure
What are “childbearing years” ?
between ages 15-45
The replacement fertility rate
The fertility rate at which the population will remain balanced
Sub replacement fertility
Indicates that the birth rate is less than the death rate, thus the population size will not be sustained
The population-lag effect
refers to the fact that changes in total fertility rates are often not reflected in the birth rate for several generations as the result of population momentum
Population momentum
in this, the children produced during periods of higher fertility rates reproduce –> there are more women of reproductive age and thus more births overall, regardless of the number of births per woman
Why would we use fertility rates over crude birth rates?
Crude birth rates dont consider age or sex differences
Fertility rates offer a clearer idea of demographic trends
mortality
refers to the death rate in a population which also includes both general and specific measures
morbidity
refers to the nature and extent of disease in a population
The prevalence rate
measures the number of individuals experiencing a disease
Incidence rate
measures the number of new cases of a disease
case fatality rate
measures deaths as the result of a set diagnosis or procedure, sometimes specific to beginning or late stages
What is the current leading cause of death worldwide?
Ischemic heart disease
but varies if you look at location or different ages
What kind of relationship exists between a nations crude death rate and its gross domestic product (GDP)
An inverse correlation
Infant mortality rate?
the annual number of deaths per 1,000 infants under one year of age
rate is lowest in european countries
highest in subsaharan regions of africa
life expectancy
the number of years that an individual at a given age can expect to live at present mortality rates
global life expectancies can range from 36 to 79 years
what are factors contributing to decreased crude brith rates?
- access to contraception
- costs associated with raising a child
- social changes
What are the factors contributing to decreased crude death rates?
- improvements in agriculture
- medicine
- sanitation
migration
the geographical movement of individuals, families, or other small or large groups of people
distinct from other non permanent movement
nomadism
a traditional method of continuous travel in search of natural resources as a method of sustenance (hunting and gathering)
not considered migration because there is no intention to settle
External migration
also referred to as cross -border or international migration, involves migration to another nation
motivation for external migration is often more economic in nature as individuals pursue better opportunities such as education
voluntary migration
the result of internal factors (a personal decision)
Involuntary migration
or forced migration
the result of external factors that pose a threat to the individual in their initial environments and are often a form of social control such as ethnic cleansing
settlers
Those who migrate to unsettled areas
refugees
Those who migrate to settled areas as a result of displacement
Colonization
involves migration to settled areas in which dominance is exerted over the foreign state
Immigration
involves entering a new area and these people are called immigrants (can be either legal or illegal residents)
Emigration
involves leaving an old area and these people are called emigrants
reverse migration
or return migration
the return of individuals to their former homes
What did everett Lee do
hes a popular theorist
differentiated between the push and pull factors in migration
Push factors
those things that are unattractive about an area, and “push” people to leave
What are examples of push factors
- are often economic, political, or religious in form
- additional forms of prejudice and discrimination
- insufficient access to social resources
- destructive violence or natural disasters
- genocide
genocide
mass execution with the intention of eliminating a specific social group
Pull factors
things that are attractive about an area and pull people there
examples of pull factors
- positive opportunities for economic, political, or religious freedom and success
Internal migration
the movement between rural and urban areas
social geography
The spatial distribution of individuals and social groups is an interest of social geography