Social Demographics Flashcards
Define globalization
The process by which tangible (products) and intangible (values,ideas) material spread across the globe, due to technological advancement & communication
World Systems theory
economic theory of globalization that views the world as a global economy where some countries benefit at the expense of others
Differentiate between core nations and periphery nations
Core - wealthy, strong economy, strong government; lead global market in exporting goods
Periphery - poor, weak economy, rely on exporting resources & cheap labor, exploited by core nations
What is a demographic shift?
A change in the makeup of a population
over time as measured by demographic factors such as age, population size, diversity, etc.
What is demography?
The study of population statistics & how different factors affect population change over time.
Malthusian theory of demographics
T. Malthus said eventually people would run out of resources to sustain the rapidly growing population.
Resource growth - linear
Pop. growth - exponential
What are positive checks & preventative checks according to Malthusian theory?
Positive checks - checks which increase death rate and decrease the lifespan of humans; war, famine, epidemics
Preventative checks - checks which decrease birth rate/fertility rate; abortion, contraception,
Zero population growth theory
Posits that human population is moving rapidly toward complete environmental collapse due to pollution, etc.
Advocates for 0% pop. growth.
Cornucopian theory
Asserts that human ingenuity can resolve any environmental or social issues that develop
“Humans will find a way”
Define fertility/fecundity rate.
The avg # of children born to each women in a given population. (also known as birth rate)
Total fertility rate
Avg # of births per woman in her lifetime
Define crude birth rate.
Number of live births in a given year for every 1,000 people in a population.
Population sample is random, made of both males & females
General fertility rate
Number of live births per year for every 1000 women of child-bearing age
Age specific fertility rate
The annual # of births per 1000 women of a specific age group.
Ex: Finding fertility rate in a group of 1000 women who are age 30.
What is the strongest predictor of fertility rate?
Educational attainment of women; higher levels of education = lower fertility rate
Crude mortality rate
The total number of deaths per year per 1000 people.
Total mortality rate
Number of deaths in a year in a given population
Age-specific mortality rate
Types of population pyramids, which show the direction a population is moving
What factors contribute to globalization?
Free trade between nations, economic
interdependence, ease of travel, and access to tech
What does the demographic transition model do?
It’s a model which explains how industrialization and urbanization affects a nation’s population size
What is the relationship between population growth & industrialization + urbanization?
They are inversely related; as industrialization progresses, population size decreases (bc of low birth rates)
Stages of demographic transition model
- Preindustrialization: birth & death rates high, pop. growth slow
- Industrialization occurs –> death rates drop, pop. growth increases rapidly & access to more food/medicine
- Society urbanizes - birth rates decline due to contraception access, but pop. size is stationary
- Developed society - birth & death rate low
- Very develop society - birth rate becomes very low, so pop. size decreases
What social changes can result from globalization?
-Civil unrest due to global inequality that people in poor economies are aware of
-Terrorism
What causes urbanization to decline?
If the urban cities get too populated, more people start to move out to suburban areas.
Process is called suburbinization.
Gentrification
When members of the upperclass enter and renovate city areas that have been historically less affluent, essentially driving up prices, so that the poor can’t afford to live there anymore.
3 major perspectives on globalization
Hyperglobalization perspective, skeptical perspective, transformationalist perspective
Hyperglobalization Perspective
Globalization is a major new epoch in human history, national boundaries will be dissolved.
Skeptical Perspective
Globalization is now fragmented/regionalized, it hasn’t really occurred
Transformationalist perspective
Globalization may be occuring, but how to measure it and its outcomes is unknown
Immigration vs Emigration
Immigration - movement into a nation/region
Emigration - movement out of a nation/region
What are the two types of factors causing migration?
Push factors: aspects of a society that encourage emigration
Pull factors: aspects of a society that attract immigrants in
Example of push factors
Low wages, low standard of living, poor economy, war, lack of employment, religious persecution
Example of pull factors
Higher wages, political freedom, higher standard of living, security
Define social movement
A broad alliance of people connected through a shared interest in either stopping or creating social change
What is a potential cause for social movements?
Relative deprivation - the feeling of disadvantage that arises when individuals compare themselves to others & feel they possess relatively fewer resources and privileges
What are SMOs?
Social movement organizations - formal often nonprofit organizations that constitute a sub-component of a certain movement
-Don’t always have same views on issues
4 different social movements
Reformative, revolutionary, alternative, redemptive
How to organize a social movement:
- Idea emerges
- Individuals coalesce - develop strategy/tactics
- Bureaucratise - develop procedures/rules
- # of different paths such as mainstreaming social movement, repression of movement
- Social movement declines
What is frame analysis?
A concept which posits that new vales, new meanings and understandings are required to understand and support social movements/changes
Differentiate tactic and strategy
tactic - action to achieve a specific end
strategy - action to achieve major overall aim
Confrontational vs. peaceful tactics
Confrontational - sit-ins, blocking access, property damage, violence
Peaceful - mass demonstrations, political lobbying
What are the major sociological approaches to aging?
Calculating dependency ratio
This is the ratio of unproductive (unable to work) members in society to working age members
Define relative deprivation.
It is the state of a person feeling discontent because they believe they are entitled to something yet are being deprived of it.
Deviance can arise due to this.
