Social Structure and Demographics Flashcards
the study of society: how we create society, how we interact within and change society, and how we define what is normal and abnormal within society
sociology
provide frameworks for the interactions we observe within society; models to help analyze and explain aspects of human social behavior
theoretical approaches to sociology
theoretical approach to sociology:
focuses on the function of each component of society and how those components fit together
functionalism
functionalism:
deliberate actions that serve to help a given system
manifest function
functionalism:
unexpected, unintended, or unrecognized positive consequences of manifest functions
latent functions
theoretical approach to sociology:
focuses on how power differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order
conflict theory
theoretical approach to sociology:
the study of the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols
symbolic interactionism
theoretical approach to sociology:
explores the way in which individuals and groups make decisions to agree upon a given social reality; how groups of people come to ascribe meaning or value to objects or concepts
social constructionism
theoretical approach to sociology:
states that individuals will make decisions that maximize potential benefit and minimize potential harm
rational choice theory
applies rational choice theory within social groups
exchange theory
theoretical approach to sociology:
explores the ways in which one gender can be subordinated, minimized, or devalued compared to the other
feminist theory
well-established social structures that dictate certain patterns of behavior or relationships and are accepted as a fundamental part of culture; common ones include the family, education, religion, government and the economy, and health and medicine (has four ethical tenants)
social institutions
ethical tenant of American medicine:
refers to acting in the patient’s best interest
beneficence
ethical tenant of American medicine:
refers to avoiding treatments for which risk is larger than benefit
nonmalificence
ethical tenant of American medicine:
refers to respecting patients’ rights to make decisions about their own healthcare
respect for autonomy
ethical tenant of American medicine:
refers to treating similar patients similarly and distributing healthcare resources fairly
justice
encompasses the lifestyle of a group of people and includes both material and symbolic elements
culture
culture:
includes the physical items one associates with a given group, such as artwork, emblems, clothing, jewelry, foods, buildings, and tools
material culture
culture:
includes the ideas associated with a cultural group
symbolic culture
refers to the idea that material culture changes more quickly than symbolic culture
cultural lag
a social difference that impedes interaction
cultural barrier
consists of spoken or written symbols combined into a system and governed by rules
language
what a person deems important in life
values
something a person considers to be true
belief
a formalized ceremonial behavior in which members of a group or community regularly engage; it is governed by specific rules, including appropriate behavior and a predetermined order of events
ritual
societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior
norms
refer to the statistics of populations and are the mathematical applications of sociology; one can analyze hundreds of ____ variables, some of the most common are age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and immigration status
demographics
demographic:
prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person’s age
aegism
demographic:
the set of behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with a biological sex
gender
the intentional or unintentional empowerment of one gender to the detriment of the other
gender inequality
demographic:
a social construct based on phenotypic differences between groups of people; these may be either real or perceived differences
race
demographic:
a social construct that sorts people by cultural factors, including language, nationality, religion, and other factors
ethnicity
recognition of an ethnic identity that is only relevant on special occasions or in specific circumstances and does not specifically impact everyday life
symbolic ethnicity
demographic:
can be defined by one’s sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes
sexual orientation
demographic:
the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime in a population
fertility rate
demographic:
births relative to a population size over time, usually measured as the number of births per 1000 people per year
birth rate
demographic:
the average number of deaths per population size over time, usually measured as the number of deaths per 1000 people per year
mortality rate
refers to the movement of people from one geographic location to another
migration
migration:
the movement into a new geographic area
immigration
migration:
the movement away from a geographic area
emigration
demographic:
a model used to represent drops in birth and death rates as a result of industrialization
demographic transition
demographic:
organized to either promote (proactive) or resist (reactive) social change
social movements
demographic:
the process of integrating a global economy with free trade and tapping of foreign labor markets
globalization
demographic:
refers to the process of dense areas of population creating a pull for migration or, in other words, creating cities
urbanization
