Social Structure and Demographics Flashcards
life course approach
how multiple aspects come together to make up your life
incorporate personal life, individual choices, and socioeconomic culture impact health and illness
sick role
when someone is sick, they don’t have to follow the normal social roles
ex: not going into work while sick
illness experience
incorporating your illness into your self-identity and daily routines
patient autonomy
patients should have choice of their own healthcare
religiosity
how religious you consider yourself
church
large universal religious group that is divided into multiple coexisting denominations
sects
groups of a church that have separated from main church to form a more pure religion
fundamentalism
following strict religious codes
secularizes
moving away from religion and more towards rational, scientific thinking
modernization
religion importance decreases with increases industrialization
McDonaldization
increased efficiency, quantity, standardization, and control at the cost of individualization, quality, and skilled workforce
Malthusian theory
the growth of population will exceed food supply
ethnography
studying people in their own environment
content analysis
looking at texts and images in communication
hidden curriculums
in the classroom there are things you are suppose to learn and there are things that you learn along the ride
ex: learning about social norms and attitudes in school while also learning about knowledge
teacher expectancy
when a teacher expects less from a student, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy
demographic transition
transition of a society from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates
demographic transition stage 1
preindustrial societies
death and birth rates are high
population growth is slow
demographic transition stage 2
society industrializes
death rates drop as medicine and food become available and sanitation increases
demographic transition stage 3
society urbanizes
birth rates decline as contraception becomes more available
demographic transition stage 4
birth and death rates are low
population growth is slow
demographic transition stage 5
hypothetically, low birth rates lead to decreased population
vertical mobility
movement from one social level to one higher or lower by either changing jobs or marrying
urbanization
movement from rural to cities
social stratification
system of inequality in society where individuals are grouped in hierarchal social categories that have different access to resources, opportunities, and life outcomes
caste system
individual social status is ascribed by birth
social groupings are rigid and social mobility is very difficult
class system
individual social status is at least partially met through merit
social groupings are flexible, social mobility is possible
material culture
physical items valued by society
ex: clothing, tools, computers
symbolic culture
non-material aspects of a society used to communicate and covey meaning
ex: folklore, values, and laws
cultural transmission
passing of information from older generations to younger generations
ex: learning to cook traditional meals
cultural diffusion
spreading of culture from one group to another
ex: how US now celebrates cinco de mayo
gentrification
renovation or redevelopment of lower income neighborhoods that occurs with influx of wealthier individuals to the area
means that lower income individuals are usually kicked out because can’t afford to live there anymore
social epidemiology
focuses on how social factors influence health of an individual or population
includes structural factors: war, immigration, economy
social factors: neighborhoods, community, social networks
individual factors: genetics, behaviors, age, race/ethnicity
Preventative checks
part of malthusian theory
things that decrease the birth rate (having fewer children)
Positive checks
part of malthusian theory
increase the death rate, slowing population growth by shortening the average life span (epidemic that wipes out half the population)
Malthusian catastrophes
dramatically reduce the population to a level that the available resources can easily sustain by slowing or stopping population growth entirely
ex: large-scale wars, the freaking COVID pandemic, widespread famine
microsociology
focuses on how interpersonal interactions build and shape society
ex: might look at how the interactions between child and parent affect the child’s idea of self worth when they are older
macrosociology
focuses on the broad, society-wide institutions (education, economics, and health care systems) and large-scale events that impact the lives of individuals
ex: how the college you go to will influence your way of thinking about politics
