Social Structure and Demographics (CH11) Flashcards
The study of the structure and function of each part of society.
Functionalism (AKA Functional Analysis)
Harmful consequences of people’s actions as they undermine a social system’s equilibrium (or functionalism).
Dysfunctions
Refers to the beneficial consequences of people’s actions.
Function
What are two types of functions?
- Manifest Function
2. Latent Function
If an action is intended to help some part of a system.
Manifest Function
If an action is unintentionally positive on other parts of society.
Latent Function
Based on the works of Karl Marx, focuses on how power differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order.
Conflict Theory
What are some theoretical appraches in social structure?
- Functionalism
- Conflict Theory
- Symbolic Interactionism
- Social Constructionism
- Rational Choice and Exchange Theory
- Feminist Theory
The study of the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols.
Symbolic Interactionism
Focuses on how individuals put together their social reality (arise from humans communicating and working together to agree on the significance of a concept or principle; ex. ethics, acceptable dress and gender roles).
Social Constructionism
Focuses on decision-making in an individual and attempts to reduce this process to a careful consideration of benefits and harms to the individual (independent).
Rational Choice Theory
Posits that an individual will carry out certain behaviors because of anticipated rewards and will avoid certain behaviors because of anticipated punishments.
This is an extension of rational choice theory, except here there is a focus on interactions within a group.
Exchange Theory
Attempts to explain social inequalities that exist on the basis of gender.
Feminist Theory
Refers to behaviors expected of a given gender.
Gender Roles
This is when women are less frequently promoted in the workplace and may have more difficulty attaining top-level administrative positions within a company.
Glass Ceiling
Transmitting social norms, attitudes and beliefs to students.
Hidden Curriculum
Refers to the idea that teachers tend to get what they expect from students.
Teacher Expectancy
When society moves from a world dominated by religion toward rationality and scientific thinking.
Secularizes
Maintenence of strict adherence to religious code.
Fundamentalism
A system where power is held by religious leaders (many of these leaders have charismatic authority).
Theocracy
The physician has a responsibility to act in the patient’s best interest.
Beneficence
Do no harm; the physician has a responsibility to avoid treatments or interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit.
Nonmaleficence
The physician has a responsibility to respect patients’ decisions and choices about their own healthcare.
Patient Autonomy
The physician has a responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care, and to distribute healthcare resources fairly.
Justice
Refers to the statistics of populations and are the mathematical applications of sociology.
Demographics
Prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person’s age.
Ageism
Refers to the definition or establishment of a group as a particular race (ex. Judaism = Jewish Race).
Racialization
Posits that racial identity is fluid and dependent on concurrent political, economic, and social factors.
Racial Formation Theory
Describes a specific connection to one’s ethnicity in which ethnic symbols and identity remain important, even when ethnic identity does not play a significant role in everyday life.
Symbolic Ethnicity
The average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime in a population.
Fertility Rate
Adjusted to a certain population size over a specific period of time and multiplied by a constant to give a whole number.
Crude Rate
Positive attributes of the new location that attract the immigrant.
Pull Factors
Negative attributes of the old location that encourage the immigrant to leave.
Push Factors
Refers to changes in birth and death rates in a country as it develops from a preindustrial to industrial economic system.
Demographic Transition
This theory focuses on how the exponential growth of a population can outpace growth of the food supply and lead to social degradation and disorder.
Malthusian Theory
Are organized to promote or to resist social change.
Social Movements
The process of integrating the global economy with free trade and the tapping of foreign markets.
Globalization
Refers to dense areas of population creating a pull for migration.
Urbanization
