Social Structure & Demographics

Question 1

What are the 3 assumptions of symbolic interactionism ?

Answer 1

-Humans act toward symbols based on the meanings those symbols carry
-Symbols meanings come from social interaction
-Humans interpret symbol meaning, which then influences action
(Con: overlooks macro-level structures)

Question 2

Any idea that has been created & accepted by the people in a society is known as ?

Answer 2

Social construct

Question 3

The idea that humans will make rational choices to further their own self-interests is known as ?

Answer 3

Rational choice (exchange) theory
*Also known as social exchange theory or just exchange theory

Question 4

What is conflict theory the study of & what all does it consist of ?

Answer 4

Study of conflict between powerful & “powerless” groups

• Originated from Karl Marx
• Capitalist (bourgeoisie) class: control means of production
• Worker (proletariat) class: performs manual labour
• Interest groups can form from the “powerless” masses

Question 5

The idea that the different groups in a society work together in an unconscious way to maintain ‘equilibrium’ is based on which theory ?

Answer 5

Structural-functionalism

• Manifest function: intended consequence of actions of a group
• Latent function: unintended but beneficial consequences
• Dysfunctions: negative consequences of specific groups/interactions

Question 6

What are the 6 major social institutions ?

Answer 6

1. Family
2. Education
3. Religion
   - Religiosity: how religious a person considers themselves to be
   - Secular: moving away from religion
   - Fundamentalism: maintaining religious beliefs
4. Government
5. Economy
6. Healthcare & Medicine

Question 7

What are the different types of government ?

Answer 7

Democracy: allows citizens a political voice
Monarchies: limited to royal ruler & legislative body
Dictatorship: single person holds power
Theocracy: power held by religious leaders

Question 8

How do capitalist & socialist economies contrast ?

Answer 8

CE focus on free market trade & laissez-faire policies (encourages division of labor), while SE treats large industries as shared businesses (profit distributed equally)

Question 9

What are the 4 key tenets of medical ethics ?

Answer 9

1. Beneficence
2. Nonmaleficence
3. Patient Autonomy
4. Justice

Question 10

Considering an individual’s age & cumulative life experiences when analyzing their personal aspects is known as ?

Answer 10

Life course approach/ life course perspective

Question 11

The ratio between the # of dependents not in the workforce to those who are is known as?

Answer 11

Dependency ratio

• Youth ratio: # of people under 15/# of people aged 15-65
• Age dependency ratio: # of people over 65/# of people aged 15-65

Question 12

The interplay between various demographic factors and how those factors leads to discrimination or oppression is known as ?

Answer 12

Intersectionality

Question 13

What factors does demographic shifts consist of ?

Answer 13

Fertility rate: avg # of children born to a woman in her lifetime in a population
Birth rate: children per 1000 people per year
Mortality rate: # of deaths per 1000 people in a population per year
Migration rate: Immigration - emigration rate

Question 14

What are the 4 stages of demographic transition theory ?

Answer 14

Stage 1: birth & death rates high (pre-industrial society)
Stage 2: Death rates decrease due to economic progress
Stage 3: Birth rates begin to drop due to educational advancements
Stage 4: Birth & death rates both low
*Stage 5: birth rate drops below death rates & results in decrease of population