Sociology: Social Structure and Demographics Flashcards
Social Structure Theories: Functionalism
When all parts of society fulfill their functions, society is in a normal state.
Types of functions: manifest (intended to help), latent (unintended consequences), dys- (harmful consequences)
Social Structure Theories: Conflict Theory
How are power differentials created, and how do they contribute to maintenance of social order?
Power is a form of influence over other people.
Social Structure Theories: Symbolic Interactionism
How do individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols?
Things to we attach meaning are the key to understanding how we view the world and communicate with one another.
Social Structure Theories: Social Constructionism
How do individuals put together their social reality? Abstract, physical.
Social constructs arise from humans communicating and working together to agree on the significance of a concept or principle.
Social Structure Theories: Rational Choice Theory
How do individuals make decisions? An attempt to reduce the process to careful consideration of benefits and harms to the individual.
They choose the option with the highest benefit-to-harm ratio.
Social Structure Theories: Exchange Theory (extension of rational choice theory)
How do groups interaction within?
Individuals carry out certain behavior because of anticipated rewards and avoid certain behavior because of anticipated punishments.
Social Structure Theories: Feminist Theory
How are womxn subordinated through social structures and institutional discrimination?
Gender roles (behaviors expected of a given gender), objectification, double standard of promiscuity, glass ceiling (womxn are less frequently promoted in workplace).
Social Institutions: Family
Patterns of kinship are not conserved across time and culture.
Abuse: domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse.
Social Institutions: Education
Hidden curriculum: transmit social norms, attitudes, beliefs to students. Susceptible to inequalities across SEC.
Social Institutions: Religion (name some relevant terms)
Religiosity: how religious one considers oneself to be. Strength of beliefs, engagement in practices, attitudes about religion itself.
Denominations/sects: share certain beliefs and practices, but not others.
Church: large, universal religious group that can be divided into multiple coexisting denominations.
Cult: religious sect that takes on extreme or deviant philosophies.
Social Institutions: Government (name 4 types)
- Democracy.
- Monarchy.
- Dictatorship.
- Theocracy.
Social Institutions: Economy (Capitalist vs. Socialist)
Capitalist: free market trade.
Socialist: collective, shared business.
Social Institutions: Healthcare and Medicine (name the 4 tenets of medical ethics)
- Beneficence.
- Non-maleficence.
- Respect for patient autonomy.
- Justice.
Demographic Shifts: Fertility, Mortality, Migration
Fertility rate: avg # of children born to a womxn during her lifetime in a population.
Mortality rate: # deaths in a population per unit time.
Migration rate: immigration minus emigration rate.
Demographic Shifts: Definition and 4 Stages of Demographic Transition
Def: change in birth and death rates in a country as it develops from preindustrial to industrial economic system.
Stages:
1. Preindustrial society: high birth/death rates.
- Improvements in healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, wages –> decrease death rates.
- Improvements in contraception, womxn’s rights, shift agriculture to industry –> increase birth rates. Children need education, longer support period –> families have fewer children.
- Industrialized society: low birth/death rates.
