STUDY UNIT 16: Understanding the sociology of population, population growth and population processes

Question 1

define social demography

Answer 1

(social demography,
the scientific study of the size, composition, distribution, density and growth of
populations and of the causes and consequences of changes in these aspects)

Question 2

what are the 3 population processes

Answer 2

mortality (deaths)
Mortality refers to deaths occurring in a population.

Fertility
refers to births occurring or the reproductive performance of individuals,
couples and populations.

Morbidity refers to illnesses, diseases, injuries
and disabilities in a population.

migration.
Migration refers to the movement of people
across a specified boundary (such as a national border) with the intention of
establishing a home (a temporary or a more permanent type of residence) in
the place of destination.

Question 3

what factors affect longevity

Answer 3

standard of
living, health care interventions into preventable disease, hazards created
through pollution, et cetera. How much control we exercise over nature (our
socioeconomic infrastructure) and how much we exercise over ourselves
(our social lifestyle) have an influence over our risk of death

Question 4

what does infrastructure of society refer to

Answer 4

infrastructure of society refers to the distribution of wealth
and reflects the extent to which water and milk are purified, children are
vaccinated against diseases, rodents controlled, waste eliminated, and
food, shelter, clothing and acute care and medical assistance are made
available to all members of society

Question 5

what factors of longevity affect us at micro level

Answer 5

Lifestyle factors that expose us to the risk of mortality are things like
excesses in fatty foods, salt, alcohol, tobacco, drugs and lack of exercise

Question 6

comment on fertility

Answer 6

the ability to reproduce
and when they do this they usually make a distinction between the biological
and social components of fertility. They look at the actual reproductive
performance and the physiological ability of a woman to reproduce as well
as the social meanings attached to these processes.

Question 7

distinguish between biological and social replacement

Answer 7

Biological replacement refers to the self-evident fact that a population
can only survive if new members are produced. Social replacement, from
a purely structural functionalist point of view (you will remember that we
discussed structural functionalism in study units 4 and 8) can be taken to
refer to socialisation processes intent on producing new, cooperating group
members.

Question 8

define fecundity

Answer 8

Fecundity refers to the physiological ability to reproduce offspring.

Question 9

define Sterility

Answer 9

Sterility is the inability to conceive or to produce a child. Lifetime sterility is also
called primary sterility

Question 10

define Secondary sterility

Answer 10

Secondary sterility is the inability to conceive or to maintain pregnancy after
having successfully done so in the past.

Question 11

what is the social factor regarding fertility

Answer 11

The social component of fertility includes economic, cultural, religious
and social factors that influence and shape people’s attitudes towards
childbearing

Question 12

discuss migration

Answer 12

Migration leads to an
increase in the population of the area of destination and a decrease of the
population in the area where the migrants come from (the area of origin).

mobility process affects the composition of the population in both areas
of origin and destination in terms of national origin, ethnicity, age, gender,
educational levels and so on