Social Structure and Demographics (11)

Theoretical approaches

provide frameworks for the interactions we observe within society.

Functionalism

focuses on the function of each component of society and how those components fit together.

Manifest functions

deliberate actions that serve to help a given system

Latent functions

unexpected, unintended, or unrecognized positive consequences of manifest functions.

Conflict theory

focuses on how power differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order.

Symbolic interactionism

the study of the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols.

Social constructionism

explores the ways in which individuals and groups make decisions to agree upon a given social reality.

Rational choice theory

states that individuals will make decisions that maximize potential benefit and minimize potential harm

Exchange theory

applies rational choice theory within social groups.

Feminist theory

critiques the institutional power structures that disadvantage women in society.

Social institutions

well-established social structures that dictate certain patterns of behavior or relationships and are accepted as a fundamental part of culture. Common examples of this include the family, education, religion, government and the economy, and health and medicine.

Four

There are _____ key ethical tenets of American medicine.

Beneficence

refers to acting in the patients best interest.

Nonmaleficence

refers to avoiding treatments for which risk is larger than benefit.

Respect for autonomy

refers to respecting patients’ rights to make decisions about their own healthcare.

Justice

refers to treating similar patients similarly and distributing healthcare resources fairly.

Culture

encompasses the lifestyle of a group of people and includes both material and symbolic elements.

Material culture

includes the physical items one associates with a given group, such as artwork, emblems, clothing, jewelry, foods, buildings, and tools.

Symbolic culture

includes the ideas associated with a cultural group.

Cultural lag

refers to the idea that material culture changes more quickly than symbolic culture.

Cultural barrier

a social difference that impedes interaction.

Language

consists of spoken, signed, or written symbols combined into a system and governed by rules.

Value

what a person deems important in life.

Belief

something a person considers to be true.

Ritual

a formalized ceremonial behavior in which members of a group or community regularly engage. It is governed by specific rules, including appropriate behavior and a predetermined order of events.

Norms

societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Demographics

refer to the statistics of populations and are the mathematical applications of sociology. One can analyze hundreds of these variables; some of the most common are age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and immigration status.

Ageism

prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person's age.

Gender

the set of behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with a biological sex.

Gender inequality

the intentional or unintentional empowerment of one gender to the detriment of the other.

Race

a social construct based on phenotypic differences between groups of people; these may be either real or perceived differences.

Ethnicity

a social construct that sorts people by cultural factors, including language, nationality, religion, and other factors.

Symbolic ethnicity

recognition of an ethnic identity that is only relevant on special occasions or in specific circumstances and does not specifically impact everyday life.

Sexual orientation

can be defined by one's sexual interest toward members of same or different genders.

Immigration

the movement into a new geographic area.

Emigration

the movement away from a geographic area.

Fertility rate

the average number of children born to a woman over a lifetime in a population.

Birth rate

relative to a population size over time, usually measured as the number of births per 1000 people per year.

Mortality rate

the average number of deaths per population size over time, usually measured as the number of deaths per 1000 people per year.

Migration

refers to the movement of people from one geographic location to another.

Demographic transition

a model used to represent drops in birth and death rates as a result of industrialization.

Social movements

are organized to either promote or resist social change.

Proactive

promote

Reactive

resist

Globalization

the process of integrating a global economy with free trade and tapping of foreign labor markets.

Urbanization

refers to the process of dense areas of population creating a pull for migration or, in other words, creating cities.