Social Structure and Demographics

MCAT BEH Ch. 11

functionalism

focuses on the function of each component of society and how those components fit together. Two main outcomes are manifest and latent functions.

latent function

unexpected, unintended, or unrecognized positive consequence of manifest functions

manifest function

deliberate actions that serve to help a given system

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 ways individuals interact through shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols

social constructionism

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

rational choice theory

individuals will make decisions to that maximize potential benefit and minimize potential harm; exchange theory is this applied 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 social institutions include family, education, religion, government, the economy, health, and medicine.

beneficence

acting on the patients’ best interest

nonmaleficence

avoiding treatments for which risk is larger then benefit

respect for autonomy

respecting a patient’s rights to make decisions about their own healthcare

justice

treating similar patients similarly and distributing healthcare resources fairly

culture

lifestyle of a group of people and includes both material and symbolic elements

symbolic culture

includes the ideas associated with a cultural group

material culture

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

cultural lag

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

cultural barrier

social difference that impedes interaction

language

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

gender

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

gender inequality

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

race

a social construct based on phenotype difference 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 every day life

sexual orientation

one’s sexual interest toward group members of the same or different genders

immigration

movement into a new geographic area

emigration

movement away from a geographical area

fertility rate

average number of children born to a women in a given lifetime

birth rate

relative population size over time, usually measured in number of births per 1000 people per year

mortality rate

average number of deaths per population size over time, usually number of deaths per 1000 people per year

migration

movement of people from geographical location to another

demographic transition

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

Stage 1: pre-industrial society where birth and death rates are high so stable population

Stage 2: economic progress improves healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, and wages which decreases death rates and increases population

Stage 3: improvements of contraception, women’s rights, and agriculture cause birth rate to drop and population BEGINS to level off

Stage 4: industrialized society where birth and death rates are low so constant population

social movements

organized to promote (proactive) or resist (reactive) social change

globalization

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

urbanization

process of dense areas of population creating a pull for migration or creating cities