ch 19 - Demography and Urbanization Concepts

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and terms related to demography, urbanization, and environmental sociology.

Demography

The study of populations.

Crude Birth Rate

Statistical measures representing the number of births within a given population per year, calculated as the number of births per 1000 members.

Fertility

The average number of live-born children produced by women of childbearing age in a particular society.

Crude Death Rate

The number of deaths that occur annually in a given population, normally calculated as the ratio of deaths per 1000.

Mortality

The number of deaths in a population.

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of infants who die during the first year of life, per 1000 births.

Life Expectancy

The number of years the average person can expect to live.

Life Span

The maximum length of life that is biologically possible for a member of a given species.

Exponential Growth

The rate of population growth that accelerates as the population increases.

Doubling Time

The time it takes for a particular level of population to double.

Demographic Transition Theory

Theory showing how birth and death rates are related to stages of industrial development.

Second Demographic Transition

A new demographic model that predicts that fertility rates will continue to fall due to shifts in family structure.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of people of dependent ages (children and older adults) to people of economically active ages.

Urbanization

The movement of the population into towns and cities and away from rural areas.

Inner City

The central neighborhoods of a city, distinct from the suburbs, often subject to decay.

Ghetto

A place where a racial or ethnic group initially comes to live as a consequence of systematic exclusion from more desirable places.

Urbanism

Term used to denote distinctive characteristics of urban social life, such as impersonality.

Created Environment

Environment made up of constructions established by humans to serve their needs.

Collective Consumption

Concept referring to the processes of urban consumption, such as the buying and selling of property.

Global City

A city that has become an organizing center of the new global economy.

Conurbation

An agglomeration of towns or cities into an unbroken urban environment.

Megalopolis

Term referring to very large conurbations, derived from the ancient Greek term for 'City of all cities'.

Megacities

Large, intensely concentrated urban spaces that serve as connection points for the global economy.

Aging

Phenomenon where many rural areas have disproportionately high numbers of older adults as younger people seek opportunities elsewhere.

Suburbanization

The development of suburbia, which are areas of housing outside inner cities.

Gentrification

Process where older, deteriorated housing is renovated as more affluent groups move into an area.

Urban Renewal

Process of renovating deteriorating neighborhoods using public funds.

Anthropocene

Term referring to the current geological epoch, where human activities profoundly alter many geologically significant conditions and processes.

Environmental Justice

The study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their natural environments.

Food Security

Access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets the needs for an active and healthy life.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Malthusianism

A doctrine about population dynamics where population increase comes up against 'natural limits', such as famine or war.

Geoengineering

Large-scale interventions in the Earth's natural systems to counteract climate change.