Chapter 11: Social Structure and Demographics

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

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

individuals will make decisions that maximize potential benefits and minimize potential harm

Exchange theory

applies rational choice theory within social groups

Feminist theory

explores the ways in which one gender can be subordinated, minimized, or devalued comapred to the other

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 are the family, education, religion, government, and the economy

Four key ethical tenets of American medicine

\-Beneficence

\-Nonmaleficence

\-Respect for autonomy

\-Justice

Beneficence

acting in the patient's best interest

Nonmaleficence

avoiding treatments for which risk is larger than benefit

Respect for autonomy

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

social difference that impedes interaction

Language

consists of spoken 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

formalized ceremonial behavior in which members of a group or community regularly engage. 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; common variables are age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and immigration status

Ageism

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

Gender

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

Gender inequality

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

Race

social construct based on phenotypic differences between groups of people

Racial formation theory

posits that racial identity is fluid and dependent on concurrent political, economic, and social factors

Ethnicity

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

defined by one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes

Immigration

movement into a new geographic area

Emigration

movement away from a geographic area

Fertility rate

average number of children born to a woman during her 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

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

Migration

refers to the movement of people from one geographic area to another

Demographic transition

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

Malthusian theory

exponential growth of a population can outpace growth of the food supply and lead to social degradation and disorder

Social movements

organized to either 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, in other words, creating cities