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Chapter 3: How Populations are Structured (Biological Structure: Age and…
Chapter 3: How Populations are Structured
Biological Structure: Age and Sex
A population's sex structure is made up of 2 sub aggregates.
Females
Males
The age structure is the combination of the several special sub aggregates.
Cohorts
Sex Structure and Some Comparisons:
SR = (M/F) x 100
This ratio is especially sensitive to the age of a population.
The younger the population, the higher the ratio.
Age Structure and Population Pyramids:
Requires a special kind of bar graph or histogram
Graphical representation of the age structure of a population
Combines age and sex structures
Allows us to view simultaneously the relative numbers of men and women and the relative sizes of cohorts
Proportional and Average Ages:
There are several other ways to measure age structure.
These measures are referred to as averages.
Mean age
Median age
Age that divides a population's age structure into two equal parts
Dependency Ratio:
The # of unemployed people who must be supported
Consists of the younger and older population
Also reveals an abundance of information about the relative well-being of the populations
Sociocultural Structure: Subpopulations and Strata
The biological structures of gender and age apply virtually all populations.
The set of structures are more or less distinctly human.
Membership in sub aggregates is closely associated with one's standard of living.
Through a process of indirect causation, the sociocultural sub aggregates to which one belongs affect demographic characteristics such as birth and death rates.
Especially true for people with certain ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic status
The Constitutes of Population: Marriage and Family, Ethnicity and Race
Social Differentiation
Marriage & family structure and ethnicity & race
Qualitative Differences
Social Stratification
Occupation and income wealth
Inequality between groups
Ethnicity
Separates members of the general population into aggregates and subpopulations
Also include a dimension of ranking, or inequality
The structures formed according to such criteria are referred to as stratification systems.
The aggregates are known as strata.
This metaphor suggests a structure that is hierarchal.
Issues in the Classification of Race
Race and ethnicity proved to be the most difficult to measure
They are also the most politically controversial of all the social structural variables.
Cultural Assimilation
An increasing group uses the language and adopts the customs of another
Ethnic Structure and Change in the United States
Ethnic Stratification
One ethnic's group membership makes a considerable difference in the things that count.
Members of the five statutory categories differ from one another not only in terms of ancestral origins but also with respect to values, beliefs, and other subcultural characteristics.
These groups are also significantly unequal in standards of living
Life chances
Max Weber referred to these as life styles.
Class and Income Differentials
The former are statuses with which we're born or that befall us through no will of our own.
The latter result from concerted effort: getting an education, pursuing a career, and the like.
Ascribed characteristics vs. Achieved characteristics
Achieved characteristics: occupation and income
Ascribed characteristics: race and ethnicity
Occupation
Bureau of Labor Statistics collects and analyzes information on employment
The main determinant of a person's socioeconomic class membership
More effect on their life styles and life chances than any other set of factors
Wealth and Income
Possibly the most important stratification criteria
Closely related concepts, but not identical
Of the two, wealth is clearly the more significant in determining life styles and life chances.
Income refers to money that is regularly received
Wealth is the sum total of all valuables possessed
Est. of a person's net worth focuses on wealth instead of income
Savings, holding, and investments: land, shares of stock, precious metals and gems