Connecting Sociology and YOU!

Chapter 15: Social Change and Social Movements

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collective behaviorunplanned and unstructured behavior engaged by large groups of people.

deindividuationa loss of individuality,

mob mentalitychaotic and aggressive behavior engaged in by groups of people

fada craze or behavior quickly adopted by large groups of people that then fades rapidly in popularity

moralpanica condition or event that is defined as being a physical or societal threat

 contagion theoryunconventional behaviors resulting froma crowd infected with illogical and irrational beliefs

convergence theory, where crowds form due to like-minded individuals coming together.

emergent norm theory, where members of the crowd serve as a reference group as new norms emerge that legitimize the behavior as appropriate

urbanizationthe process, and the development of urban areas 

Gemeinschafta close-knit community characterized by personal and mutual bonds

Gesellschafta large urban area characterized by formal and impersonal relationships

mechanical solidaritysocial cohesiveness based on similar beliefs, values, and experiences within simple traditional societies, and organic solidaritysocial cohesiveness based on the division of labor and individualization in complex industrial societies,

rural areasparsely populated with less than 1,000 people per square mile

urban area, densely developed residential, commercial, and other nonresidential areas?

urbanismthe study of culture and lifestyles of urban dwellers

megacitiesa city with 10 million or more in the population

carrying capacitythe numbers of people a geographic location or the earth’s ecosystems can support without deterioration

Demographythe statistical study of births, migration, aging, and death in relation to population dynamics

mortalitythe frequency of death in a population

infant mortality ratethe number of deaths of children less than one year of age per 1,000 births

fertility ratethe average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime

replacement level fertilitythe average number of children born per woman to replace themselves and their partner without migration

crude birth ratea formula to determine the number of live resident births for a specific location and time period

population growththe increase in the number of people in a population.

neo-Malthusian theorya view proposing population control programs to ensure resources for current and future populations,

life expectancythe statistical average number of years a person is expected to live

graying of Americathe rise in the percentage of elderly in the U.S. that creates structural challenges for families, government, and the economy

global agingthe rise in the percentage of elderly in developed countries and the accompanying economic and world order effects

old-age dependency ratiothe number of people 65 and older per 100 working-age people 15-64

push factorsconditions that encourage people to leave their native land

pull factorsconditions that encourage people to relocate to a new homeland 

refugeesindividuals who leave their homeland to escape violence and war 

social movementa collective effort by segments of society to enact social change in order to attain a particular goal