SOCIAL COMPONENTS: CHARACTERISTICS AND THEORIES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The social components relate to the structure of the population in a given space. That is, to their demographic characteristics: quantity, location, concentration, distribution, growth, composition, age groups, social mobility and migratory movements.

Social components often govern the configuration of social composition, which is nothing more than the way a society is organized, how its various parts fit together and work together.

Now, as the social components refer to demographic characteristics that underlie this social structure, it should be clarified that to speak of demography is to speak of the science of people.

In fact, the Oxford Dictionary of Economics defines demography as "the study of the characteristics of human populations." It is a positive science of 'what is', which is at the same time a normative science of 'what should be'. It studies the causes and effects of population problems and also suggests policy measures to solve them.

Social components studied by demography

The study of demographics covers the following:

1- Population size

Or total number of people residing in a defined area at a defined time. This aspect is important given the dynamic nature of this indicator.

Another important element of this point is that which refers to the birth and death rates.

Nations with low population growth tend to be more industrialized, such as the United States and Europe, while countries whose populations tend to grow steadily tend to be less industrialized, such as Africa and Latin America.

2- Population composition and density

It has to do with the proportion of sex, race and age of the human group, as well as the proportion of rural and urban population, the distribution of the population according to religion and language, the occupational distribution of the population, the agricultural and industrial structure per square kilometers.

For example, there are studies on the sex ratio (number of males per 100 females in a population). In most areas of the world, the gender ratio is less than 100 because women typically outlive men, except for those cultures that practice female infanticide.

Aspects such as these provide relevant data for sociological research or studies that attempt to shed light on the development possibilities or socioeconomic problems of a given area.

3- Migration

Whether internal or external, population migration has an impact on the migrants themselves, in the place they leave and in the space they arrive.

Migratory movements can be due to defined patterns (for example, the migration of some Europeans during winter to tropical areas to escape extreme cold), or to circumstantial events (such as natural disasters or armed conflicts between nations, for example).

There is also talk of involuntary migration, as in human trafficking, for example; and voluntary migration, such as the transfer of people from rural to urban areas.

4- Urbanization

Advantages, problems, characteristics and ways in which a territory is urbanized is another matter of concern within demographic studies or the social components of a given space.

5- Fertility and fecundity

Fertility refers to the number of children an average woman carries during her reproductive years, while fertility refers to the number of children an average woman is capable of raising, of raising.

While the world's average fertility rate is 3 children per woman, its fertility rate is 20 per woman. The highest fertility rate in the world (almost 6 children per woman) is in Africa, while the lowest is in Europe (around 1.5).

6- Mortality and life expectancy

It refers to the number of deaths per 1,000 people in a given country. Obviously it is an indicator that has a significant impact on the density of a population as well as its possibilities for growth and development.

The infant mortality rate (the number of deaths among children under 1 year of age for every 1,000 live births in a year), provides demographers with another measure that helps to understand other related variables, such as access to prenatal care, for example.

Generally, low infant mortality is correlated with longer life expectancy, which is the average life expectancy of the population of a society.

7- Population control or family planning

Since the world's population doubles, on average, every 35 years, certain governments regulate the number of births allowed per household.

This type of measure has defenders and detractors and usually affects both the growth of a population and its economic development indices, due to the possibilities of economic and labor independence that this situation may imply for women of productive age in a given territory.

Scientific theories around demography

Malthusian theory

Proposed by the English economist and clergyman, Thomas Robert Malthus, proposed that the uncontrolled increase in the population would result in social chaos with global famine included due to the limitations that would arise for food production, among others.

Demographic transition theory

It was born in contrast to the Malthusian theory and states that population growth responds to an alternate pattern of stability, rapid growth and then stability again.

Just in that third phase, that of the return to stability, it is suggested that technology is the key to population control.

It should be noted that, given the different and complex problems that have been associated with the population explosion on our planet, population studies are an urgent need common to many countries.

The social components identified in a given social structure are often interrelated and dynamically interdependent.

References

1. Cliffnotes (2016). Population and Demographic Variables. Recovered from: cliffsnotes.com.
2. Divisha S (2016). Demography: Meaning, Scope and Importance - Sociology. Recovered from: sociologydiscussion.com.
3. Hauser, P. (1959). Demography in Relation to Sociology. American Journal of Sociology, 65 (2), 169-173. Recovered from: jstor.org.
4. Jhonson Alana (2011). What are the major elements of the social structure? Recovered from: enotes.com.
5. Sociology Dictionary. Population. Recovered from: sociologydictionary.org.