Sociology Case

1. What are age cohorts and how do demographers use age cohorts to examine changes in populations? From the population pyramids shown in figure 15.1 in the textbook compare your own age cohort ( in more developed nations) with the same age cohort from less developed nations. Discuss the sociological implications for the differences you find.

Age cohorts are people of about the same age who are passing through life's stages together. In my own age cohort in developed countries, the norm is that we are wives or mothers and very very educated. In less developed countries the norm is that my age cohort which is 32-35 are transitioning through life and living in poor conditions. The social implications are that the "baby boom" cohorts, which were produced by rapid increases in the birthrate from about 1945 through the early 1960s, have profoundly influenced American society.

2. Are you a member of the baby boom, a part of the baby boom "echo," or something else? Whatever the case, what have been the cohort effects on your life?

A sizable proportion of the children of the baby boom generation are members of minority groups. A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom .The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context, and sometimes used to describe someone who was born during the post-WWII baby boom. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even within a given territory. Different groups, organizations, individuals, and scholars may have widely varying opinions on what constitutes a baby boomer, both technically and culturally. Ascribing universal attributes to a broad generation is difficult, and some observers believe that it is inherently impossible. Nonetheless, many people have attempted to determine the broad cultural similarities and historical impact of the generation, and thus the term has gained widespread popular usage. The United States Census Bureau considers a baby boomer to be someone born during the demographic birth boom between 1946 and 1964. The Census Bureau is not involved in defining cultural generations. I would consider myself a member of the baby boom echo but not the baby boom. The cohort effects on my life are less optimistic, distrust of government, and general cynicism.

3. It is common knowledge that the life expectancy of North American women exceeds that of their male counterparts. Why is this so and is this pattern changing? Explain.

By life expectancy we mean the average number of years a member of a given population can expect to live beyond his or her present age. Life expectancy is the expected (in the statistical sense) number of years of life remaining at a given age. Women generally outlive men, and researchers are exploring the reasons why. In modern times men typically suffer more stress as they feel a drive to provide for their family. They become more prone to unhealthy choices and the body being worn down by stress and bad diets further reduces their chances of living longer. As people age,