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Changing U.S. Demographics 19

demographic profile for the county in which you currently reside. Be sure to collect

the following information:
1. Total population
2. Age distribution
3. Sex distribution

4. Ethnic and racial composition
5. Educational level
6. Socioeconomic characteristics

a. Family incomes
b. Occupational categories
c. Estimated level of unemployment
d. Poverty ratios
7. Health characteristics

a. Vital statistics (numbers and rates of births and deaths)

b. Incidence and prevalence of diseases (morbidity)
c. Leading causes of death (mortality)

8. Any other data you consider important for understanding the population in your
county.

KEY TERMS
Demographic shift Ethnicity Race

NOTES

1. The term demographic shift refers to statistical changes in the socioeconomic
characteristics of a population or consumer group. Typical characteristics
examined are age, income, gender, occupation, education, family size, and simi-
lar descriptive variables (Lopez, 1999).

2. Note that more than one term may be used to refer to a particular population
group. For instance, although some people prefer the term African American,
others prefer the term black. Similarly, although some prefer the terms Latino
and Latina, others prefer the term Hispanic and yet others prefer to list the name

of their country first (for example, Salvadoran American ). This chapter uses
the terms used by the U.S. Census Bureau, including Hispanic, both African

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