Differential Mortality, General and Cause-Specific in Buffalo, 1939–41

DEMOGRAPHIC phenomena provide the social scientist with relatively precise and objective data. Research shows such phenomena closely related to social and cultural factors. Age, nativity, race, sex and socio-economic status relate to mortality [2, 5] the relation varying with the cause of death [1, 8, 9]. This paper presents further evidence of variation of demographic phenomena with socio-economic status. It summarizes highlights of a study [12] undertaken to combine and retest previous methodological and substantive findings concerning mortality in a metropolis. It presents for the city of Buffalo, New York: (1) differentials in mortality from all causes; (2) cause-specific mortality differentials, and (3) infant mortality differentials.