Chapter 12 Flashcards
Outline the development of sociology of health and illness and describe its focus.
The sociology of health and illness emerged in the post-second world war era. This field of study, found both inside and outside academia, analyzes the social causes and consequences of health and illness.
Describe 4 phases in the epidemiological transition.
The epidemiological transition refers to changes in morbidity and mortality, from a predominance of infectious diseases to degenerative diseases. The first phase is characterized by famine, as well as epidemics of infectious and parasitic diseases. The second phase features a decline in these epidemics due to changing social conditions. In the third phase, infectious and parasitic diseases decline even further and degenerative diseases predominate. In the fourth phase of the epidemiological transition an increase in degenerative diseases is accompanied by the emergence of new diseases.
Identify the top causes of death in Canada today, and explain what the “actual” causes of death are.
The top 3 causes of death in women are cancer, heart disease, and stroke; whereas for men they are cancer, heart disease, and accidents. The top causes of death vary not only for women and men but also for people of different ages. The actual causes of death are tobacco use, alcohol misuse, and poor diet combined with physical inactivity.
Describe the patterns of tobacco use, alcohol misuse, diet, physical inactivity, and obesity in Canada, and describe their roles in morbidity and mortality.
Although only a small amount of Canadians smoke, most consume alcohol. Patterns of both vary on the basis of sex and age. Many Canadians do not consume enough of any food group except for the “other” group (sugars, fats). Only 15 % of adults and even fewer children engage in the minimum amount of recommended physical activity. The majority of adults are overweight or obese, as are almost one-third of children.
Outline the “fundamental” causes of illness, and describe how health and illness are affected by socioeconomic status and ethnicity.
The “fundamental” causes of health and illness lie in structures of social inequality. The 2 most significant fundamental causes are socioeconomic status and ethnic inequality. Morbidity and mortality are higher in groups of lower socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status also explains some of the variations in patterns of health and illness in Aboriginals populations and in recent immigrants. New immigrants are healthier than the Canadian born, but within 4 years this changes; discrimination and stress play significant roles.
Describe the evolution and objectives of the Canadian health care system, and identify the challenges it faces in contemporary society.
Health care systems have changed over time, from the systems of health care that existed in Aboriginal cultures to the rational-bureaucratic system of today. Medicare has 5 objectives: universality, portability, not for-profit administration, comprehensive coverage, and accessibility. Governments face the challenge of controlling the rapidly rising costs of healthcare (due, in part, to an aging population) while maintaining a high quality of care.
Explore how functionalists, interactionists, conflict theorists, feminist theorists, and postmodernists address health and illness.
Parsons was the first to theorize about health and illness, in terms of the sick role. Interactionist perspectives emphasize not the patterns of health and illness, but rather the experiences of health and illness, such as changing conceptions of self. Conflict theorists devote much of their attention to the inequalities that underlie social determinants of health, as well as the inherent contradiction between the profit motive and providing for the health of the population in capitalist societies. Feminist theorizing about health and illness is diverse, ranging from analyzing the credibility work that women with chronic pain must engage in to be taken seriously by health care professionals, to the (over) medicalization of women’s lives.
