Chapter 2: Macro-Social Influences

Question 1

Define GDP

Answer 1

Gross domestic product

• A measure of economic output and the value of goods and services produced for final consumption
• It also indicates the welfare of a country or state
• GDP looks at inequality BETWEEN countries

Question 2

Define inequality

Answer 2

The size of the gap between the most wealthy and the most poor
- Inequality looks at inequality WITHIN countries

Question 3

Define the term Macro-Social

Answer 3

large scale, social, economic, political, and cultural forces that influence life course of passes of people simultaneously

Question 4

GDP Map reveals…

Answer 4

Global wealth is distributed as we would think

• High = NA, Europe…
• Low = Africa, South America

Question 5

Infant Mortality Map reveals….

Answer 5

Issues like availability of infrastructure, peace and conflict, and access to health care can influence health
- High = Africa

Question 6

Infant Mortality Rates and Inequality Graph reveals…

Answer 6

The line tells us that there are more babies dying in countries with more inequality

• Countries ABOVE the line are ABOVE AVERAGE – meaning that more babies are dying for their level of inequality than at the average. Canada is above the line. The USA is way above the line.
• Countries BELOW the line are BELOW AVERAGE – meaning that fewer babies are dying for their level of inequality than at the average. At the low inequality end Sweden and Japan are well below the line. At the high inequality end we see Singapore

Question 7

Life expectancy and inequality graph reveals….

Answer 7

Countries with high income inequality have lower life expectancy

Question 8

Life expectancy and GDP graph reveals…

Answer 8

There’s no line because there’s no significant relationship between GDP and life expectancy
- GDP looks are inequality BETWEEN countries = it’s about whether across all Canadians there’s a relationship between how much we have and our health outcomes

Question 9

inequality and social problems overall graph reveals….

Answer 9

There is a very strong relationship between the level of inequality in a country
- What country you live in, and the level of inequality in that country, seems to have a great impact on many many social outcomes = So it’s not all about choice.

Question 10

Is economic inequality growing?

Answer 10

Yes

Question 11

Define epidemiology

Answer 11

Concern with distribution of disease and death and their determinants and consequences

Question 12

Describe a communicable disease vs. a non-communicable disease

Answer 12

Communicable: Disease/illness that may spread from one to another
- Ex. HIV

Non-Communicable: Disease/illness that cannot spread from one to another
- Ex. Cancer, heart attacks, strokes

Question 13

Define Epidemiological Transition

Answer 13

Reduction of communicable diseases and increase of non-communicable diseases

Question 14

What is the dominant health ideology?

Answer 14

The belief that health is the result of making ‘healthy choices’ and thus a person is responsible for their own health
- This presumes that we have free choice and self determination

Question 15

Define Responsible Consumer

Answer 15

Person who is an active processor of info and knowledge concerning health and illness - They make rational decisions and responsible choices to optimize wellbeing e.g. drink, exercise, etc. in moderation

Question 16

Is a growing population good or bad?

Answer 16

Malthus Basic Theory

• Bad
• We will reach a point of crisis when we run out of resources

Question 17

Challenges with interventions for populations

Answer 17

Targeting certain races

• Ex. Indigenous peoples
• Wrap with care… save the polar bear

Question 18

What are the macro-social factors?

Answer 18

• Culture includes our values, norms, and common practices
• Economics includes taxes, health care, public services, etc.
• Laws includes what health services we have access to (e.g., end of life support, medical marijuana, etc.)
• Morals includes the generally accepted ideas of right and wrong
• Psycho-social factors include gender differences, social support, ethnic factors, discrimination & prejudice

Question 19

Define eugenics

Answer 19

The study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population, especially by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics)
- Ex. All women with HIV

Question 20

Describe the Jane Finch Community

- define food desert & corporate globalization

Answer 20

• Located in North-West Toronto
• Jane-Finch is home to over 150, 000 people, 75% of whom are visible minorities
• 39% of the residents in Jane-Finch are classified as low income

Socially constructed environment
- Food desert: an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food

Corporate globalization:

• When corporate interests are used to push public health agendas and policies
• There is no evidence that the involvement of private corporations in public policy is actually beneficial for the public (i.e. populations)

Question 21

What is intersectionality?

Answer 21

a concept that highlights the way oppressive institutions such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc. are interconnected

Question 22

Define stigma

Answer 22

Unfavourable reactions towards people when they are perceived to possess attributes that are denigrated.

• Involves a pattern of discrediting, discounting, degradation and discrimination, directed at stigmatized people
• Being multiply stigmatized ~ Intersectional oppression

Question 23

Intersectional Oppression Video….

Answer 23

What is Privilege?

• You can read certain aspects which leads to discrimination but you cannot always see it (ex. Being queer)
• Often people who are privileged are unaware vs. people who are not privileged seem to know where they stand