Exam 1

Question 1

Medical Sociology

Answer 1

The study of social causes of health and illness and the operation of the healthcare system (social causes to sickness)

Question 2

Health

Answer 2

physical, social, mental well being and not merely the absence of disease

Question 3

Social Environment

Answer 3

our background/position in society

Question 4

Sociology’s Major Themes

Answer 4

1. Sociological Perspective
2. Social inequality (wealth/resources)
3. Social institutions (behavioral groups)

Question 5

Sociological Imagination

Answer 5

understanding social reality that places personal experiences within a broader social and historical context.

Question 6

Theoretical Traditions

Answer 6

1. Functionalism (social institutions support society)
2. Conflict Theory ( individuals and groups with wealth, power, etc dominate society
3. Symbolic Interactionism (how individuals act with other individuals)

Question 7

Low Birth Weight

Answer 7

less than 5.5-5.8 pounds at birth
common for premature babies
social factors can include poor nutrition, substance habits, mental health, etc all from positionality

Question 8

Upstream Factors

Answer 8

factors in the social environment that influence health and illness (social class, race and ethnicity, gender)
Zola drowning river - makes mores sense to stop people from falling in the river altogether than saving them
learn to prevent it>learn to treat it (wouldn’t have to be treated if no one had it)

Question 9

Social Constructionism

Answer 9

idea that reality is socially constructed- many things just exist because people decided they do so there is really no object basis

Question 10

Research Methods in Medical Sociology

Answer 10

1. Surveys
2. Qualitative Research
3. Experiments
   4.. Criteria of Causality

Question 11

Surveys

Answer 11

very common
random samples can be generalized (less expensive and less time than interviewing 400 of the same results)
non random samples (useful for ansers from certain groups)
useful for gathering information on people’s opinions

Question 12

Qualitative Research

Answer 12

more in depth and personal research
very truthful and detailed understanding
not usually random- researches have more of an idea of what they are looking for and go looking for it rather than finding out answers

Question 13

Experiments

Answer 13

less common because of safety, ethics, and practicality

Question 14

Criteria of Causality

Answer 14

satisfies and legitimizes the research
1. Initial relationship between dependent and independent variables (must be related)
2. Causal order (even if variables are related they may not affect each other)
3. Spuriousness (exists only because a third variable (antecedent) is affecting both variables)
4. No Better Explanation (might just be a coincidence)

Question 15

Karl Marx 1818-1883

Answer 15

Macro
Theory: Conflict
Setting: Vineyard
Description: Men, women, and children of all ages toiling in the vineyards under harsh
conditions while being monitored by the managers who focused on profits
Key Terms: 1. Society divided into haves and have nots, 2. Exploitation is systemic in society, 3. There is a struggle for scarce and limited resources

Question 16

Emile Durkenheim 1858-1917

Answer 16

Macro
Theory: Functionalist
Setting: Village
Description: There was harmony among the people in the village and the stores all served a function. Previously several stores burned down and created disharmony and the villagers had to travel a great distance to purchase supplies.
Key Terms: 1. The parts in society serve distinct functions, 2. Parts in society are interdependent, 3. Society is like a living organism

Question 17

George Herbert Mead 1863-1931

Answer 17

Micro
Theory: Symbolic Interactionism
Setting: Meadow
Description: An account of a couple in a meadow going through the courtship phases leading to marriage.
Key terms/concepts: 1. A focus on day-to-day interactions, 2. Language, symbols, and patterns help us understand society, 3. Social meaning arises through the process of social interactions.

Question 18

You have an encounter with Cheyanne, who is Native American, 53 years-old,
overweight, and smokes. You ask her, “How are you?” She answers, “I am healthy as can
be.”
Describe what “healthy” means in this context

Answer 18

As healthy as she can be, having a good day, optimistic, lots of answers

Question 19

You have an encounter with Collin, who is Caucasian, 24 years-old, a triathlete, vegan,
and regularly meditates. You ask him, “How are you?” He answers, “Not too healthy at
the moment as I have this nagging injury that is slowing down my training for the next
triathlon.”
Describe what “healthy” means in this context.

Answer 19

Since he is pretty healthy this one thing is affecting him because by comparison its bad etc

Question 20

Sociological Imagination Doctor Burnout

Answer 20

Kind of a Marxist perspective- overworked and dehumanizing as long as they are making morals throwing away the soft human underneath is fine because thats where priorities are to succeed for profit unlike every other country and preventable deaths happening like oh well

Question 21

Social Constructionism Doctor Burnout

Answer 21

all of the doctors leaving
it’s bad but we all collectively just went “thats the way it is”
the publicity would lose money (personal rather than public which I guess would go against all the social constructionism stuff)
changes will happen if we use our collective power