Health Inequalities and Third Sector

Question 1

What is sociology?

Answer 1

The study of the development, structure and functioning of human society

Question 2

How can medical sociology be applied to the health field?

Answer 2

Sociology studies people’s interactions with those engaged in medical occupations e.g. healthcare professional-patient relationships
Sociology studies the way people make sense of illness e.g. illness vs disease
Sociology studies the behaviour and interactions of health care professionals in their work setting e.g. professional values, interactions between health care professionals and other health care staff

Question 3

What are some examples of the application of sociology to healthcare?

Answer 3

Sociology of the medical profession
Health promotion
The sick role
Social class

Question 4

What are the 9 classifications in the NS-SEC?

Answer 4

1. 1. Large employers and higher managerial and administrative occupations
2. 2. Higher professional occupations
3. Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations
4. Intermediate occupations
5. Small employers and own account workers
6. Lower supervisory and technical occupations
7. Semi routine occupations
8. Routine occupations
9. Never worked and long term unemployed

Question 5

What is the definition of social/socio-economic influences on health?

Answer 5

The collective set of conditions in which people are born, grow up, live and work

Question 6

What are the social/socio-economic influences on our health?

Answer 6

Gender
Ethnicity
Physical environment / housing
Education
Employment 
Income / social status / financial security
Health system
Social environment

Question 7

What are three ways in which gender affects health?

Answer 7

Men have a higher mortality at every age
Women have a higher morbidity
Women consult more frequently in General Practice settings