Introduction to Sociology Applied to Medicine Flashcards
Definition of sociology
Study of human social behavior such as the social dynamics of small groups of people, large organisations, institutions and societies
Definition of social sciences
Study of society and how people behave and influence the world around us
Definition of social integration
Sense of belonging within a group or society
Definition of social regulation
Implicit/explicit rules governing behavior
Definition of egoistic suicide
Suicide as a result of not enough social integration
Definition of altruistic suicide
Suicide as a result of too much social integration where the individual is less important than society
Common during wartime
Definition of anomic suicide
Suicide as a result of not enough social regulation
Often in major socioeconomic change (Great Depression, Wall Street Crash)
Definition of fatalistic suicide
Suicide as a result of too much social regulation
Often in prisons
Definition of ethnographic study
Qualitative method where researchers interact with a study participant in real life environment
Often used in social study
Definition of institutionalisation
Loss of social identity, adoption of roles and routines prescribed by asylum
Definition of macro levels
Societal workings
Includes inequality, gender, ethnicity
Definition of meso levels
Organisational working
Includes trusts, units
Definition of micro levels
How people act and interact
What is sociology
Why is it useful
Study of all the aspects of human social behavior including the social dynamics of small groups, large organisations, communities and societies
Understanding these principles => improved lives via more effective policies
What 5 systems can be studied in sociology
Economic systems Political systems Class systems Health systems Family systems
The interaction of people within systems is studied
What is a social science
What are the 5 divisions of social science
Study of society and how people behave and influence the world around us
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Political sciences
- Psychology
What is the difference between sociology and psychology
Sociology
-look at social groups, organisations and influence of wider SE/political structures
Psychology
-personally, motivation and behavior of individuals
What were Durkheim’s sociological findings in suicide
Suicide rates varied by country and social groups -lower in Catholics than Protestants -higher in males than females -higher in unmarried lower in war than peace
What are the 2 main social factors that led to suicide
Social integration
Social regulation
What were the 4 types of suicide due to social factors
Egoistic
Altruistic
Anomic
Fatalistic
What was Durkheim’s conclusion on suicide
A sociopsychological problem
Social factors can influence overall rates of suicide
What did Goffman want to do regarding asylums
Wanted to study and experience what being a psychiatric patient in an asylum was like via an ethnographic study
What were Goffman’s sociological findings in asylums
Institutionalisation found among patients
-loss of social identity, adopted roles and routines prescribed by asylum
Asylum provides needs for all patients for long time frame
All treated alike in ‘batch processing’
No rehabilitation or effort to return patients to normal life
V little free will
What was Goffman’s conclusion on asylums
Led to the questioning of medical practices
Rise of community psychiatry
Debate on how to treat mental illness
Important to investigate the patient’s perspective
What are the 3 levels of medical sociology
Macro level
Meso level
Micro level
What can you study on a macro level
-how does morbidity differ between different SES, ethnicities and genders
Societal level
- Poorer people have higher levels of morbidity
- Patterns and morbidity levels differ between ethnic minorities and white population
- gender differences in morbidity/mortality
What can you study on a meso level in a medical context
Organisational level and how their operation influences health care delivery and outcomes
How we deliver medical education
What kind of doctors do we produce
What can you study on a micro level in a medical context
Personal level and how they act and interact in different contexts and situations
- professional patient interactions
- patient experiences
- patient compliance/adherence
