Introductions - Critical Race Theory (CRT) & Postmodernism

Question 1

CRT - key tenet

Answer 1

• Focuses on fundamental significance of racialization within society
• This theory asserts that all knowledge is racialized and therefore, is filtered through a racialization lens
• Power and dominance are gained by those who possess or claim knowledge based on their skin tone
• Determines what ppl believe, feel & eventually how they behave
• Within Canadian context, power & dominance is owned through colonialism, hegemonic dominance of European/Western knowledge & thoughts

Question 2

CRT - George Sefa Dei

Answer 2

• States that race is a socio-political construction by which dominant groups can exercise power and control over those defined as “other”
• CRT examines the ways in which structural racism influences health and the production of knowledge about ppns, health, and health disparities
• Structural racism is enacted at institutional level & deeply embedded w/in social structures leads to (in)formal or (c)overt mechanisms; how are insitutions reinforcing racist ideologies rationalized furthering racism and discrimination of the colonial agenda

Question 3

Postmodern (Post-structuralism) - Origin

Answer 3

• Arose in the 1980s and reflects the diverse range of sociological perspectives
• As such, this makes it difficult to ascertain to ascertain key characteristics of the discipline

Question 4

Postmodern (Post-structuralism) - Definiton

Answer 4

• But for the most part, postmodernism is the rejection of universal truths about the world, and in similar fashion to Symbolic Interactionism, view reality as socially constructed
• Reflects rested interest of 1 of those groups that hold a max of power (knowledge is a claim to a truth that is subjective so not everyone can contribute)
• Since no perspective is useful, there are no universal structural determinants of social life; therefore, postmodernists focus on how truth claims about the world are socially constructed
• Rejects meta-narratives
• Discourse for ways of talking about, representing, and/or understanding phenomenon linked to institution

Question 5

Postmodern (Post-structuralism) - Critique

Answer 5

It neglects power & looks at reality constructed by those in power

Question 6

Meta-narratives

Answer 6

• Are the “big picture” analysis that frames & organizes observations & research on a particular topic

Question 7

Postmodern (Post-structuralism) - Michel Foucault

Answer 7

• French philosopher and social historian who studied hospitals in 18th C France
• Illustrated how the modern medical view made the body an object and referred to this process as the medical gaze
• Also known for his concept biopower, which is a term used to describe the ways in which medical knowledge holds power to control society and individual bodies
• In addition, Foucault states that health is a cultural fact that is tied to individual and collective consciousness

Question 8

Medical Gaze

Answer 8

Institutions hold power/knowledge which dictate how we understand the reality of our bodies and is used to be formal societal structure (morality put before illness)

Question 9

Biopower

Answer 9

Biopower used w threat of death now perpetuated by medical knowledge and is a form of social control (germs, diets/healthy nutrition, fluroride in water)

Question 10

Cultural fact

Answer 10

Our reality & understanding of it driven by socioculture. Sociologists critique what we think we know. How does Parson’s concept of the sick role compare to Michel Foucault’s biopower concept?

Question 11

Sociology of the body

Answer 11

• Body is not physical and has always been occupied
• Historically the body was separated from sociological inquiry
• At the forefront of sociology of the body paradigm: the body has always occupied a space in society, culture and behaviour and the central aspect of the body in relation to the human experience (to experience this you need a body (digital spaces included) is understanding issues involving embodiment

Question 12

Embodiment

Answer 12

Human experiment in society happens in the body (how bodies are seen, understood & acted on/out in society)

Question 13

The Nature vs Nurture

Answer 13

1. To understand human beings you need to understand biological nature
2. To understand human beings you need to understand how our social environment shape our behaviours
   In our modern society, North American culture separates the natural (the body) and the nurture (the social) and our job is to bring those together, otherwise, separate and social knowledge of dichotomy of body here and social there

Question 14

Pierre Bourdieu

Answer 14

• To understand society and behaviour is to overcome the dichotomy between mind and body
• Behaviour happens according to a preconscious logic of practice otherwise referred to in his work as the habitus
• For Bourdieu, these factors demonstrate the difference between social locations (facilities/socioeconomic status -> health behaviours & outcomes) through our bodies
• Social structures are embedded in our physical bodies

Question 15

Pierre Bourdieu - Two major facts

Answer 15

• Health practices are located in time and space, they change by context & personal experience
• Not all behaviours (phenomenon) are consciously or overtly consciously organized - we don’t have to actively think about what we’re doing
• We ‘feel for the game’ - we don’t really have to actively think about what we are doing

Question 15

Habitus

Answer 15

Embodiment of social locations & culture w/in the body & how we navigate beliefs, bodies & attitudes