Lecture # 1 The Biopsychosocial Model, Society, and Culture Flashcards
Biomedical Approach
Focuses narrowly on the physical aspects of illness
BPS Approach
Illness cannot be understood by biological aspects alone. It must be understood by first, understanding illness is determined by a variety of influences, rather than a single cause. Second, the causes and effects of illness can be examined at multiple levels in the life of an individual. (No single level provides the entire picture)
Social Constructionism
Human actors construct or create “reality,” rather than discovering a reality that has inherent validity. In this view, the beliefs and shared understandings of individuals create social realities.
Symbolic interactionism
related to social constructionism, but on a smaller scale; perspective states that through social interactions, individuals develop shared meanings and labels through symbols- terms, concepts, or items that represent specific meanings by accepted conventions. FLAW: leaves out larger levels of society
Social Functionalism
States that factions of society works together to maintain stability. Claims that society, like an organism, is a system that consists of different components working together.
Conflict Theory
related to social functionalism; views society in terms of competing groups that act according to their own self interests, rather than according to the need for societal equilibrium. States that social groups naturally collide because of their interests, and that society changes overtime due to continual competition for resources and power.
What does social functionalism and conflict theory not account for?
Does not account for social life on small scales.
Culture
All the beliefs, assumptions, objects, behaviors, and processes that make up a shared way of life.
Material Culture
Refers to objects involved in a certain way of life (products manufactured, tools used, art made, etc): discovered by an archaeologist
Non-material Culture
Refers to elements of culture that are not physical. (Shared Ideas, knowledge, assumptions, values, and beliefs): discovered by someone living with a different culture.
Social norms
What behavior is acceptable within a group.
Social group
a subset of a population that maintains social interactions.
Symbolic Culture
Type on non-material culture that consist of the elements of culture that have meaning only in the mind. (rituals, gestures, objects, handshakes, etc.)
Society
two or more individuals living together in a community and/or sharing elements of culture.
Social institutions
hierarchical systems that bring order to interpersonal interactions, structuring society.
Demographics
Statistics used to examine the nature of a specific population by quantifying subsets of that population. (age, gender, race, etc.)
Demographic Transition
a demographic change that takes place over time.
Cohort Study
Following a subset of a population over time
Period Study
Examining a phenomenon during a specific period of time.
Social movement
A group of people who share an ideology and work together toward a specified set of goals.
Globalization
The increasing amount of interaction and integration on the international scale through the exchange of products, services, ideas, and information.
Social inequality
The unequal distribution of opportunities of opportunities or treatment of individuals within a society based on various demographic categories.
Spatial inequality
the unequal access to resources and variable quality of life within a population or geographical distribution.
Global inequality
disparities between regions and nations in aspects such as GDP, natural resources, access to health care, and types or amounts of work available.
Environmental justice
the equal treatment of all people regardless of race, gender, or other social grouping with regard to prevention and relief from environmental and health hazards.
Residential inequality
social inequality on the local scale; the separation of demographic groups into different neighborhoods.
Social Class
category of social inequality; a system of stratification that groups members of society according to similarity in social standing.
Power
Influence
Privilege
Someone who has power and opportunity over those who lack privilege.
Prestige
The relative value assigned to something within a particular society.
People in higher social classes tend to have the three big P’s…
Power, Prestige, and privilege.
Upward mobility
Moving up the class system; achieved through education, marriage, and career or financial success.
Downward mobility
Moving down the class system; occurs as a result of unemployment or underemployment, reduced household income due to divorce, lack of education, or health issues.
Intragenerational mobility
upward or downward mobility in one generation
intergenerational mobility
upward or downward mobility in subsequent generations.
meritocracy
a society in which advancement is based solely on the abilities and achievements of the individual.
Cultural capital
The set of non-monetary social factors that contribute to social mobility. (dress, accent, vernacular, manners, education, cultural knowledge, and intellectual pursuits.)
Social capital
“Who you know” An individual’s social networks and connections that may confer economic and/or personal benefits.
Social reproduction
The transmission of social inequality from one generation to the next.
Poverty
an insufficiency of material goods, monetary wealth, and access to resources.
Social isolation/exclusion
termed used to describe the lack of resources and opportunity among people who live in poverty.
Absolute Poverty
describes a lack of essential resources such as food, shelter, clothing and hygiene
Relative Poverty
describes social inequality in which people are relatively poor compared to other members of the society in which they live.
Healthcare disparity/inequity
Refers to differences in health and healthcare that occur between groups of people.
