MCAT Psych #11 Flashcards
sociology
the study of society: how we create society, how we interact with it, how we define what is normal and abnormal in society, and how we institutionalize these ideas.
macrosociology
focuses on large groups and social structure
microsociology
focuses on small groups and the individual
social structure
a system of people within a society organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships.
functionalism
the study of the structure and function of each part of society
View society as a living organism
Functions
• Function: the beneficial consequences of people’s actions. Functions help keep society in balance.
• Dysfunctions: harmful consequences of people’s actions as they undermine a social system’s equilibrium.
• Manifest Function: if an action is intended to help some part of a system.
• Latent functions: when manifest functions also have unintended positive consequences on other parts of society.
o Ex: meetings are to share information but they actually also create a stronger interpersonal bond between the group.
Sick individuals deviate from the norm of society and are filling a role as the sick individual who cannot benefit the society.
functionalism: function
the beneficial consequences of people’s actions. Functions help keep society in balance.
functionalism: dysfunction
harmful consequences of people’s actions as they undermine a social system’s equilibrium.
functionalism: manifest function
if an action is intended to help some part of a system.
functionalism: latent functions
when manifest functions also have unintended positive consequences on other parts of society.
o Ex: meetings are to share information but they actually also create a stronger interpersonal bond between the group.
conflict theory
based on the works of Karl Marx, focuses on how power differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order.
A formal coalition forming is an example of this: fighting for social power.
Power: a form of influence over other people
Can lead to the dominance of one group if it outcompetes the others.
symbolic interactionism
the study of the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols.
Symbols: things to which we attach meeting
Symbols are the key understanding to how we view the world and communicate with one another.
The symbols do not always match between cultures.
symbolic interactionism: symbols
things to which we attach meeting
social constructionism
focuses on how individuals put together their social reality
Reflects on how we as a society construct concepts and principles.
Social constructs arise from humans communicating and working together to agree on the significance of a concept or principle.
Social constructs can be anything: money, how we dress, how a society defines honor and justice, etc.
rational choice theory
focuses on decision making in an individual and attempts to reduce this process to a careful consideration of benefits and harms to the individual.
The individual carefully considers all of the possible rewards and punishments of each social interaction and chooses the option that has the highest benefit-to-harm ratio.
exchange theory
extension of rational choice theory, whereas rational choice theory can be applied to an individual independently of social interactions (what do I want for dinner), this theory focuses on interactions in groups.
Behaviors that are met with approval or disapproval will influence future behaviors.
feminist theory
: attempts to explain social inequalities that exist on the basis of gender.
Focuses on the subordination of women through social structures and institutional discrimination.
• Subordination can be gender roles, sexuality, financial opportunity, and social mobility.
Gender roles: the behaviors expected of a given gender.
Women are more often objectified that man, being seen as a sexual object rather than a person.
Glass ceiling: women have more difficulty getting promoted and attaining top-level administrative positions within a company.
gender roles
the behaviors expected of a given gender.
objectification of women by men
being seen as a sexual object rather than a person.
glass ceiling
women have more difficulty getting promoted and attaining top-level administrative positions within a company.
social institutions
well-established social structures that dictate certain patterns of behavior or relationships that are accepted as a fundamental part of culture.
What are examples of social institutions
family, education, religion, government and economy, healthcare and medicine
social institutions: family
Influenced by culture, value systems, beliefs, practices, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and others.
Patterns of kinship: change over time, what different family members are referred to as.
• Ex: in Hawaii, all family members are referred to as cousins.
Look at courtship and relationships between individuals and parenting.
Many different types of families.
Violence:
• Domestic violence: spousal abuse that involves physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse.
o #1 cause of injury to American women and usually associated with drug abuse and alcoholism.
• Elder abuse: neglect of an older relative, but can also be physical, psychological, and financial abuse as well.
• Child abuse: neglect, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
Physician is a mandated reporter: legally required to report suspected cases of elder or child abuse.
patterns of kinship
change over time, what different family members are referred to as.
• Ex: in Hawaii, all family members are referred to as cousins.
domestic violence
spousal abuse that involves physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse.
o #1 cause of injury to American women and usually associated with drug abuse and alcoholism.
elder abuse
neglect of an older relative, but can also be physical, psychological, and financial abuse as well.
child abuse
neglect, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
mandated reporter
legally required to report suspected cases of elder or child abuse.
physician is one
social institutions: education
systems that aim to arm the population with information.
Includes not only the information and cognitive skills students learn but also the hidden curriculum of transmitting social norms, attitudes, and beliefs to students.
Sociologists look at the type of education and education trends such as inflation and deflation.
Teacher expectancy: the idea that teachers tend to get what they expect from students.
• Self-fulfilling prophecy where if the teacher believes in the students then they are more likely to do better.
Education is susceptible to inequalities across social classes.
hidden curriculum
transmitting social norms, attitudes, and beliefs to students.
teacher expectancy
the idea that teachers tend to get what they expect from students.
• Self-fulfilling prophecy where if the teacher believes in the students then they are more likely to do better.
social institutions: religion
a pattern of social activities organized around a set of beliefs and practices that seek to address the meaning of existence.
Persists over time and has a structure where members are resocialized.
Religiosity: how religious one considers him or herself to be and includes strength of religious beliefs, engagement in religious practices, and attitudes about religion itself.
large umbrella religions (Christianity, Judaism), can be divided into multiple denominations or sects that share certain beliefs and practices but not others.
Church: a large, universal religious group that can be divided into multiple coexisting denominations.
Cult: when a religious sect takes on extreme or deviant philosophies.
Religion is struggling to find a place as religious practices are relaxing.
Secularize: move from a world dominated by religion toward rationality and scientific thinking.
Fundamentalism: maintenance of strict adherence to religious code.
religiosity
how religious one considers him or herself to be and includes strength of religious beliefs, engagement in religious practices, and attitudes about religion itself.
large umbrella religions (Christianity, Judaism), can be divided into multiple
denominations or sects
religious groups that share certain beliefs and practices but not others.
cult
when a religious sect takes on extreme or deviant philosophies.
secularize
move from a world dominated by religion toward rationality and scientific thinking.
religion: fundamentalism
maintenance of strict adherence to religious code.
social institutions: government and economy
: systemic arrangements of political and capital relationships, activities, and social structures that affect rule making, representation of the individual in society, rights and privileges, division of labor, and production of goods and services.
These impact all other institutions to some extent.
They can influence at the individual level
• Also they are interdependent: if the economy goes down, an individual might decide to vote for a different party or vote against a particular piece of legislation.
Different governments work in different ways:
• Democracy: allows every citizen a political voice, usually through electing representatives to office (representative democracy).
• Monarchies: include a royal ruler (king or queen), although the ruler’s powers may be significantly limited by the presence of a constitution or parliamentary system.
• Dictatorship: a system where a single person holds power, and usually includes mechanisms to quell threats to this power.
• Theocracy: a system where power is held by religious leaders
Charismatic authority: a leader with a compelling personality.
Comparative economics:
• Capitalist: focus on free market trade and laissez-faire policies, where success or failure in business is primarily driven by consumerism with as little intervention from central governing bodies as possible.
o A private owner or corporation maintains and profits from the success of the business.
o Division of labor: specific components are separated and assigned to skilled and trained individuals.
• Socialist: treats large industries as collective, shared businesses, and compensation is provided based on the work contribution of each individual into the system.
o Profit is then distributed equally to the workforce.
government and economy are ______
interdependent
economy goes down, might vote for a different political party
democracy
allows every citizen a political voice, usually through electing representatives to office (representative democracy).
monarchy
include a royal ruler (king or queen), although the ruler’s powers may be significantly limited by the presence of a constitution or parliamentary system.
dictatorship
a system where a single person holds power, and usually includes mechanisms to quell threats to this power.
theocracy
a system where power is held by religious leaders
capitalist economy
focus on free market trade and laissez-faire policies, where success or failure in business is primarily driven by consumerism with as little intervention from central governing bodies as possible.
o A private owner or corporation maintains and profits from the success of the business.
o Division of labor: specific components are separated and assigned to skilled and trained individuals.
socialist economy
treats large industries as collective, shared businesses, and compensation is provided based on the work contribution of each individual into the system.
o Profit is then distributed equally to the workforce.
charismatic authority
a leader with a compelling personality.
division of labor
specific components are separated and assigned to skilled and trained individuals.
social institutions: healthcare and medicine
aimed at maintaining or improving the health status of the individual, family, community, and society as a whole.
Goals in American healthcare:
• Increase access
• Decrease costs
• Prevention of disease rather than treatment
o Increased education of the public
• Life course approach to health: maintaining and considering comprehensive view of the patient’s history beyond the immediate presenting symptoms.
Sick role: the person is not responsible for the illness and was exempt from normal social roles.
• Nowadays people are expected to maintain their health through diet, exercise, and seeking help before it is needed.
Some illnesses are no longer considered illnesses: homosexuality
Medicalize: entities that are defined and treated as medical conditions.
Medical ethics:
• 1. Beneficence: the physician has the responsibility to act in the patient’s best interest.
• 2. Nonmaleficence: do no harm; the physician has the responsibility to avoid treatments or interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit.
• 3. Respect for patient autonomy: the physician has a responsibility to respect patients’ decisions and choices about their own healthcare.
o Some exceptions for those deemed incompetent but patients can refuse life saving therapies.
• 4. Justice: the physician has the responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care, and to distribute healthcare resources fairly.
focus on _____ of disease rather than ______
prevention
treatment
life course approach to health
maintaining and considering comprehensive view of the patient’s history beyond the immediate presenting symptoms.
healthcare and medicine: sick role
the person is not responsible for the illness and was exempt from normal social roles.
• Nowadays people are expected to maintain their health through diet, exercise, and seeking help before it is needed.
medicalize
entities that are defined and treated as medical conditions.
Ex: binge eating disorder
what are the four pillars of medical ethics
• 1. Beneficence: the physician has the responsibility to act in the patient’s best interest.
• 2. Nonmaleficence: do no harm; the physician has the responsibility to avoid treatments or interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit.
• 3. Respect for patient autonomy: the physician has a responsibility to respect patients’ decisions and choices about their own healthcare.
o Some exceptions for those deemed incompetent but patients can refuse life saving therapies.
• 4. Justice: the physician has the responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care, and to distribute healthcare resources fairly.
