MIDTERM 1 (Until Feb 8th) Flashcards
Who coined the term sociology?
Auguste Comte
He believed this new discipline could bring together all of the sciences to benefit society overall
Why was Comte inspired by the idea of sociology?
Because he lived in a time of rapid social change (1798 - 1857)
Define society
the largest-scale human group that shares a common geographic territory + common institutions
ex. Quebec has an overall different society than the rest of Canada
What does society require?
SOCIAL INTERACTION among members
*remember that social interaction happens in patterned ways
ex. replying to “how are you” in any other way besides doing well, you break the social pattern!
Do social patterns change over time or stay the same?
They change!!
ex. COVID –> not normal to shake hands when greeting someone during the pandemic
What is a culture?
a system of behaviour, beliefs, knowledge, & practices, values and materials
ex. our culture effects how we dress
What is the difference between dominant culture and counter culture?
Dominant culture = able to impose it’s values, beliefs, and behaviours on a given society because of it’s political and economic power
VS
Counter culture = group that rejects certain elements of the dominent culture
ex. anti-consumerist (against excessive purchasing and consumption of material) possessions
What are subcultures?
They differ from dominant cultures, but don’t really oppose the dominant culture like counter cultures do
*minor differences in occupational groups
ex. a lawyer’s daily routines + values could differ drastically compared to a plumber
What’s the difference between high culture and popular culture?
High culture = a culture of societies eliete (ex. opera)
VS
Popular (or low) culture = the culture of the majority (ex. rap/pop)
What is the sociological immagination?
the ability to see larger differences between individuals + society as a whole.
**seeing the relationship between PERSONAL TROUBLES and larger PUBLIC ISSUES
What is agency?
an individual’s ability to make choices for themselves
What are the 3 things sociologists aim to do?
- Try to see general themes in everyday life
- They seek to assess critically what seems familiar and common sense
- They examine how individuals both shape society and are shaped by society
What is a main reason why studying sociology can be challenging?
Because ITS SO FAMILIAR
What did Paul Berger say about sociology?
“finding the general in the particular”
What did Durkhiem’s arguments focus on?
they focused on differentiating sociology from philosophy and psychology
Who was one of the main sociologists to have sociology present in universities?
Durkhiem
What is Durkhiem’s idea of social facts?
social facts = the external social structures, norms, and values that shape individuals actions
What are some main takeaways from Durkhiem’s study on suicide?
- he argued that psychology (ex. depression) cannot explain suicide alone
- he began looking at an individual’s decision to die from suicide across groups of people
- argued that there are 4 types of suicide (fatalistic, altruistic, egoistic, anomic)
Explain what the 4 types of suicide are
- Fatalistic = occurs when individuals are kept under tight regulation - individuals are placed under extreme rules/expectations which removes a person’s sense of self or individuality (ex. Slavery or prosecution - feel that they are destined by fate to be in such conditions and choose suicide as the only means of escaping the conditions)
- Altruistic = occurs when social group involvement is too high - individuals are so well integrated into the group that they are willing to sacrifice their own life in order to fulfil some obligation for the group. (ex. suicide bombers)
- Egotistic = stemming from the absence of social integration - committed by individuals who are social outcasts and see themselves as being alone/an outsider.
- Anomic = stems from a lack of social regulation and from sudden and unexpected changes in situations. (ex. when individuals suffer extreme financial loss, committing suicide as a means of escaping the stress)
What do research questions focus on?
the relationship between 2 variables
Independent vs. dependent variables
Variables = are any construct that can take on different values (that can very)
Independent: the ones that AFFECT other variables
Dependent: affected BY independent variables
What is quantitative research and what are examples of quantitative methods?
Quantitative research = focuses on things that can be COUNTED/MEASURED
Types of quantitative methods:
- surveys
- experiments
What is qualitative research and what are examples of qualitative methods?
Qualitative research = tends to examine a smaller # of cases in more detail and emphasizes social process
Type of qualitative methods:
- interviewing
- participant oberservation (also known as ETHNOGRAPHY)
What is the difference between content analysis and focus groups?
Content Analysis = studying documents (ex. newspapers, historical letters, tweets, texts, etc.)
VS
Focus Groups = interviews conducted with larger groups of people
What is the World Health Organizations definition of health?
“a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being”
Break down the 3 components of health
- Physical
- functioning of the body
- short term (ex. cold, food poisoning) and long term (ex. arthritus) illnesses
- acute (severe and begin quickly) & chronic (slower to develop)
**society typically thinks of physical illness when thinking of health because its easier to SEE and DIAGNOSE - Mental
- related to ones ability to cope with the regular problems and issues that come up in one’s life
- what is considered “normal” mental health differs between people - Social
- research shows that the more integrated an individual is with others and institutions in society, the more healthy they will be.
Is it beneficial to look at medical and sociological perspectives on health?
YES! It helps to look at both to generate a deeper understanding
What is the main thing sociologists are interested in when it comes to health?
How and why different groups of people have different health outcomes and try to find larger social solutions to health problems within a population.
ex.
- poorer people tend to have much worse health than richer people
What type of sociologist is Talcott Parsons?
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALIST (sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability)
What is the sick role? Who created the concept?
Idea by Talcott Parsons
He was interested in how illness can disrupt the usual social cohesion that characterizes society
SICK ROLE = the patterns of behaviour that a sick person adopt in order to minimize the disruptive impact of illness
What are the 3 opinions by society associated with the sick role?
- We don’t blame the person for being sick
- A sick person is not held personally responsible and entitled to certain rights and privileges (exempt from normal responsibilities)
- A sick person is expected to take steps to regain health
What is the worlds most deadly INFECTIOUS disease?
Tuberculosis (TB)
* if left untreated, 50% of those people in those cases die
Health sociologists argue that we also have to look at the social forces and economic factors that lead to the high rates of TB in specific areas (such as INDIA)
What is meant by “poverty sustains TB and TB ensures poverty”?
- TB is much more likely to spread in poor housing conditions (why it’s so common with Indigenous communities)
**think about the lecture where prof was talking about TB in residential schools because the housing and overall health conditions were so awful
How does social class effect health?
- social class specifically has a major effect on children (more $$ can provide an environment and resources that foster good health)
EXAMPLES:
- live in neighbourhoods with parks
- buy healthy foods
- live in good housing conditions (no mold, pests, etc)
- more access to medical care when wealthy
How does education effect health?
- people with good education tend to be in a higher social class and make more $
- education tends to improve our ability to understand health information
- education increases your feelings of EFFICACY (the belief that you can change what’s around you)
How does race & ethnicity effect health?
- racism and discrimination affect the life experiences of visible minorities and Indigenous peoples in Canada
- ethnicity and health relationships are shaped by social class (minorities tend to have lower earnings and wealth than white Canadians –> therefore effecting health outcomes)
Why are health outcomes for Indigenous peoples particular unequal?
- poor housing conditions (specifically on reserves)
- Access to safe and clean water
- more likely to live in rural communities, limiting access to healthcare
What causes boys to generally partake in more risk taking behaviour?
Society socializes boys and girls in different ways (ex. “boys will be boys”, “it’s normal for boys to be aggressive” and “MAN UP”)
This risk taking behaviour leads boys to be:
- 3x more likely to die from accidents
- 4x more likely to die from suicide
- 5x more likely to die from homocide
Women live _______ than men and women tend to report ______ health overall
LIVE LONGER and REPORT POORER
**women have higher rates of acute and non-fatal chronic conditions
In what ways to trans people experience major health inequalities?
- Negative treatment (insults by health professionals)
- Innapropriate language
- Refusal of care
**1/3 of trans people in Ontario say that their health needs are not met (specifically for the reasons above)
According to the BMI scale, what is considered obese?
a BMI of more than 30.0
How are education and obesity related?
It’s now common for people with less education to be overweight than those with higher education
Why are obesity rates generally rising?
- Modern society tends to be very sedentary (little movement during day)
- More technology = less reason to leave house
- Modern society is characterized of being rushed
What is the “socialized” medicine model? Where in the world is this model?
Where the government owns and operates most medical facilities and employs most doctors
Britain & Sweden
What is the “social” insurance model? Where in the world is this model?
**CANADA
Where the government pays docs and hospitals for the services they provide according to a schedule of frees set annually by govs.
Diff from the socialized medicine system because Canadian doctors are PRIVATE practitioners paid on a fee-per-service basis
The health care system is national, but actually the provincial government sets standards and administer health care within the provinces
What are the 5 main standards for Health Care in Canada?
- Universality (covers all Canadians)
- Accessibility
- Portability
- Comprehensive coverage (must cover all necessary services)
- Public administration (public body operates the system on a not-for-profit basis)
What are the criticisms of the Canadian health care system?
Critics say it doesn’t fully live up to the 5 standards it sets
ex. doesn’t cover dental, drugs, ambulance transport, private hospital beds
What is a health policy?
“the decisions and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals”
**basically just a policy aimed at improving the health of the population overall
The risk of experiencing an overdose varies drastically by _____________ dimensions
SEMI-DEMOGRAPHIC
ex . race, class, gender, etc.
What dominates the media when it comes to the opioid crisis?
It’s dominated with stories of young, white, and middle-class people who have “succumbed” to opioid overdose
EVEN THOUGH Indigenous people are 3x more likely to die from overdose than non-indigenous people but they are never represented in the media
What is the definition of a disability?
“a mental or physical condition that limits a person’s daily activities and restricts what they can do”
What is meant by the people first philosophy?
an approach that focuses on the individual and their abilities rather than limitations.
ex. Say “people who are blind” > “blind people”
What is ableism?
the term for discrimination against people who have a cognitive or physical disability on the basis of stereotypes about their limitations.
What are the 4 barriers disability rights activists highlight when it comes to people with disabilities experience when accessing health care?
- Physical barriers (ex. accessing hospitals)
- Attitudinal barriers (ex. prejudicial attitudes from medical professionals)
- Expertise barriers (ex. doctors not trained to handle specific challenges that people with disabilities face)
- Systemic barriers (how the system defines disability and allocates resources to help those with disabilities)
What was one of the most important advances in disability rights in Canada?
The constitutional recognition of the rights of people with disabilities in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1981
**because of this, it is illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities
What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)?
a convention signed by most countries around the world that set out a list of rights that people with disabilities have and how the states should work to protect their rights.
Define multiculturalism
Based on the idea of pluralism, support for having various cultural or ethnic groups in a society; the belief that conflict is a central feature of societies and that ethnicity is an essential aspect of individual identity and group behaviour.
