Module 2, Social Models of Health and Illness - Understanding Health Using Social Theories Flashcards
Sociology
sociology enables us to understand the links between our individual experiences and the social context in which we live, work and play
- study of human societies and our place in them and how they operate
Sociology is the study of society including…
- historical factors (how the past influences the present) - how did we get to where we are
- cultural factors (how our culture impacts our lives) - how our families, nationalities, ethic groups are shaping our lives
- structural factors (how forms of social organization shape our lives) - looking at social structures (governments, educational institutions, looking at different policies, what organizes our society, what provides structure to our society and how does it influence over lives)
- critical factors (how we can improve upon what exists) - critical questioning/inquiring - is something fair, how can it be different (ongoing reflexive process - reflecting on the societies we have and the type of societies we want)
- interplay between individual and their experiences through looking at the context in which they are in (historical and present factors)
- these 4 are the practice of sociology and we sociologists study (have to take all these into account)
What is social theory?
explain societies and explain why an individual behaves in a particular society the way they do or how they are impacted by society but no necessarily the individual behaviours (more broadly and not micro level)
= the use of a social theory is self expression and how they understand the world to operate with a a particular lens they bring to their work (not objective with one right way - represent a stance or perspective)
- theory is a way of guiding our thinking on a topic and what to research on (making topics) - they can be used to focus our attention and then explain - theories help narrow our focus
Theory is…
- an explanation of how things work and why things happen
- used to show the way certain facts are connected to one another (how our societies are organized and how that shapes someone’s experiences for example)
- an attempt to explain social life by presenting a logical, detailed and coherent account derived from research evidence (your theory helps to understand how to focus or explain society through a logical process and how to tell a particular story about society)
Theoretical Perspectives
- there is no theory of everything (rather each theory can be used in different aspects and they all have their respective limitations)
- instead sociologists use theories (plural) - there is no one unifying theory that explains it all
- theoretical perspectives are grouping of theories - some of these theories are related (different grouping of theories)
- there are individual theories within the perspectives but they share core concepts, features, values
- theoretical perspectives are grouping of theories
Agency Structure Debate
a key debate in sociology over the extent to which human behaviour is determined by social structure. most theories/theoretical perspectives include some element of this debate (sometimes referred to as agency and determinism)
- it is not that they have the same view or same perspective but the theories each address some part of the same question (an overarching question in the field of sociology)
- to what extent are human beings able to make autonomist decisions (how to act and behave) and how are our lives determined by the structures that surround us (policy environment, structures of cultures and families etc.)
- to what extent can we take control over our own lives
- none of the theories are strictly on one end but they fall somewhere along this continuum tipping maybe one way or the other
Differences in Perspective
- the focus can be on micro or macro level societal interactions (theoretical perspectives can be macro, micro or both) - meso would be in between
◦ micro: dynamics of family
structure or team or class
room (small group)
◦ macro: geopolitics and the
relationship between politics,
governments - the goal can be to understand society or to promote social change
◦ some theories have their purpose or goal as explaining or understanding society so describing what is happening and describing it in a way that enhances our understanding of how societies operate (take a neutral stance) - do not take a particular position on whether society needs to change or not
◦ some theoretical perspectives come with hopes of changing something and used for the purpose of social change - goal of explaining what is happening and explaining it for the purpose of being able to change it
◦ some can be more about understanding and not necessarily changing - some privilege agency and other privilege structure
Structural Functionalism
a society is a system of integrated parts, each of which have certain needs (or functional prerequisites) that must be fulfilled for social order to be maintained
- so it is a particular way of looking at the world and understanding it like a machine with different elements to it and when those elements are having their needs met or fulfilling their purpose than society has ordered maintained
- functionalists study the way social structure maintain social order(s)
- view society as made up of interrelated parts
- foundational theorists include Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton - early sociologists who’s wring led to the development of this theoretical perspective
Structural Functionalism: Assumptions
a. social systems tend to be relatively stable and slow to change - since the parts and complex are interrelated change happens slowly
b. society (or groups) survive because their members share at least some common beliefs, norms and values
c. social integration is when an individuals conforms to certain norms and values - individuals are members of a society and when they can conform to the rules of society then society is in normal state
d. when all parts of society fulfill their functions, society is in normal state
e. when some parts of society do not fulfill their functions, society is in abnormal or pathological state (when there is conflict and no order)
Structural Functionalism: Key Concept
the sick role (uses structural functionalism in a very specific way)
- developed by Talcott Parsons – structural functionalism to describe society and social order when an individual is sick
- illness is conceived as a form of deviance that threatens smooth operation of society (an individual who is ill threatens the stability of society as they cannot maintain their role perform acts that need society to be smooth and keep it operating)
- to minimize disruption, individuals who are sick are perceived to have rights and obligations (society adapts)
The Sick Role (rights and responsibilities)
rights
- exempt from normal social roles
- the more severe the illness, the more exemptions are made
- the more severe the illness, the more others assist the sick person
responsibilities
- the sick person should try to get well
- the sick person should seek medical help and cooperate with medical professionals
in order to attain the rights they must take on their responsibilities as well
Litmits of the sick role
- the sick person is exempt from normal social roles – depending on the nature, severity and longevity of the sickness.
- only applies when the sick person is not considered responsible for their condition
- only applies when the condition is perceived as legitimate (in the past some illnesses were not perceived as legitimate such as autism and neurodivergence)
- the sick role does not account for what happens when a person can’t ‘get well’
- the sick role does not account for not all forms of ‘help’ and treatment being recognized as legitimate (based on the idea that we share certain expectations, values, beliefs, understandings around what treatment what getting medical help should look like)
my notes:
- terminal or chronic illness are examples were the sick role does not really explain or provide a path back to normal or stable state in a way it does for short-term illnesses
- some conditions can be unstable and change from day to day like someone who has mental illness or episodes of depression where some days they can fulfill their role while on other days they simply cannot
- this is more on the structure side seeing as it does not account of the ability to act in ways that demonstrates someone’s agency or autonomy (assumes we all have the same abilities to act and also that the structure is what guide society)
- in order to be able to able to use this sick role you need to disclose the illness and have evidence
Sample questions for using structural functionalism to understand health
- how and when does illness threaten the function of a system (a society)?
- what are the components (parts) of a health care system?
- what are the threats to the smooth functioning of the Canadian healthcare system?
- what is required to return to ‘normal’ functioning?
the types of questions a sociologists might ask when they bring this lens to something (structural functionalism)
Marxism
society is dominated by a fundamental conflict of interest between two social classes – the bourgeoisie (the capitalist class) and the proletariat (the working class) – that comprise the economic system of capitalism
- marxism is theoretical perspective that focuses on capitalism and how our societies are organized, ordered and arranged and the conflict between the 2 can be used to explain how society is functioning and explain fundamentally the social order
- marxists study social order and, in particular, conflict between groups
- marxist perspectives are sometimes referred to as ‘conflict theory’
- foundational theorists include Karl Marx and Friederich Engels
Marxism Power
- ‘power’ is based on one’s position (social class) and one’s control of capital (resources)
- focus is on class or economic based dynamics
- strong focus on social (in)justice and exploitation of some to the benefit of others
my notes:
- the focus is on power and who has access to power
- the dynamics between different groups who have different control of capital and resources
- capital is something you can exchange for something else (cash, property, land) - we trade capital (can be converted)
- social capital is our connections and how it can lead us to more capital for example
- some groups in society control resources while some do not have same control as they are providing more of a labour role (unequal control)
- understand and change (how resources operate in society and if they understand that there is a potential to change it)
