Session 4 Flashcards
What is sociology?
A scientific approach to understand people in society
What medical sociology?
A scientific approach to understand all those aspects of contemporary life that impact on and shape well-being throughout the individual’s life cycle.
Why is sociology an important tool for future medical practitioners?
A sociological understanding of health considers structural and social factors, rather than simply biological explanations of health and disease.
What is The social imagination?
A specific way of thinking about the world, characterised by a willingness to think beyond our own experiences and to challenge common-sense or obvious explanations of human society and human behaviour.
Explain the concept of functionalism.
- Society is made up of different interdependent and interrelated systems and sub-systems to achieve unity to sustain the “whole”
- The central value system depends on the cultural sub-system to achieve unity to sustain the ‘whole’
- Social expectations include role relationships with specific rights and obligations to ensure continuity in society.
Explain Symbolic interactionism
- Sees a fundamental difference between what social sciences and natural sciences study.
- Focuses on human consciousness - how humans understand and see the social world.
- Includes common-sense and commonplace aspects of our cultures -questioning what we assume to be natural or normal.
- What ‘we’ might see as ‘irrational’ behaviour in health seeking behaviour or disease management, might be very different for other people.
- Focuses on micro interactions to determine macro forces which boils down to focusing on ‘one side of the coin’.
Explain the concept of Marxism
- Focuses on economic structures of societies throughout the ages to explain patterns of conflict between the powerful (minority) and the powerless (majority)
- Includes capitalism which is the current phase of conflict between those who own the means of production and those who sell their labour to make ends meet.
- The theory questions the ‘naturalness’ of this arrangement and reveals patterns of exploitation.
- It also highlights the causes of inequalities in health between different social classes.
Explain the concept of Feminism
- A broad concept that explains social structures as fundamentally based on inequalities between women and men.
- In general, feminist sociologists have challenged the tradition preoccupation of the discipline with the effects of industrialisation and the world of paid work and institutional politics.
- Such an approach therefore ignored significant elements of society such as the family and gender relationship
What is socialisation?
Becoming aware of the expectations, values and beliefs of the society, the context in which we find ourselves and the prediction of the actions of others.
Briefly explain the ‘Agency’ in sociology.
- We shape society.
- We always have a level of control over what we do. We have the choice to act differently and opt for something else.
- Makes use of micro actions to bring about something different.
- We have our unique way to interpret a role or an expectation, not a predetermined way
- Introduces a measure of uncertainty and unpredictability
Briefly explain the ‘Structure’ in sociology.
- We are shaped by society
- Refers to institutions, traditions and unquestioning ways of doing and being
- Refers also to macro institutions and forces that exert an external influence on individuals.
- Allows society to function as it provides predictability.
- Provides ‘ontological security’
What does a sociological understanding of health entail?
It considers structural and social factors rather than simply biological explanations of health and disease.
List some examples of questions medical sociologists would be interested in.
- How do people perceive and experience health and disease?
- How do patients and medical professionals interact with one another?
- What patterns do diseases show and how are these influenced by society and social change?
- How are formal and informal healthcare organised in society?
- What social factors impact on the organisation of healthcare in society?
Explain the ‘sick role’ in functionalism.
- Sickness is viewed as a ‘social role’ and not merely a biological phenomenon or physical experience.
- When a person takes on the ‘sick role’ , they are excused from their normal roles and responsibilities.
- The medical profession determines who is legitimately ‘sick’.
- This regulatory role ensures that not too many people are unable to fulfil their normal roles, otherwise illness would have a detrimental effect on the society as a whole.
Explain the concept of Postmodernism.
- It is the present historical period
- It is concerned with the globalisation of the economy and culture and the questioning of traditional ‘identities’ (fluidity)
- Old certainties are eroding and there is questioning of the nature of knowledge itself.
- Science and medicine are viewed as ‘discourses’ with medicine being the dominant one.
