Social Institutions

Question 1

The process of defining humans behaviors or characteristics as medical conditions

Answer 1

Medicalization

Can have positive consequences (increased funding or treatment for a condition) or negative consequences (not taking personal responsibility, stigmatization)

Question 2

Proposed by Talcott Parsons
Sick person has the right to be excused from normal responsibilities and held blameless for the illness
Sick person has the obligation to attempt to get well as soon as possible, and seek professional assistance (e.g. from their physician)

Answer 2

Sick role behavior

Question 3

Describes the experience of having a disease and coping with illness

Can vary dramatically from person to person, for example depending on access to resources

Answer 3

illness experience

Question 4

A branch of epidemiology focusing on how socioeconomic factors affect patterns of disease and health (e.g. the impact of health disparities)

Answer 4

Social epidemiology

Question 5

Movement toward reduced importance of religion as society industrializes

Answer 5

modernization

(a movement)

Question 6

Movement towards groups of people with no religious affiliation, and corresponding decrease in sociopolitical power for religion

Answer 6

Secularization

Question 7

The counter-reaction to secularization, a philosophy to return to very strict orthodox roots of a religion

Answer 7

Fundamentalism

Question 8

Private ownership of production with supply/demand economy

Answer 8

Capitalism

Question 9

Common ownership of production with central coordination based on benefit of whole society

Answer 9

Socialism

Question 10

Economy where everyone must have a responsibility and different jobs are valued differently

Answer 10

Division of labor in an economy is functionalist, meaning that everyone must have a responsibility and different jobs are valued differently
Advantages = increased efficiency, increased production, decreased costs
Disadvantages = increased boredom/monotony, increased labor exploitation, decreased quality

Question 11

Systems that bring structure to interpersonal interactions or behavior

(sociology)

Answer 11

Institutions

Question 12

Each individual within an institution is replaceable. The institution will continue on without them

(sociology)

Answer 12

Individual contribution

Question 13

Power is vested in the people who choose leaders in a free electoral system

Answer 13

Democracy

Question 14

Single ruler who comes to power through divine right (e.g. birthright)

Answer 14

Monarchy

Question 15

Single ruler who comes to power through a takeover, usually with strong element of fear

Answer 15

dictatorship

Question 16

Society that is classless and stateless with community ownership of all resources, meaning no private property

Answer 16

communism

Question 17

Explicit, official content taught through the educational system
Examples: History, algebra, physics, chemistry

Answer 17

formal curriculum

Question 18

The idea that we implicitly learn societal norms, expectations, and inequities at school in addition to the regular curriculum
Examples: Learning to wait in line, learning that boys and girls are treated differently

Answer 18

hidden curriculum

Question 19

Limiting factors for students

Answer 19

Students can be affected by their teacher’s expectations or other societal factors

Question 20

Different school districts are funded differently due to property taxes. This external societal factor also impacts students

Answer 20

educational segregation

Question 21

Extent to which a religious doctrine is internalized and incorporated into an individual’s life

Answer 21

Religiosity

Question 22

Dominant religious organization that encompasses majority of a society
Example: Islam in Iran

Answer 22

Ecclesia

Question 23

Established bodies in a larger society
Example: Christian churches in America

Answer 23

churches

Question 24

Smaller bodies established in protest of a church
Example: Mormonism

Answer 24

Sects

Question 25

Radical, smaller organizations that reject values of larger society
Often depend on an individual leader

Answer 25

Cult