sociology terms Flashcards
medicalization
refers to the process in which something (usually a behavioral problem, ex: alcoholism) becomes described and treated as a medical condition when it was not previously conceived in that way
health disparity
refers to a difference in health outcomes that is closely related to social or economic factors
reference group
any group that an individual compares themself to for self-evaluation (may or may not be a member of)
role condlict
the stress that people feel when they are confronted with incompatible role expectations across different social statuses they occupy (ex: employee vs caregiver)
race vs ethnicity (sociological perspective)
ethnicity - categorizations of people based on culture and ancestry
race - categorizations of people based on perceived physical characteristics
both are complex, social categories that change over time
ethnocentrism
using one’s own cultural standards (such as norms and values) to make judgements about another culture
cultural relativism
an awareness of differences across cultures in norms, values , and other elements of culture
social stigma
derived from the symbolic interactionist perspective in sociology
calls attention to how certain individuals or groups face social disapproval, which is often associated with a behavior, identity, or other attiribute that is considered deviant by others
anomie
describes the alienation that individuals feel when social norms and social bonds are weak
without attachment to society, people experience purposelessness and aimlessness
associated with periods of rapid social change
the looking-glass self
suggests that self concept is more than just self-reflection, and the way in which people see themselves is based on how they believe others perceive them during social interactions
aligns with symbolic interactionist paradigm
life course approach / perspective
refers to a research perspective that considers how experiences from earlier in life affect outcomes later in life
rational choice theory
assumes individual behavior will be based on an implicit analysis of the costs and benefits of actions
symbolic interactionism theory
focuses on micro-level social relationships
explains social phenomena in terms of the meaning that they hold when people interact with one another
(ex: group membership)
conflict theory
study
functionalist theory
studyc
social capital
suggests that social networks provide valuable resources, resulting in various health benefits for the individual
emphasizes the tangible resources provided by network members
social support
related to health benefits for the individual
emphasizes emotional, or informational benefits provided by network members
labeling theory
perspective on deviance that suggests labels get applied to certain groups or individuals regardless of specific behavior
social constructionism
presumes that ideas (ex: knowledge about health and disease) are created through historical processes that are socially defined and culturally distinct
demographic transition
theory of economic development and population change
suggests that changes (specifically industrialization) affect the relationship between fertility and mortality rates in a society
population growth occurs rapidly because the mortality rate falls, over time so does fertility rate, stabilizing a lower rate of population growth
social epidemiology
emphasizes how social factors (class, race, and ethnicity) affect the distribution of health and disease
calls attention to the ways in which health and disease are conditioned by the social context
dramaturgical theory
uses the metaphor of theater to understand social interactions
when interacting, people are assumed to act in accordance with the expectations of their audience
requirements for ethical research
all participants voluntarily participate in the study. at any point, participants should be able to freely withdraw their participation and their data can no longer be used
validity
refers to an extent to which a measure reflects the phenomenon being studied
(is what is being measured the best way to assess the construct?) (accuracy)
