Test 1 (Ch. 1 + 2)

Question 1

social structure

Answer 1

arrangement of relationships and institutions that form society

Question 2

social problem

Answer 2

agreement that condition threatens quality of life and values and that something should be done to remedy condition

Question 3

social institution

Answer 3

structure of statuses and roles devoted to meeting needs of people in society

Question 4

functionalist perspective

Answer 4

-a.k.a. structural functionalism, Emile Durkheim

Question 5

How does functionalism see society?

Answer 5

a vast organism whose parts are interrelated

Question 6

How does functionalism view social issues?

Answer 6

caused by changes in norms and systems not adapting

Question 7

How does functionalism attain balance?

Answer 7

systems work together

Question 8

conflict perspective

Answer 8

-owes development to Karl Marx, who developed modern socialism
–attempted to prove social issues like employment, poverty, crime, corruption, and warfare aren’t the fault of individuals or poor organizations

-those in power make systems that benefit them, sees conflict due to inequality between the “haves” and “have nots”

Question 9

How does conflict perspective see society?

Answer 9

systems as structured around power differentials

Question 10

How does the conflict perspective attain balance?

Answer 10

social movement

Question 11

symbolic interactionist perspective

Answer 11

-Thomas
–situations people see as real are real in their consequences

-Cooley and Mead
–through our values and behavior, we participate in groups of people like us (peer groups) where we draw our identity and may differ from family

-social construction (some claims of social issues become dominant discourse, while others get less attention)

Question 12

How does the symbolic interactionist perspective see society?

Answer 12

based on how people view symbols and interaction on a micro lvl.

Question 13

How does the symbolic interactionist perspective view social issues?

Answer 13

occur when issue or behavior is seen as deviant, regarding dominant values

Question 14

How does the symbolic interactionist perspective attain balance?

Answer 14

resocializing deviants and changing social norms

Question 15

How does social construction theory relate to defining causes of social issues?

Answer 15

powerful people and institutions have a stake in deciding what social issues are, how they come about and what to do

Question 16

natural history approach

Answer 16

idea that social issues develop in a series of stages

Question 17

4 stages issues go through when being defined as social problems?

Answer 17

1) problem definition
2) legitimacy
3) reemergence of demands
4) rejection and institution building

Question 18

problem definition

Answer 18

groups attempt to get acknowledgment by a wider population that a condition is offensive, harmful or desirable

-they publish claims and attempt to turn matter into political issue

Question 19

legitimacy

Answer 19

when groups are seen as credible by official organizations, agencies or institutions, there may be investigations, proposals and creation of new agencies to respond to claims

Question 20

reemergence of demands

Answer 20

original groups aren’t satisfied with steps taken by official agencies

-they demand stronger measures, more funding, speedier handling

-renew appeals to public

Question 21

rejection and institution building

Answer 21

complainant groups decide that official responses to demands are inadequate

-develop own organizations to press claims and enact reform

Question 22

conservative politcal perspective

Answer 22

limited government, free markets, individual liberty, personal responsibility, and strong national defense

-government’s role to give people freedom to pursue goals to solve social issues

-limit involvement of government in solutions, believe private firms governed by need to compete and make profits are best type of organization for coping with issues

Question 23

liberal political perspective

Answer 23

government has responsibility to address social issues

-government action needed to attain equal opportunity, protect civil liberties and rights

-cautious of market’s dominance and believe its unfair and exploitive to groups

-free market needs to be regulated to protect consumers, employees, and environment

-don’t abdicate personal responsibility

Question 24

4 themes of the text?

Answer 24

1) empirical approach
2) linking individual experiences with social structure
3) social inequality contributes to social issues
4) understanding social issues requires a comparative perspective

Question 25

empirical approach

Answer 25

answers questions through data collection and analysis

Question 26

goals of empirical research

Answer 26

-describe phenomenon

-examine factors that predict or associated with phenomenon

-explain cause-and-effect relationships or give insight on why events do or don’t occur

-understand meanings attached to behavior or situations

Question 27

quantitative methods

Answer 27

research strategy in which data can be measured numerically

-examples in surveys, experiments, analyses in government statistics or percentages

Question 28

qualitative methods

Answer 28

research strategy focusing on narrative description with words over numbers to analyze patterns and their meanings

-examples are interviews, focus groups, observational studies, and documents

Question 29

social policy

Answer 29

formal procedures made to remedy a social issue

-can be made by government officials at local, state or federal level or private citizens in voluntary associations, corporations, or nonprofit foundations

Question 30

healthcare as a global issue

Answer 30

affluent regions have issues of unequal access to healthcare while controlling costs

impoverished regions have issues of lacking healthcare, spread of disease, high rate of infant and maternal death, low life expectancy, scarcity of medical personnel and equipment, and inadequate sewage and water systems

–malnutrition, decline in breastfeeding, poor maternal health and prenatal care

Question 31

Poor health in U.S. is due to?

Answer 31

1) inequality

2) lifestyle problems
-fattening, nonnutritious foods, lack of exercise -> obesity, heart disease

-pollution and smoking -> respiratory disease and cancer

-alcohol, advertisements

Question 32

healthcare as a U.S. problem

Answer 32

-poverty and inequality (race, ethnicity, class) -> lack of health insurance and medical care

-social class influences access to medical care, technology

-efforts to change healthcare system, to make it less costly, more efficient or humane must deal with power of insurance companies, doctors, and other health care providers

-uninsured postpone seeking healthcare, private practice and specializations

-insurance company policies, fee for service system, lack of government funding

-physician shortage, malpractice, aging population

Question 33

medical sociology

Answer 33

specializes in research on health care system and its impact on the public, especially healthcare access

Question 34

Medicaid

Answer 34

federal-state health care program for certain categories of low-income people

Question 35

Health challenges impacting racial and ethnic minorities?

Answer 35

Blacks suffer from almost every illness vs. whites
–less likely to be immunized -> higher death rates from disease
–heart disease -> less likely to get advanced heart treatment

-Native Amer. and blacks are more likely to rate health as fair or poor

-asthma, breast-cancer, HIV, nursing home care
–less likely to have sensory and communication aids (glasses, hearing aids)

Question 36

Major ethical issues regarding healthcare in the U.S.?

Answer 36

cost and availability of transplants and life prolonging equipment

-if death occurs when heart stops beating or when brain stops functioning, right to die

Question 37

euthanasia

Answer 37

painless killing of patient suffering from terminal illness or irreversible coma

Question 38

advance directive

Answer 38

written statement that explains patient’s wishes for medical care should they be unable to communicate to the physician

Question 39

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Answer 39

legislation made by Obama passed in 2010 that’s the first overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965

-families previously denied coverage became eligible for health care

-children up to 26 yrs. can stay on parents’ health insurance plan

-small businesses can afford health insurance for employees

Question 40

Characteristics of uninsured?

Answer 40

-families where one or both parents are employed full time

-family member who’s employed part time, employers don’t give insurance for worker or dependents

-costs too much for family to purchase insurance privately

-unemployed, poor or slightly above poverty line or four times poverty lvl.

-non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics

Question 41

Major demographic factor influencing healthcare?

Answer 41

aging

-living longer than past generations and need costly medical services as they encounter chronic illnesses of old age

Question 42

Factors causing high healthcare costs

Answer 42

hospital expanses, specialization, technology, prescription, malpractice

-declining personal income due to wage competition, dwindling government resources at state and federal lvls.,

-new drugs and procedures, profit motive in providing health care

-difficulty of persuading people to change risky behaviors

Question 43

How does sociological perspectives explain what causes health and healthcare issues in U.S.?

Answer 43

functionalist
–social institutions point out how social institutions like hospitals should function, why they don’t function effectively, and how they can be improved

conflict
–insight in influence of inequalities for wealth, education, and power on access and quality of health care

interactionist
–points to way differences in people’s perception of social conditions influence behavior to others