Up to Midterm Exam Flashcards
Sociological Imagination
C. Wright Mills
Understand your biography
understand your place in social structure
understand your place in history
Rudolph Virchow
1847 Biologist
Noticed social and economic conditions associated with typhus fever
Lobbied to improve public health conditions
Stated that medicine was a Social Science not biological reductionism
—– is a subfield of sociology
Medical sociology
Emile Durkheim
France (1858-1917)
Father of Sociology
Proponent of functionalism and empiricism
(society was so be studied)
Karl Marx
Germany/England (1818-1893)
Conflict theory
society is changed through class conflict
Max Weber
Germany (1864-1920)
Science of Social action and Interpretive Sociology
humans attach to actions and the use of historical comparative analysis
regulations associated with modern society
Erving Goffman
US 1922-1982 "institutional control" assylum guy Symbolic Interactionism Life is theatre that we must act in to get along. Break that and it gets weird. Interaction rule and stigma
Symbolic Interactionism
emphasized the linguistic and gestural communication and its subjective understanding
1900-1940’s Foundational Work
Social Survey Research Develops
- Focus on health and living conditions
- Sociologists worked in charitable organizations
Parsons
1939
sick role
wrote about medical professions
1950’s-1960’s Medical Sociology
Government and private funding of basic research
National Institute of Mental health
ASA ( American sociological association)
Section membership
JHSB Journal of Health and Social Behavior (official ASA journal)
Two Roles for a sociologist interested in medicine
Sociology of medicine (microcosm of society) (race and ethnic relations between patients and doctors)
Sociology in Medicine (applied research) Manocchia
Scientific Method
- Define the issue or problem
- Cite the literature and theory for how it has been studied to date
- Imply theoretical framework and new ground
- Propose hypotheses
- Gather data and test hypotheses (observations)
- analyze data
- Make generalizations from the results
- Comment on expansion in the field
Wheel of research
Define the issue—Literature&theory—-hypothesis—–observation–analyze data—generalizations
Sociological Methods
Survey research Content analysis Observational Research --direct observation --participant observation Experimental research Use of existing statistics
Functionalism
Durkheim
Macro
society is a system of interrelated parts
it works by maintaining equilibrium
Institutions like medicine function to serve society
Conflict Theory
Marx/Weber
Macro
Society is different groups that struggle to obtain resources
It works by conflict causing change
Institutions like medicine are built and supported by the powerful to maintain power
Interpretive Sociology
Weber
Macro and Micro
Society is dominant Groups that assert authority over others
It works by authority differing over time
Institutions like medicine reflect the type of authority in society
Symbolic Interactionalism
Weber Mead Blumer Goffman
Micro
Society is people attaching symbolic meaning to situations
It works by sharing meanings evolving over time
Institutions like medicine our shared meanings create agreement on their being in use
Sociological Explanation of the History of Medicine
who- actors/authority/power/class in society
what - organizational arrangements and technological advancements
where - society, culture and nations
when - historical political economic and social context
why - implications of development ob society - social change
Trephination
drilling a hole in their head
Shaman
1st physician
Intermediary between gods and the sick
Imhotep
first physician of Egypt (2655-2600 BC)
Papyrus Ebers
documents
rule medicine: remedies, incantations, and surgical techniques (1550 BC)
Code of Hammurabi
document
1st set of medical guidelines found in Mesopotamia
Ancient Societies: India
Theoretical approach
Vedic medicine: up-to 800 B.C.
magical practices to treat disease
Brahamanistic: 800-1000 B.C.
known for producing medical writings
The body had three forces: air phlegm and spirit
Sophisticated surgical practices: reconstructive surgery, extraction of cataracts and dental surgery without anesthesia
Ancient Societies: Greece
Apollo Sun God: God of health and medicine
Apollo’s son Aesculapius: Greek god of health
Asklepieia were created for physicians and healers/priests to practice (first known medical center in the world that we know of)
Hippocrates**
460-370 BC
known as the Father of Medicine
Humoral Theory of Disease
-Blood, yellow and black bile, phlegm
– Keep these in balance: diet and activity
- keep it all in check and you’ll be good
-taught compassion and ethical treatment associated with medicine (Do no harm, explain what’s going to happen, patients choice)
Ancient Societies: Rome
735BC-475AD
Asclepiades (124 or 129-40 B.C.)
Pore Theory of Disease: very popular (took the humoral theory and put it all together)
Restore harmony based on diet, exercise and bathing
Major contribution to Public Health
Convinced Julius Caesar to release Greek slave doctors in 46 BC
Galen: Greek physician (124-199AD)
Followed Hippocratic medicine, was a prolific writer
huge anatomy contributions and contributions to circulatory and surgical knowledge
anatomy contributions using animals vs. humans (his theories were uncontested until 1600AD)
Believed in Pneuma: spirits circulated the body
Medieval Period
500-1500AD
Monastic Medicine
– medicine controlled by early christian church
– disease tested one’s faith: Gods punishment
– Disease had patron saints
– religious causes and religious cures
Secular healers condemned but used
Arabic Medicine
- Built teaching hospitals
- prestige given to physicians
- link between greek and renaissance medicine
Avicenna
980-1076 AD
– Canon of Medicine is known for the discovery of contagious diseases and sexually transmitted diseases, the introduction of quarantine to limit the spread of infectious diseases, the introduction of experimental medicine and clinical trials
Scholastic Medicine
1130 AD church forbade monks practicing medicine
Secular clergy and universities developed to teach medicine
Bubonic plague killed millions in Europe
The Black Death
estimated to have killed 30 to 60 percent of Europes population, reducing the population by 25-50 million people
Ancient Societies: China
Cosmetic theory of the Ring and Yang: maintaining the balance in the body is the goal
Nei Ching
wrote 1st canon of internal medicine in China
Wang Shuhe wrote the Pulse Classic where…
obstruction of balance can be detected through pulse of observation
Compendium of materials Medica
1500s AD Great Pharmacopoeia: a pharmaceutical text written my Li Shizhen during the ming dynasty that has 53 volumes (plants, animals, materials, with medicinal properties)
Hydrotherapy
Take cold baths for fever
Acupuncture
Needles will affect distribution of Yin and Yang
Renaissance Medicine (1500-1600)
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) --- refuted Galen's ideas about anatomy --- Brussels doctor banned from Medicine Paracelsus (1493-1541) -- Critiqued hippocrates humoral theory -- god revealed medical truths -- focused on astrology and apothecary therapy
Apothecaries
dispenses theraputic agents
Scientific Medicine 1600s
Bacon: natural explanation of ideas Descartes: laid basis for a science of physiology William Harvey 1578-1657 --circulation of blood in the body --proved through experiments -- proved heart pumped blood
1700’s: Age of Enlightenment
Modern concept of pathology: disease causation
Giovanni Batista Morgagni (1682-1771) anatomical concept of disease to specific physical pathology or disturbance of organs
Emergency of Public Health and Preventative Medicine
– focus on unsanitary conditions
– Smallpox Prevention: Edward Jenner (1749-1823) Inoculated people against the disease using cowpox
1800’s: Recognition of Social Problems and Societal Health Impacts
Inventions led to industrial England and Europe then US Social problems and Birth of Sociology -- urbanization/overcrowding -- poverty -- sanitation: food and water
1800’s: Key Medical Developments
Cell theory: every living cell comes from another living cell (from R. Virchow)
Germ Theory of Disease
– Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) significance of micro-organisms and spread of disease
Robert Koch (1843-1910) furthered the work of Pasteur and discovered bacteria for anthrax and tuberculosis
Progress in Surgery
– localize nature of disease
– ability to control pain
– ability to prevent infection
Medicine in America
Cotton Mather (1664-1728) reverend, focused anatomy and had his role in the Salem Witch Trials and vaccination in Boston
U Penn Hospital: 1751 and first college in 1765
My first to license medicine 1760
Four med schools in US 1800: Penn Columbia Harvard and Dartmouth
Benjamin Rush: signed dec of independence
- -wrote about medical observations
- -help understanding of yellow fever
- -treated addiction and alcoholism
- -Father of American Psychiatry
Ascent of Medical Authority in US
Clara Barton (American Red Cross)
Lister: Anti-Septic carbolic Acid to assist surgery 1867
Roentgen’s Xray discoveries 1890
Discovery of The Germ Theory
Flexner Report in 1910
– AMA gains oversight of training (council of medical education)
More theory: Ascent of Medical authority in US
Paul Starr PhD, Sociologist (Weberian view)
- wrote the social transformation of American Medicine
- -Medicine evolved as science evolved
Vincente Navarro, MD (Marxist view)
- certain class of people are the powerful
- those in medicine rose to the top individually and through corporations because they are the dominant class in society
- group decides where to spend medical resources
Official sub divisions
ASA
Funding
social survey research
Bloodletting
purposefully draining someones blood
part of the reason why GW died
Egypt
Had specialists like modern science
Rod of Aesculapius
Serpent and staff Serpent meaning- shedding of skin (renewal) how physicians deal with life and death medical remedies can both help and hurt Staff meaning- priestish resurrection and healing walking stick for traveling physicans
1800s: Recognition of Social Problems
Inventions led to Industrial Revolution
• First in England and Europe then innovation spread to the United States
• Social Problems and Birth of Sociology
Urbanization / Overcrowding
– Poverty
– Sanitation: the health consequences of clean water and safe food
1800s: Key Medical Developments
Cell theory
every living cell comes from another living cell
Germ Theory of Disease
– Louis Pasteur (1822-1895): significance of
micro-organisms and the spread of disease
– Robert Koch (1843-1910): furthered the work of Pasteur and discovered bacteria for anthrax and tuberculosis
Progress in Surgery (1800’s)
– Localized nature of disease – Ability to control pain
– Ability to prevent infection
Medicine in America
– Cotton Mather (1663-1728): reverend, focused on anatomy and had his role in the Salem Witch Trials
First Institutions of Medicine in America
• U Penn Hosp: 1751 and first college 1765 • NY first to license medicine 1760
– Benjamin Rush
(1746-1813): signed Dec. of Independence • wrote about medical observations
• help understanding of yellow fever
• treated addiction and alcoholism
– Father of American Psychiatry
– Thomsonianism
(S.Thompson 1769-1843)
• disease from insufficient heat
– Homeopathy
(S.Hahneman1755-1843)
• cure spirits in the body through drugs
– Clara Barton (American Red Cross)
Civil War: triage and treatment on mass scale
Driven by science resulting in medical advances
– Lister: Anti-Septic Carbolic Acid assist surgery 1867
– Roentgen’s X-ray discoveries 1890s
• First Nobel Prize in Physics`
Ascent of Medical Authority in US
• Flexner Report in 1910 (dude who checked up on med schools progress)
– AMA gains oversight of training
• Council on Medical Education
• Paul Starr, PhD, Sociologist
Wrote the Social Transformation of American Medicine
(1983)
• Medicine evolved as science evolved
• Gain of professional authority in society
• They gained cultural authority over time to influence
economic and political power as the public agreed to
• Vincente Navarro, MD
• A certain class of people are the powerful • Those in medicine rose to the top individually and through corporations because they are the dominant class in society • This is why medicine does not focus on key problems all the time – this group decides where to spend medical resources
Social Epidemiology I
• Focuses on causes and distribution of diseases and impairments within pops
Work of an Epidemiologist
• Focus of epidemiological research
– disease agents (biological, chemical, phys toxicities)
– environment (physical and social) – host (demographic factors)
The Web of Causation
Multiple set of factors involving three foci: disease agents, environment, and hosts
The Epidemiological Transition
• As society developed and modernized patterns of disease and death have changed
Three-Five Ages
– Pestilence and Famine (Life Expect: 40 years)
– Receding Pandemics (Life Expect: 50 years)
– Degenerative and Human Made Diseases (Life Expect: 70 years)
Some argue for a forth: Age Delayed Degenerative Diseases
• risk pushed further back (quality of life issues)
• behavioral & medical technology furthers an increase in the elderly population
• By 2030, those 65 and older = 71 Million people
– Graziano (2010) argues for a fifth age
• Age of Obesity and Inactivity
what is an influenza pandemic?
An influenza pandemic occurs when a novel and highly contagious strain of the influenza virus emerges, affecting populations around the world
what are the Measurements of Societal Health?
– Life Expectancy
– Mortality (death)
– Morbidity (disease/illness)
– Disability (functional impairment)
Definition of life expectancy
Average number of years to live
when did life expectancy drop?
2016 due to suicide
what is mortality
number of deaths in a population
death rates are reported as ratios (per 100,000)
Total Deaths / Total Pop of Group at Mid Year = Crude Death Rate
CDR in US dropped 50% since 1900
Infant Mortality
Infant deaths per 1,000 born
Total # of deaths in a specified pop under age one in a year / number of live births during the year per 1,000
• Neonatal Mortality (<=28 days)
• Post-neonatal Mortality (29 days to one year)
Causes of Infant Mortality
Low Birth Rate
Micro Factors: young moms, smoking, alcohol, drugs, no prenatal care (50% preventable)
Macro Factors: Economic status and LBW relationship
Maternal Mortality
Women who die in the process of giving birth
As level of education increases, maternal mortality decreases
Highest risk group: Women, under 20, with no high school diploma
Morbidity
amount of disease, impairment and accident in a population
Incidence of Morbidity
Number of new cases of in a population within a given period
Prevalence of Morbidity
total number of cases of a condition within a given time
The Spanish flu
1918
America was ravaged by the flu and killed 675,000 Americans and 25 to 50 million died worldwide- more than all the war deaths of this century combined
Young, healthy adults
what is a pandemic flu?
Global outbreak of the flu that occurs when a new virus “emerges” in the human population
has children’s prevalence for infectious diseases risen or fallen?
fallen
elderly morbidity patterns
Better all around care associated disease rates
gender and morbidity patterns
Women higher rates for acute and chronic disease
Morbidity patterns and SES
Preventable disease and lower functional limitations in lower SES strata
Morbidity patters and race and ethnicity
African Americans experience more health problems early in life and their health deteriorates more quickly
what is the definition of disability?
Reduced ability to perform tasks that are age appropriate
what is Mechanic’s Social Model of Disability (1995)?
Restrictions in activities and functions experienced by individuals with disabilities are a function of society that has not made appropriate accommodations across our institutions
Therefore disability is pronounced in some areas and accommodated in others: Mechanic looks for the FIT
Especially given our ability to manufacture/human design our environment and our computer technology, access and accommodation could be handled better
What is a hypothesis?
(a hypothesis is an educated guess that you make)
Merton’s Theory of Manifest Functions
Society has both function and dysfunction
Manifest Functions
known functions in society
hey are intended or (latent) unintended but benefit society
Dysfunctions according to Merton
Unconscious, unintended and harmful
In this case, poor health outcomes impacting a certain segment
of society, while most have benefit actions taken
Functionalist on Social Class I
Davis and Moore
Social Stratification is a beneficial function of society
List the conflict perspective in social class for differences in health
Social inequality persists over generations
Although universal, social inequality varies in
degree from place to place
Social Inequality rests on a system of beliefs that such relationships are just and fair
Sets up a system of conflict overtime
what is the conflict explanation in social class?
Marx
Owners (capitalists) of the means of production
Workers (proletariat) who sell their labor
Alienation: powerlessness occurred to workers
what is weber’s view of social inequality?
Three Pronged View of Social Inequality
– Class: relationship to the market
– Status: prestige in your world
– Party: political power
what are the general propositions about social class and health?
Nature of Social Class and Health Gradient? Step-Wise Progression
Does using different measures yield the same pattern?
Yes: Income, education, occupation
Is the gradient the same for all groups in society? No
Widening disparity explained by gains in upper classes not declines in the lower
What is racism?
Racism is a belief system that human traits and capacities are primarily determined by biological race and that some races are superior to others. Occurs through socialization and reified through culture and social institutions.
E.B. DuBois
(sociologist) – saw racism in the Jim Crow south and said it was agitation and protest vs. study that would lead to change.
William Julius Wilson
(sociologist) – Race was combined with an underclass in American society, which limited opportunities, but ending poverty was possible.
Cornell West
(Race Matters) – Combination of Marxist and racist notions to oppress minorities, which only social democratic institutions can alleviate.
what is racism linked to in health?
In health, racism is linked to those who have access to care, get treated and most importantly social conditions develop that shorten life and quality of life.
what is the feminist theory?
is centered on a belief system that patriarchy, or male domination b/w two human sexes, structures the outcomes and freedom of females through power and oppression.
what is contemporary feminist theory attributed to?
Contemporary feminist sociology attributed to social movements of the 1950s and 1960s to critique sociology, which, like other fields, had been dominated by males.
Patricia Hill Collins
feminist sociologist said the intersection of race, gender and class made for an even more dominant form of oppression, which required particular attention and study.
bell hooks
described gender inequality as the ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination
what is Social Selection/Drift?
Poor Health drift to the bottom.
Does medical access explain health outcomes?
Medical access does not explain health outcomes because much of health occurs outside the health system. Even if we gave everyone access, we would still have differential outcomes.
what is etiology?
Identifying the causes and patterns of disease
What is atherosclerosis?
the hardening of arteries
What is angina?
when blood flow is restricted to the hears
what is a myocardial infarction or heart attack?
when blocked arteries lead to death of the muscle
what is high blood pressure or hypertension?
force on one’s arterial walls
what is a stroke?
when the brain does not receive needed blood due to blockage or burst, nerve deprived of oxygen shutting down systems. Can result in paralysis, speech, language, memory loss
what is cancer?
Cancer is a group of diseases that are characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. There is Benign (does not invade other tissues) versus malignant (spreads to other tissues)
What is HIV/AIDS?
HIV is a virus that disables human immune system (HIV destroys blood cells called CD4+T- cells)
T cells are white blood cells that help coordinate activities of the immune system
Difference between HIV and AIDS
AIDS syndrome is caused by the amount of HIV virus in the body
Transition to AIDS occurs when suppression of Immune system leads to infections
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
It is a chronic degenerative brain disorder of the Central Nervous System (brain and nerves) that is fatal.
What is psychosocial stress?
It is how disease impacts the social and mental components of life.
How did Erving Goffman define stigma?
the process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity
your sense of self is discredited
people are discredited even after they die
what is social stigma?
it is the extreme disapproval of, or disconnect with, a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.
Stigma may attach to a person, who differs from social or cultural norms.
ostracizing people in for being a disfunction in society
functionalistish
what is the definition of stress?
A state of imbalance within a person, elicited by an actual or perceived disparity between environmental demands and the person’s capacity to cope with these demands (Weiss)
Who was Walter cannon?
American physiologist who created the term Homeostasis
Described fight or flight reaction to circumstances (1915)
What is homeostasis
Walter cannon
state of psychological balance
Hans Selye found what?
Found general physiological reaction to environmental stress when testing lab animals which lead to the General Adaptation System: Alarm, Adaptation, Exhaustion (1950s)
Durkheim’s Four Suicides
used official statistics
study on societal integration (too much, too little) and religion, war, economic crises in society
Egoistic
Altruistic
Anomic
Fatalistic
types of stress: life and chronic
Life Events interrupt usual activities and require readjustment
chronic strains: financial or interpersonal
What are the demographic stress differences?
Lower SES has higher levels of psych distress and mental health
*exposure Hypothesis: created amount of stresses
vulnerability hypotheses: less resources to cope and may lack *
Women higher rates of psych distress and depression
racial minorities
sexual minorities
Coping with stress
Cooley’s Looking Glass Self (1902)
we learn who we are through others through socialization (babies learn socially)
social psychological
self images
what are the three Specific Coping Techniques?
Psychological Resources
Cognitive Techniques
Behavioral Techniques
what is social support?
Social Resources one calls upon when dealing with life’s problems
emotional support, cognitive support, material support
How Social Support Affects Health: 3 Ways
• Behavioral Mediators
Engage or change behaviors
• Psychological Mediators
Restore self-esteem
• Physiological Mediators
Relax fight or flight (exercise, meditation)Egoistic suicide
Rock stars/super wealthy/popular entertainment industry
don’t feel a part of society
people have excessive individualism
Altruistic suicide
terrorism (suicide bombers)
bonds of society and community believe their suicide is good for the cause
suicide for the sake of others
Anomic suicide
2007/2008 Great Recession
break in bonds of society
people had anomie: people were not connected to society
Fatalistic suicide
Concentration camps
would rather die than be in the power of others
Societal pressures are too great on you
biggest social stressors
- death
- divorce
- finance
- children
- job change
what is Durkheim’s book?
Sociological perspective: how we are shaped by larger social forces?
social construction of reality (Berger and Luckman)
world is created through interaction of exchange of verbal and non-verbal symbols
what is the Thomas theorem?
he said if situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences
Psychological Resources in reducing stress
telling yourself you’re going to be okay
Cognitive Techniques in reducing stress
be prepared and knowledgable
Behavioral Techniques in reducing stress
deep breaths, taking a walk
Three Views on Health
Bio-Medical
Psychological
Sociological
Bio-medical approach (three parts to definition)
Disease, diagnosis, and treatment are objective only phenomenon
health=absence of disease
Psychological Approach to health
individuals make subjective evaluations of health continuously
sociological approach (four aspects)
social and cultural aspects
health and illnesses are socially constructed
capacity to perform roles
social differences in health
capacity to perform roles and tasks (in sosh approach to three views on health)
health includes dimensions of individuals that impact social participation
Parsons (1972, capacity to perform roles and tasks)
health ability to comply with social norms
focus much broader than physiological and psychological
Andrew Twaddle said
health is a continuum from perfect health to perfect illness (death)
our perception of health (sociological approach)
relative to culture and social position and influenced by social criteria of healthy or not
anappolis analogy
what are the social factors that influence perceptions of health (sociological approach)
age, gender, class, ethnicity [perceive health in different ways
young men: psychical fitness
younger women: vitality, ability to cope
how does WHO define health?
health is not nearly the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being
one’s ability to cope with situations and to be fully functioning human being
what is Ware’s SF-36?
developed a measure baed on the WHOS definition of health
Eight health concepts
what are Health Protection behaviors?
Individual action taken to protect, promote, or maintain health
prescriptive: take actions
proscriptive: avoid actions
Since 1984: Prevention Index has 21 Key HPB’s
where do we start when explain health behavior
Weber
Effects on life that were societal: life chances (SES, born into certain circumstances)
Effects on life were individual: life conduct (the choices you make)
Micro Approach: Health Belief Model
Susceptible (how susceptible are you to things?)
belief in having disease would be serious of not
belief taking action would reduce susceptibility to disease
One or more cues takes from social (media, doctor visit, family, friends)
Theory of Reasoned Action
Azjen and Fishbein (1973)
Intention to behave is influenced by attitude toward behavior, social norms, messages from others, and importance to individual for complying
Trans-theoretical Model
Prochaska and DiClemente’s States of Change (1983): Behavioral change can be thought of as occurring as progression through a series of states
Pre contemplation contemplation preparation action maintenance
Macro View in explaining health behavior
criticizes focus on personal choices and individual behaviors that affect health
criticizes the neglect of social circumstances that engendered the behaviors to begin with
Describe your research project and how you can tie it back to sociology, for what you know today: Research question, hypothesis, your theory.***
The development of my research question was an evolutionary process to say the least. It felt like a revolving door situation until I could narrow down my ideas. I am fascinated by the differences between conservative Americans and liberal Americans in all factors of life, SES, health, ideology, political affiliation, what makes people politically tick one could say. combining the health aspect and politics seemed to make the most sense, and what health question is forever the hot topic of discussion politically? BABIES AND ABORTION. decided to focus on differences between Research question: are there higher infant mortality rates in politically red states vs blue states? why is that so? if these conservative people are so concerned with keeping babies alive in the womb, are they taking care of them when they're born? there's a lot of ways to measure this question (foster care/adoption rates, quality of life measures of a child's life, education, ect.) but for the purposes of this class and its ties back to sociology, I figure measuring infant mortality rates would have a substantial amount of data
Hypothesis: Due to stark income inequality and a long track record of blatant racism, the politically “red” states Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi have higher infant mortality rates than the politically “blue” states California, Massachusetts and Oregon.
My project is making a Weberian/Marxist argument tying back to racial inequality theory and conflict theory.
Interpretive sociology: Institutions like medicine reflect the type of authority in society. Ties back to the political powers: if its a liberal state, all people are treated equally
Racial inequality: weber argued race and ethnic identity contributes to social stratification.
Conflict: different groups struggle for different resources. Institutions like medicine are built and supported by the powerful to maintain power. Income inequality can go through both weber and Marx (income inequality=health of babies)
Explain Durkheim’s suicide study:
(a) What were the major variables he looked at in his study?
(b) What did he find? How did he relate this to sociology in general? (c) What methods did he use to understand this human behavior? (d) Why would he say suicide can be explained sociologically?
In Durkheim’s book Suicide, which he first published in 1897, Durkheim focused on what might seem as the most individual of human behaviors are shaped by larger social forces.
he found his answer in the extent and nature to which individuals were integrated into a group or society. He used official statistics
study on societal integration (too much, too little) and religion, war, economic crises in society
which individual behaviors are shaped by social forces. what is more individual than taking your own life
He found that people commit suicide for four reasons:
Egoistic: Rock stars/super wealthy/popular entertainment industry
don’t feel a part of society
people have excessive individualism
Related to sociology because all individualistic human behavior is shaped by larger forces I the social environment.
Altruistic: terrorism (suicide bombers)
bonds of society and community believe their suicide is good for the cause
suicide for the sake of others
Anomic: Great Recession
people have broken their bonds with society
Fatalistic: Concentration camps
would rather die than be in the power of others
Societal pressures are too great on you
He found these answers in which individuals were integrated into group or society or not
In the function of society, human behavior is a major variable. In suicide, Durkheim relates back to the sociological imagination in seeing how personal struggles are influenced by social forces in hopes that one day us as social scientists can help in the functioning in society
How do you explain the rise of Americans being overweight and obese over the past 20+ years? What factors in society have contributed to this development? How do we solve this problem from a macro perspective?
Genetic predispositions and physiological differences are the constant causes, but over the past 20 isa years obesogenic culture filled with influences that push people to health harming behaviors such as unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity.
dietary habits at home not just in the restaurant anymore, portion size as a marketing tool, fast food restaurants, bang for your buck, no adequate physical activities, parents see overweight children as healthy
children have shitty school lunches, fast food restaurants are near schools, junk food marketing greared toward children
macro solutions: restaurants posting calories
schools offer nutritious lunches
regulating food advertising
tax on sugary beverages
government legislation
build environments that encourage physical exercise
commitment to genuine psychical education in schools
community wide weight reduction
employee wellness programs
Describe how Manocchia solves problems as a sociologist in medicine, vs. an academic sociologist, who is a sociologist of medicine? What does this mean and how are these two people different at work?
Manocchia solves problems as a sociologist in medicine by studying and gathering data and putting it toward applied research to contribute to medicine. For example, gathering data for an insurance company is applied to concrete business oriented complexes
A sociologies of medicine studies and measures medicine as a social phenomena (microcosm of society) (race and ethnic relations between patients and doctors)
Manocchia’s work is quantitive, sosh of medicine is qualitative
Describe if the field of medicine has gone through scientific revolutions or has been an evolutionary development?
up until the Enlightenment, medicine went through evolutionary development, then religion removed then it was scientific revolutions
What MODERN factors gave rise to the field of medical sociology?
Starting in the 1950’s
Government and private funding of basic research
National Institute of Mental health
ASA ( American sociological association)
Section membership
JHSB Journal of Health and Social Behavior (official ASA journal)
Paul Starr PhD, Sociologist (Weberian view)
- wrote the social transformation of American Medicine
- -Medicine evolved as science evolved
Vincente Navarro, MD (Marxist view)
- certain class of people are the powerful
- those in medicine rose to the top individually and through corporations because they are the dominant class in society
- group decides where to spend medical resources
