Weeks 1-5 Flashcards
Sociology is
scientific study of social behaviour in context and the relationship between society and human action;
study of individuals, groups and societies
What can sociology focus on? (3)
- individuals
- groups
- societies
author of the term “sociological imagination”?
Wright Mills
Sociological imagination is…
Way of thinking about the social world, approaching phenomena as new, asking lots of questions in order to see them from many angles and understand in relation to the wider society; way of approaching social phenomena and individual practices
Individuals in sociology:
are always studied in social context - how do they behave in a social environment and how their behavior changes in accordance with it
SOCIOLOGY STUDIES GROUPS (2):
- how groups behave
- how groups differ from other groups
Groups are…
diverse, NOT homogenous
Sociology studies how societies…
are organised
Societies are organised in:
social institutions (family, religion, education, work, healthcare system)
What is the task of social institutions?
to create social roles and expectations to guide human behaviour.
Socialization -
process of learning values and norms in a society, starts as soon as the person is born
What medical sociology focuses on? (3)
- the experience of a disease is a social experience
- people’s cultural values shape their health beliefs and behavior
- health could be influenced by social forces
“Disease as a social experience”:
patient’s social life changes as a result of the disease, thus disease becomes a part of the patient’s social life;
not a fixed social experience: diff ppl may experience the same condition differently, it depends on the patient’s life circumstances & social context
“Socio-cultural values shape our behavior & health behavior”
(cultural beliefs)
cultural beliefs become ppl’s second nature and can interrupt treating process
“Social values influence health”
(socioeconomic background)
socio-economic background is associated with ill health and high mortality;
working class ppl have lower access to resources, their socio-economic standing shapes their behavior
empathy -
showing understanding of your patient’s feelings and perspective
Why is medical sociology useful f/ medical practitioners?
It helps to understand patients more holistically & facilitate communication & treatment
Diversity -
Sum of social, cultural and identity-based human attributes represented within a group
Skills & behaviors f/ working effectively & appropriately in diverse groups (9)
- deep listening f/ understanding
- be non-judgmental to accept other’s perspective
- show empathy to understand & provide support
- shared decision making f/ inclusion & fairness
- be open-minded to learn about others & self-reflect
- self-reflect to tackle biases & microaggressions
- show respect, interest & give value
- take responsibility to complete tasks & ensure the smooth fn of the group
- ensure Ψ safety f/ all members of the group to freely express their opinion, concerns, develop from mistakes
Lay health beliefs
Beliefs ordinary ppl w/out medical training have about health & illness
What else, apart from health beliefs, influence human behaviour?
Social influences
Lay beliefs about being healthy by Herzlich, 1973 - ? (3)
- reserve of health
- health as equilibrium
- health as vacuum
Reserve of H -?
having strength to resist disease
Ex: person feels strong to resist disease even when they have symptoms
Health (H) as equilibrium - ?
balance inside the body & mind (general physical & Ψ well-being) and b/w an individual & social world
Ex: person feels well-balanced physically & Ψly AND not in conflict w/ anyone even though there is a condition present
H in a vacuum - ?
absence of a condition means being healthy
Ex: person w/ no diagnosed conditions understands that they are healthy even when feeling unwell&
H as function (Bexter, 2010) - ?
the ability to do things in everyday life
the ability to achieve personal goals
Ex: a person has a condition but feels healthy b/c can still do things they want
H beliefs can influence illness behavior, also there are many factors that influence ppl’s illness behavior, which are? (3)
- H literacy: some patients know more than others, it can help identify potential symptoms
- Triggers: 1) pressure from others, 2) restricting nature of symptoms. Ex: regardless of a person’s beliefs, they may seek help when symptoms interfere w/ their lifestyle
- Referral system lay ppl use: family members, community
Triggers that influence ppl’s illness behavior (2):
1) pressure from others
2) restricting nature of symptoms.
Ex: regardless of a person’s beliefs, they may seek help when symptoms interfere w/ their lifestyle
Self-treatment is… (+/-)?
encouraged
CAM - ?
Complementary Alternative Medicine, used more widely now, lots of followers & practitioners, ppl tend to stop believing in biomedicine. Some exs: yoga, meditation, aromatherapy
Lay H beliefs about causes of illness by Helman (2007) -? (4)
- individual site
- natural site
- social site
- supernatural site
individual site -
disease is attributed to the individual and their actions
natural site -
diseases related to environmental factors such as pollution, humidity, cold
social site -
diseases are believed to be inflicted by others due to conflict or jealousy
Ex: evil eye
supernatural site -
diseases inflicted by supernatural entities
Ex: gods, spirits of ancestors
Where are all these sites/beliefs are likely to be observed?
Individual & natural - in western industrialized societies (biomedicine is a part of ppl’s lives)
social & supernatural - in developing countries and tribal societies.