Here are some shocking videos that illustrates issues regarding pharmaceutical companies, the prevalence of medical socialization and some facts that you may find troubling...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Any Questions??
Hello everyone,
If anyone is having any issues/questions regarding any course material, the blog, the journal or anything else you can think of please leave a comment here.
-Tyler
If anyone is having any issues/questions regarding any course material, the blog, the journal or anything else you can think of please leave a comment here.
-Tyler
Vocabulary
Hi guys,
Keep an eye on this part of the blog. I'll be adding important terms and ideas to this throughout the semester. Because it will be continuously updated, it will not appear as a new post at the top of the page, you will have to scroll down to view it.
Biomedical model: (5 assumptions)
1) The mind and the body can be treated separately. *We seek biological explanations for mind abnormalities (depression)
2) The body can be repaired like a machine. *This is a very impersonal approach to the healing process. This does not address the psychological or emotional effects that the disease or injury my illicit.
3) The merits of technological interventions are sometimes overplayed. *The idea that to improve healthcare, we need more technology. This is imbedded in the capitalist consumer attitude that lavish and more expensive procedures and advances are more beneficial.
4) Biomedicine is reductionist in that explanations of disease focus on biological changes to the relative neglect of social and psychological factors. *We tend to focus on the physical presence of the secular disease and deny the social factors that allow that disease to thrive.
5) Germ theory…assumes that every disease is caused by a specific, identifiable agent (disease) *This does not look at diseases not caused by a specific agent. Think of heart disease and it’s relation to stress and diet. (obesity).
Social Constructionism: Knowledge and history are based on a socially created present. The views that we generally accept as truth are skewed by the value margins that our culturally contextual society puts on it.
Discourse: Socially constructed meaning through symbolic communication.
Epistemology: the study of knowledge and justified belief.
Radical Constructionists: don’t suppose the existence of an external reality. We have created a discourse for understanding ourselves not through self-legitimizing truth but by the means through which we may describe ourselves. The techniques that we use and the terminology to describe are socially created.
Realism: presume the existence of an external reality, but argue that there are various competing accounts of that reality. There are innate truths but the process by which we use to describe it creates a cultural socket to which we affix present meaning.
Ideology: an organized system of ideas and beliefs. Ideology circulates as the natural order of things. Ideologies serve the interests of specific social groups at the expense of others.
Ethnocentrism: the belief that one's culture’s way of doing something is the best way.
Whig History: looks at the historical benefits to self-legitimize current action. This trys to establish medicine as a "natural progression."
Hegemony: A prevalent cultural dynamic that seems natural but is actually a social construction
Stratification: A social separation (hierarchy) based on class, gender, race, SES, etc
Social Institutions: Those groups surrounding an individual which illicit action to facilitate the self-propagating interests of an institution. These groups are embeded in and formed as a result of social structure. These can be either formal (school) or informal (family) which governs the
Normative Behavior : The latent rules set forth by dominant institutions that governs the ways in which an individual fulfills their social role.
Culture: A way of life for an entire society. This includes norms of behavior, systems of belief, socialization, dress and food.
Social Epidemiology: The prevalence of morbidity and mortality rates amongst different social groups. It is also a study of the social factors that contribute to differences in health among groups.
Morbidity: the rate of sickness
Mortality: the rate of death
Reformist: Interested in the individual (micro-level) and their interaction with their environment. This can be factors such as pollution, lifestyle, income and nutrition.
Materialist: This is a look at outside (macro-level) influences that shape society such as class relations.
Keep an eye on this part of the blog. I'll be adding important terms and ideas to this throughout the semester. Because it will be continuously updated, it will not appear as a new post at the top of the page, you will have to scroll down to view it.
Biomedical model: (5 assumptions)
1) The mind and the body can be treated separately. *We seek biological explanations for mind abnormalities (depression)
2) The body can be repaired like a machine. *This is a very impersonal approach to the healing process. This does not address the psychological or emotional effects that the disease or injury my illicit.
3) The merits of technological interventions are sometimes overplayed. *The idea that to improve healthcare, we need more technology. This is imbedded in the capitalist consumer attitude that lavish and more expensive procedures and advances are more beneficial.
4) Biomedicine is reductionist in that explanations of disease focus on biological changes to the relative neglect of social and psychological factors. *We tend to focus on the physical presence of the secular disease and deny the social factors that allow that disease to thrive.
5) Germ theory…assumes that every disease is caused by a specific, identifiable agent (disease) *This does not look at diseases not caused by a specific agent. Think of heart disease and it’s relation to stress and diet. (obesity).
Social Constructionism: Knowledge and history are based on a socially created present. The views that we generally accept as truth are skewed by the value margins that our culturally contextual society puts on it.
Discourse: Socially constructed meaning through symbolic communication.
Epistemology: the study of knowledge and justified belief.
Radical Constructionists: don’t suppose the existence of an external reality. We have created a discourse for understanding ourselves not through self-legitimizing truth but by the means through which we may describe ourselves. The techniques that we use and the terminology to describe are socially created.
Realism: presume the existence of an external reality, but argue that there are various competing accounts of that reality. There are innate truths but the process by which we use to describe it creates a cultural socket to which we affix present meaning.
Ideology: an organized system of ideas and beliefs. Ideology circulates as the natural order of things. Ideologies serve the interests of specific social groups at the expense of others.
Ethnocentrism: the belief that one's culture’s way of doing something is the best way.
Whig History: looks at the historical benefits to self-legitimize current action. This trys to establish medicine as a "natural progression."
Hegemony: A prevalent cultural dynamic that seems natural but is actually a social construction
Stratification: A social separation (hierarchy) based on class, gender, race, SES, etc
Social Institutions: Those groups surrounding an individual which illicit action to facilitate the self-propagating interests of an institution. These groups are embeded in and formed as a result of social structure. These can be either formal (school) or informal (family) which governs the
Normative Behavior : The latent rules set forth by dominant institutions that governs the ways in which an individual fulfills their social role.
Culture: A way of life for an entire society. This includes norms of behavior, systems of belief, socialization, dress and food.
Social Epidemiology: The prevalence of morbidity and mortality rates amongst different social groups. It is also a study of the social factors that contribute to differences in health among groups.
Morbidity: the rate of sickness
Mortality: the rate of death
Reformist: Interested in the individual (micro-level) and their interaction with their environment. This can be factors such as pollution, lifestyle, income and nutrition.
Materialist: This is a look at outside (macro-level) influences that shape society such as class relations.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Social Structures
Last class we ended with a discussion of several ideas which are implicit in the notion of social structure. Here is a quick review:
1) Human beings form social relations that are not arbitrary and coincidental but exhibit some regularity and continuity.
* Think of the friends, co-workers or other close personal ties that you may have with others. Think of the social structures that either inhibit or foster these relations. Socio-economic status, race, class, gender, and health are all examples of dynamics which narrow the margins of choice and organize social relations.
2) Social life is not chaotic and formless but is, in fact, differentiated into certain groups, positions, and institutions that are interdependent or functionally interrelated.
*However independent we may view ourselves, we live within, associate with, and rely upon groups of people which provide us with the social, emotional, spiritual and educational resources that we need to survive.
3) Individual choices are shaped and circumscribed by the social environment, because social groups, although constituted by the social activites of individuals, are not a direct result of the wishes and intentions of the individual members. The notion of social structure implies, in other words, that human beings are not completely free and autonomous in their choices and actions but are instead constrained by the social world they inhabit and the social relations they form with one another.
*Social groups influence personal choice. Latent to any social group is the draw of solidarity. All people involved wish to act in a way to insure their own participation. The way we act, dress, consume, relate and make decisions are all a reflection of the influence of the individual's prescribed social group.
1) Human beings form social relations that are not arbitrary and coincidental but exhibit some regularity and continuity.
* Think of the friends, co-workers or other close personal ties that you may have with others. Think of the social structures that either inhibit or foster these relations. Socio-economic status, race, class, gender, and health are all examples of dynamics which narrow the margins of choice and organize social relations.
2) Social life is not chaotic and formless but is, in fact, differentiated into certain groups, positions, and institutions that are interdependent or functionally interrelated.
*However independent we may view ourselves, we live within, associate with, and rely upon groups of people which provide us with the social, emotional, spiritual and educational resources that we need to survive.
3) Individual choices are shaped and circumscribed by the social environment, because social groups, although constituted by the social activites of individuals, are not a direct result of the wishes and intentions of the individual members. The notion of social structure implies, in other words, that human beings are not completely free and autonomous in their choices and actions but are instead constrained by the social world they inhabit and the social relations they form with one another.
*Social groups influence personal choice. Latent to any social group is the draw of solidarity. All people involved wish to act in a way to insure their own participation. The way we act, dress, consume, relate and make decisions are all a reflection of the influence of the individual's prescribed social group.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Welcome to Medical Sociology
Hello Class,
Welcome to our class blog. I am very excited about this and I greatly encourage you to visit, utilize and contribute to the blog. I will be posting relevant material such as articles, vocabulary, questions, practice exams, etc. The use of this will contribute to your overall class participation.
I understand that some people may shy away from speaking up in class so this is an excellent opportunity to voice an opinion or ask a question. Think of this as an open class discussion and an easy way to increase your grade.
Please leave a comment to this entry so that I know you have been able to create a profile. Best of luck!
-Tyler
Here are some quick instructions to navigating the blog:
1) click on the link to the blog:http://medicalsociology2.blogspot.com/
2) Posts appear in chronological order but they are archived in the sidebar.
3) Read the blog and from the main page, click the Comment link under the post on which you want to comment. On an individual post page, scroll down to the end of the post if necessary.
4) You can choose to sign-in and create a blogger account and profile (you will need a name and email address to do this)… If you choose to do this but are not comfortable with having your real name out there in blogger world, you can create a ‘name’ for yourself. Obviously you will have to let me know what your screen name is…
5) You can also leave posts anonymously, but you will have to identify yourself in the body of your comment so that I know who you are
6) You will need to post at least one comment in response to a blog.
7) The blog is public for now. However, if there are a lot of comments from people not in the class which are not appropriate, I can make the blog private (i.e. only the class will be able to access the blog).
8) If there are any inappropriate class comments I can delete the comment.. and I can also make the blog so that I moderate the comments before they’re posted (I’d much prefer not to do this.. so keep it clean and respectful…)
9) You should check the blog regularly – at least twice week.
Welcome to our class blog. I am very excited about this and I greatly encourage you to visit, utilize and contribute to the blog. I will be posting relevant material such as articles, vocabulary, questions, practice exams, etc. The use of this will contribute to your overall class participation.
I understand that some people may shy away from speaking up in class so this is an excellent opportunity to voice an opinion or ask a question. Think of this as an open class discussion and an easy way to increase your grade.
Please leave a comment to this entry so that I know you have been able to create a profile. Best of luck!
-Tyler
Here are some quick instructions to navigating the blog:
1) click on the link to the blog:http://medicalsociology2.blogspot.com/
2) Posts appear in chronological order but they are archived in the sidebar.
3) Read the blog and from the main page, click the Comment link under the post on which you want to comment. On an individual post page, scroll down to the end of the post if necessary.
4) You can choose to sign-in and create a blogger account and profile (you will need a name and email address to do this)… If you choose to do this but are not comfortable with having your real name out there in blogger world, you can create a ‘name’ for yourself. Obviously you will have to let me know what your screen name is…
5) You can also leave posts anonymously, but you will have to identify yourself in the body of your comment so that I know who you are
6) You will need to post at least one comment in response to a blog.
7) The blog is public for now. However, if there are a lot of comments from people not in the class which are not appropriate, I can make the blog private (i.e. only the class will be able to access the blog).
8) If there are any inappropriate class comments I can delete the comment.. and I can also make the blog so that I moderate the comments before they’re posted (I’d much prefer not to do this.. so keep it clean and respectful…)
9) You should check the blog regularly – at least twice week.
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