HSCI 130 MIDTERM 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
How is health viewed as a social construction? - Answers - an individuals health is not
just biological determinism but, in part, an outcome of their gender, race, economic
location, occupation, geographic region, etc.
different from a medico-centric approach to health & illness
Contrast the sociological understanding of health and wellness w/ a biomedical
perspective of health - Answers - sociological understanding is beyond the biomedical
perspective of health
it looks at the biology and physiology, but also explores the social context (social,
economic, cultural, political features) of health & illness
How has the responsibility for health shifted over the last 50 years? - Answers - move
from gov't involvement towards individual responsibility for health
impact of consumer culture & medical consumerism
role of technology & internet in shaping health behavior
What are the differences among sociology of medicine, sociology in medicine & health
sociology in terms of units of analysis? - Answers - sociology in medicine- individual and
interactions (applied, medico-centric approach)
sociology of medicine- individual and social organizations (basic)
health sociology- society & social structures
What are the social determinants of health? - Answers - conditions in which people are
born, grow, live, work and age that affect health
e.g. income, education, gender, ethnicity, family life, etc.
What is the focus of the sautogenic model of health? - Answers - good health and how it
translates to wellness rather than illness
what are salutory factors? - Answers - factors that makes populations healthy;
psychological, physical & social
e.g. sense of coherence, coping skills, supportive social environment
What are the two basic motivations behind applying sociological theory to
understanding healthiness & the body? - Answers - by better understanding society and
culture, we will be able to understand human health & illness and vice versa
structural functionalist paradigm - Answers - views society as a harmonious social
system made up of a number of interconnected parts that function to maintain order and
stability
health (ascribed) and illness (temporary) are viewed as social roles that have certain
cultural expectations and behaviors
, What is the approach in the structural functionalist paradigm? - Answers - Structural
functionalism investigates how largescale social structures and institutions work
together to pattern human behaviour
The physician-patient relationship is
hierarchical: The physician provides
instructions, and the patient needs to follow
them.
Patients must perform the "sick role" in order
to be perceived as legitimately ill and to be
exempt from their normal obligations
social conflict paradigm - Answers - capitalist society is composed of different
competing interest groups that are in a constant power struggle
social inequality characterizes quality of health & health care
focuses attention on the political economy of health and social inequalities in the
distribution of illness and access to health care services
What is the approach in the social conflict paradigm? - Answers - physician rule: trying
to control the practice of medicine and define social problems as medical problems
as a result, people from disadvantaged background are more likely to be ill and get poor
health care
symbolic interactionlist paradigm - Answers - Views society as a socially constructed
product of everyday interactions of individuals.
behavior is a response or reaction to other individuals or physical settings
What is the approach in the symbolic interactionalist paradigm? - Answers - medical
knowledge is socially constructed and not objective and error-prone
physician "manage the situation" to display authority and medical knowledge
physical and mental conditions are considered healthy or ill only if defined by society
What are the four aspects of sick role that Parsons described? - Answers - 1. exemption
from responsibilities (right 1)
2. temporarily exempt from usual well roles and task obligations (right 2)
3. try and get well and resume responsibilities (duty 1)
4. seek technically competent help & cooperate in process of getting well (duty 2)
Discuss the role of professional medicine in health, illness, and disease according to
conflict theorists. - Answers - Professional medicine determines what counts as disease
and physicians legitimate sickness claims through diagnostic tests and procedures, in
turn they control the diagnostic process and access to treatment -->Health & illness are
professional constructs
How is Erving Goffman's theory to understanding health and illness a symbolic
interactionalist approach? - Answers - his theory outlines that what we believe are the
How is health viewed as a social construction? - Answers - an individuals health is not
just biological determinism but, in part, an outcome of their gender, race, economic
location, occupation, geographic region, etc.
different from a medico-centric approach to health & illness
Contrast the sociological understanding of health and wellness w/ a biomedical
perspective of health - Answers - sociological understanding is beyond the biomedical
perspective of health
it looks at the biology and physiology, but also explores the social context (social,
economic, cultural, political features) of health & illness
How has the responsibility for health shifted over the last 50 years? - Answers - move
from gov't involvement towards individual responsibility for health
impact of consumer culture & medical consumerism
role of technology & internet in shaping health behavior
What are the differences among sociology of medicine, sociology in medicine & health
sociology in terms of units of analysis? - Answers - sociology in medicine- individual and
interactions (applied, medico-centric approach)
sociology of medicine- individual and social organizations (basic)
health sociology- society & social structures
What are the social determinants of health? - Answers - conditions in which people are
born, grow, live, work and age that affect health
e.g. income, education, gender, ethnicity, family life, etc.
What is the focus of the sautogenic model of health? - Answers - good health and how it
translates to wellness rather than illness
what are salutory factors? - Answers - factors that makes populations healthy;
psychological, physical & social
e.g. sense of coherence, coping skills, supportive social environment
What are the two basic motivations behind applying sociological theory to
understanding healthiness & the body? - Answers - by better understanding society and
culture, we will be able to understand human health & illness and vice versa
structural functionalist paradigm - Answers - views society as a harmonious social
system made up of a number of interconnected parts that function to maintain order and
stability
health (ascribed) and illness (temporary) are viewed as social roles that have certain
cultural expectations and behaviors
, What is the approach in the structural functionalist paradigm? - Answers - Structural
functionalism investigates how largescale social structures and institutions work
together to pattern human behaviour
The physician-patient relationship is
hierarchical: The physician provides
instructions, and the patient needs to follow
them.
Patients must perform the "sick role" in order
to be perceived as legitimately ill and to be
exempt from their normal obligations
social conflict paradigm - Answers - capitalist society is composed of different
competing interest groups that are in a constant power struggle
social inequality characterizes quality of health & health care
focuses attention on the political economy of health and social inequalities in the
distribution of illness and access to health care services
What is the approach in the social conflict paradigm? - Answers - physician rule: trying
to control the practice of medicine and define social problems as medical problems
as a result, people from disadvantaged background are more likely to be ill and get poor
health care
symbolic interactionlist paradigm - Answers - Views society as a socially constructed
product of everyday interactions of individuals.
behavior is a response or reaction to other individuals or physical settings
What is the approach in the symbolic interactionalist paradigm? - Answers - medical
knowledge is socially constructed and not objective and error-prone
physician "manage the situation" to display authority and medical knowledge
physical and mental conditions are considered healthy or ill only if defined by society
What are the four aspects of sick role that Parsons described? - Answers - 1. exemption
from responsibilities (right 1)
2. temporarily exempt from usual well roles and task obligations (right 2)
3. try and get well and resume responsibilities (duty 1)
4. seek technically competent help & cooperate in process of getting well (duty 2)
Discuss the role of professional medicine in health, illness, and disease according to
conflict theorists. - Answers - Professional medicine determines what counts as disease
and physicians legitimate sickness claims through diagnostic tests and procedures, in
turn they control the diagnostic process and access to treatment -->Health & illness are
professional constructs
How is Erving Goffman's theory to understanding health and illness a symbolic
interactionalist approach? - Answers - his theory outlines that what we believe are the
