Introduction to Health and Medicine

19.1 The Social Construction of Health Medical sociology studies how humans manage issues of health and illness, diseases, and disorders. The cultural meaning of illness contend that illnesses have biological and experiential components that exist of each other. Stigmatization of illness discriminated against who suffer an illness and are looked down by society Contested illnesses questioned or considered questionable by medical professionals The Social Construction of the Illness Experience based on concept of reality as a social construction The Social Construction of Medical Knowledge Conrad and Baker both show medical knowledge 19.2 Global Health Social epidemiology studies the causes and distributions of diseases Health in High-Income Nations Improvements in technology and reduced family size. a. Unhealthy market goods: processed foods, sweetened drink, sweet and salty snacks. b. Leisure activities: computer games, web surfing and television viewing c. Workers shifting from active work to service industries. (agriculture and manufacturing) d. Health in Low-Income Nations Rate of mortality for children. Low income countries. a. Death for children under five: pneumonia and diarrheal diseases. b. Availability of doctors and nurses to medical education and access to patients. c. 19.3 Health in the United States Mortality number of death that happened in a time or place Report identified of these racial inequalities in care: Blacks Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives receive better care than White Americans. (40%) a. Asian ethnicities (20%) b. Hispanic (60%) c. Morbidity incidence of disease Health by Gender woman are affected by unequal access and institutionalized sexism Medicalization process where aspect of life are considered bad or deviant Mental health Anxiety disorders feeling of worry and fearfulness Mood disorders illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder Personality disorders causes people to behave in ways that are abnormal to society Disability unable to perform every tasks Impairment physical limitations Stigmatization revealing someone's identity: different, discriminates against. Stereotype interchangeability stereotypes that don't change and are used again for new subordinate group 19.4 Comparative Health and Medicine Public healthcare health that is funded by the government Private healthcare health insurance that a person buys from a private company Underinsured people who spend 10%of their income on healthcare Individual mandate rule that requires everyone to have insurance or have to pay a penalty Socialized medicine governments own it and runs the entire healthcare system Universal healthcare system that guarantees healthcare Epidemiology studies the incidence, distribution and control of diseases 19.5 Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine Sick role define appropriate behavior for the sick and who take care of them Legitimation physician certifying an illness Conflict Perspective Commodification change of something and thought of as a commodity Symbolic Interactionism Medicalization of deviance bad behavior into sick behavior Demedicalization process that normalized sick behavior Race the House we Live In The Federal Government (1930) created The Federal Housing Administration provides loans or the backing for loans to Americans to purchase a home. "Buy a home" American dream "suburbia" Someone who is raised in the ghetto dreamed of experiencing an interesting lifestyle Race had long role in local real estate practices in the 1930's. Federal Investigators looked 239 cities for financial risk. All-white communities receive the higher rating (green) Communities that were on the process of changing got the lowest rate (red) Mortgages went to suburbanizing America and races. White communities were more appreciated in value. Non-whites that stayed in urban neighborhoods Most Americans hold their wealth in the form of home equity, with this they ca finance, save up for retirement. They are living in their saving banks Five-bedroom house is worth $20,000 and in the suburbs a house like that would be worth $320,000. Whites moving to the suburb are known for wealth, and blacks were being divested. These are called policy decisions which means in one hand people are given access to property, title and wealth while in the other hand people were not given access to property, wealth, and opportunity for the next generation. Introduction to Health and Medicine Thursday, June 15, 2023 1:30 PM SOCIOLOGY Page 1