Sociological Vernacular

An important part of this class is going to be articulating your ideas in a sociological perspective, not focusing on opinion but rather theory. Throughout the semester I will be adding terms to this section of the blog that will help you enhance your articulation. The more you are able to make use of these terms the better you will do on assignments. Believe me… I know. Dr. Professor Campbell is a sucker for sociological words. If you hear any term in class that you might not know feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you. Its likely that you are not the only one confused.

Theory is a systematically organized knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances: especially a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena.

Sociology is the study of society. Its goal is to understand all aspects of society by looking analytically at social stratification, groups, institutions, values and norms ect.

Social Structures refer to the ways in which society is differentiated into certain groups. Eg: class, race, gender, Socioeconomic Status (SES), age, religion, political party ect. Where we fall as individuals in the greater social structure organizes our social relations. These relations instill a specific set of values and norms that help regulate us as being part of a specific social group, impacting the way we speak, act, dress and in the context of this class: our health. Theses structures create our individual identities, which we intern reinforce through out society.

Stratification: A social separation (hierarchy) based on class, gender, race, SES, etc

Social Institutions: These may be formal institutions like the education, government, religion, medicine, ect. Or they can be informal institutions like the family or media. Social institutions are groups formed and embedded in social structure. They surround the individual and govern the groups norms and values.

Normative Behavior : The latent rules set forth by dominant institutions that governs the ways in which an individual fulfills their social role

Epidemiology is the study of patterns of morbidity and mortality throughout social groups. This epidemiological shift we've been talking about in class refers to the evolution of rates of morbidity and mortality being caused mainly by infectious diseases to chronic diseases.

Morbidity: the rate of sickness

Mortality: the rate of death

Ideology is a set ideas or a beliefs that depict the natural order of social life. They reflect the interests of specific groups. Ideology is abstract; it is not theory. Ideologies are commonsensical.

Culture is the way of life for a society. It includes values, traditions, rituals, language, dress, religion, codes of manners and norms of behaviors. Within societies there are subcultures, which exhibit their own norms and ways of doing things.

Biomedicine is a form of western medicine that focuses on the biological sciences.

Biomedical model: (5 assumptions)
1) The mind and the body can be treated separately. When the body is injured we go to the medical doctor, and when the mind is injured we seek psychological help. This can be problematic in cases of depression. Depression is seen as a disorder of the mind, but it can impact digestion and other bodily functions. By treating the two separately the underlying problem may be masked.

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. This is the ideology 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) Doctrine of specific etiology/Germ theory…assumes that every disease is caused by a specific, identifiable agent (disease). This approach ignores diseases not caused by a specific agent. Think of heart disease and it’s relation to the environment, stress and diet.

Whig History: looks at the historical benefits to self-legitimize current action. This trys to establish medicine as a "natural progression." Biomedicine had overplayed its advances, by selectively identifying the positive results of science. Such as the discovery of microorganisms, the eradication of certain infectious disease and the increase in the longevity of life.

Social Constructionism: This is the belief that 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: Is a fancy term for a the symbolic communication (literature, images, language) which socially construct meaning. One of Professor Campbell's favorite words!!

Radical Constructionists: don’t suppose the existence of an external reality; they believe that everything is socially created. 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 ourselves and our environment are socially created. A good example of a radical constructionist would be Professor Campbell.

Realism: presumes the existence of an external reality, but argues 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.

Ethnocentrism: the belief that one's culture’s way of doing something is the best way.

Hegemony: A prevalent cultural dynamic that seems natural but is actually a social construction. An example of this would be the need to medicate and treat. Diseases, such as ADHD or Depression might be seen as examples.

Epistemology: the study of knowledge and justified belief.

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.

Social Control: Society ability to exert force over bodies. This occurs through internalization of norms and values. We control our bodies by following certain norms ( not speaking while others are talking). There is also external social control which comes in the forms of sanctions. If you speak while someone is talking they are bound to reject you from their group or kick you out of class.

Social Class: the structuring of groups by economic or cultural assets.

Web of Causation: The extraneous factors affecting a certain phenomenon. These factors include the social, cultural and physical environment, ect.

McDonaldization: is the process of rationalization in which logic replaces tradition. Isn't it rational to pay 25 cents more for a supersize?