Social Foundations of Behavior for the Health Sciences

216 Pages·2017·6.295 MB·English

by  Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Hyeyoung Woo, Matthew J. Carlson

Ginny Garcia-Alexander · Hyeyoung Woo
Matthew J. Carlson
Social
Foundations of
Behavior for the
Health Sciences
Social Foundations of Behavior for the Health
Sciences
Ginny Garcia-Alexander • Hyeyoung Woo
Matthew J. Carlson
Social Foundations
of Behavior for the Health
Sciences
Ginny Garcia-Alexander Hyeyoung Woo
Department of Sociology Department of Sociology
Portland State University Portland State University
Portland, Oregon, USA Portland, Oregon, USA
Matthew J. Carlson
Department of Sociology
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon, USA
ISBN 978-3-319-64948-1 ISBN 978-3-319-64950-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-64950-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017949870
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To Tyler, David, and Kristin, for their endless
support.
Preface
This book provides students in the health sciences with a foundation in sociology
along with an understanding of social factors and processes and their impacts on
health. It is designed to develop the necessary knowledge and background required
by the newly added section of the medical college entrance exam, “Psychological,
Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior”. It reviews the fundamental con-
cepts of an introductory sociology text with attention to how such concepts connect
to health at multiple levels. Thus, each chapter is designed in accordance with the
related content on the exam and offers a general overview of the major sociological
concepts, concrete examples of how concepts can be applied in a health setting, key
terms and definitions, activities and research examples (that can be utilized in the
classroom or individually), example study questions, and recommended external
links and resources. As an additional bonus, it includes the specific content coverage
from the exam in each chapter with references to the specific content categories and
what they test.
vii
Extended Table of Contents and Descriptions
1. Introduction to Sociology.......................................................................... 1
This chapter provides an overview of basic social concepts and theoretical
perspectives, and introduces the reader to how these may be applied to the study
of health. It includes coverage of the development of sociology as a discipline,
core concepts, the sociological imagination, macro- vs. micro-perspectives, and
fundamental social theories (functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic
interaction).
(Exam Content Categories: 7 and 9A)
2. Social Research Methods .......................................................................... 17
This chapter provides the reader with an overview of the basic research
approaches used in sociology. It includes discussion of the distinction between
quantitative and qualitative approaches, research design, types of approaches,
sampling, the conceptualization and operationalization process, reliability and
validity, variables, and levels of measurement.
(Exam Content Categories: General Coverage)
3. Self-Concept and Identity Development ................................................... 41
This chapter introduces the reader to sociological perspectives on the development
of self-identity and its stages. It further reviews existing theoretical perspectives on
the ways individuals view themselves and others. It includes discussion of the role
of social processes in identity formation and self-presentation. Concepts covered
include: roles, role-taking, status, impression management (dramaturgical model),
and stigma.
(Exam Content Categories: 7B and 8A, 8C)
4. Socialization, Social Interaction, and Group Influence .......................... 59
This two-part chapter examines how social processes influence interaction, and how
the socialization process occurs. It also provides coverage of group dynamics and
their study at the micro- and macro-level, as well as how social support and isolation
influence health outcomes. Topic coverage includes: social interaction, norms,
agents of socialization, differential socialization, groups, groupthink, attribution
error, networks, and organizations.
(Exam Content Categories: 7B, 8A, and 8C)
ix
x Extended Table of Contents and Descriptions
5. Culture ....................................................................................................... 81
This chapter covers the sociological study of culture, and how it varies over time
and across groups. It also considers how culture shapes and defines expectations
and norms in society. Topics covered include: norms, values, beliefs, rituals,
ethnocentrism, subcultures, multiculturalism, and assimilation.
(Exam Content Categories: 7B, 8B, and 9A)
6. Race and Ethnicity .................................................................................... 101
This chapter provides the reader with sociological definitions of race and eth-
nicity, discusses diversity and multiculturalism, and defines prejudice, discrimi-
nation, and racism (including their historical development and how these
processes operate at various levels). Discussion of how race and ethnicity are
connected to health status, behaviors, and outcomes in the U.S. is included –
along with information on the development of cultural sensitivity in the health
setting. Covered concepts include: social construction of race, ethnicity, assimi-
lation, cultural sensitivity, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination).
(Exam Content Categories 8B and 8C)
7. Social Structure and Institutions .............................................................. 117
This chapter offers coverage of the structure of society and its various institu-
tions. It examines the major social institutions including the family, education,
religion, and political and economic systems. This chapter also considers how
structures and institutions contribute to inequities in society. Covered
concepts include: hidden curriculum, school segregation, family structures and
arrangements, religion, modernization and secularization, power, authority,
capitalism, and division of labor.
(Exam Content Categories: 9A and 10A)
8. Demographic Structure and Patterns of Society ...................................... 147
This chapter provides the reader with an introduction to population basics
including dynamics and structures. It provides details on the size and composi-
tion of various racial and ethnic groups and further gives an overview of
variations in the U.S. population on the basis of age, immigration, gender, and
family structure. The major demographic processes are also considered, along
with globalization and the shift toward increasing urbanization.
(Exam Content Categories: 9B)
9. Social Inequality/Class/Stratification ....................................................... 167
This chapter provides general coverage of social class and stratification in our
society as well as the associated theoretical perspectives. It includes coverage
of how power, prestige, and class lead to social inequities. Concepts covered
include: stratification (class, status, and power), theories of-, cultural and social
capital, social mobility, and poverty.
(Exam Content Categories: 8B, 8C, and 10A)
Extended Table of Contents and Descriptions xi
10. Health, Health Care, and Health Disparities........................................... 193
This two-part chapter describes health and medicine as a social institution. It
also describes health and health care disparities in the context of the social
determinants of health, and describes how social factors lead to differential
health outcomes. Covered concepts include: race, gender, and class inequities
in health and the healthcare setting, occupation and health.
(Exam Content Categories: 9A, 10A)
Chapter 1
Introduction to Sociology and Socio-Cultural
Impacts on Health
Objectives
• Recognize importance of socio-cultural impacts on health
• Define social determinants of health
• Introduce and define basic concepts in sociology and major theoretical
perspectives
Newly Added Foundational Concepts from Exam
The changes to the 2015 exam include new sections on Psychological, Social
and Biological Foundations of Behavior. This section will test examinees’
knowledge and use of the concepts in psychology, sociology, biology, research
methods, and statistics that provide a solid foundation for learning about the
behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes in
medical school. Understanding the behavioral and socio-cultural determi-
nants of health is important to the study of medicine. You will be tested on
your knowledge of the ways in which psychological, social, and biological
factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior, and behav-
ior change; what people think about themselves and others; the cultural and
social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships between
social stratification, access to resources, and well-being.
The relevance of social scientific research to medical practice is now rec-
ognized, and per the Association of American Medical Colleges recommen-
dations are best understood through the key themes of: 1) research approaches
that are theory driven and based on behavioral and social perspectives, 2) a
vantage point that considers the source of individual variation, and 3) empha-
sizes variation across sociodemographic factors and their sources (AAMC
2011). Throughout this text, students will find explicit connections to the
(continued)
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 1
G. Garcia-Alexander et al., Social Foundations of Behavior for the Health Sciences,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-64950-4_1