Sociology of Health and Illness

The sociology of health and illness studies the interaction between society and health. In particular, sociologists examine how social life impacts morbidity and mortality rates and how morbidity and mortality rates impact society. This discipline also looks at health and illness in relation to social institutions such as the family, work, school, and religion as well as the causes of disease and illness, reasons for seeking particular types of care, and patient compliance and noncompliance. Health, or lack of health, was once merely attributed to biological or natural conditions. Sociologists have demonstrated that the spread of diseases is heavily influenced by the socioeconomic status of individuals, ethnic traditions or beliefs, and other cultural factors. Where medical research might gather statistics on a disease, a sociological perspective of an illness would provide insight on what external factors caused the demographics who contracted the disease to become ill. The sociology of health and illness requires a global approach of analysis because the influence of societal factors varies throughout the world. Diseases are examined and compared based on the traditional medicine, economics, religion, and culture that is specific to each region. For example, HIV/AIDS serves as a common basis of comparison among regions. While it is extremely problematic in certain areas, in others it has affected a relatively small percentage of the population. Sociological factors can help to explain why these discrepancies exist. There are obvious differences in patterns of health and illness across societies, over time, and within particular society types. There has historically been a long-term decline in mortality within industrialized societies, and on average, life-expectancies are considerably higher in developed, rather than developing or undeveloped, societies. Patterns of global change in health care systems make it more imperative than ever to research and comprehend the sociology of health and illness. Continuous changes in the economy, therapy, technology, and insurance can affect the way individual communities view and respond to the medical care available. These rapid fluctuations cause the issue of health and illness within social life to be very dynamic in the definition. Advancing information is vital because as patterns evolve, the study of the sociology of health and illness constantly needs to be updated. The sociology of health and illness is not to be confused with medical sociology, which focuses on medical institutions such as hospitals, clinics, and physician offices as well as the interactions among physicians. Resources White, K. An Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Illness. SAGE Publishing, 2002. Conrad, P. The Sociology of Health and Illness: Critical Perspectives. Macmillan Publishers, 2008.

Social Exchange Theory Essays - 1531 Words

Social Exchange Theory 2 Application of: The Social Exchange Theory In everyday interactions people are always looking to have a positive experience among those with whom they interact. According to the Social Exchange theory, with each interaction an individual has with another, that individual attempts to maximize the positive outcomes and minimize the negative. The purpose of this paper is to apply the Social Exchange theory to an authentic real life situation to best illustrate the theory and the key concepts that it holds. In applying the social exchange theory from demonstration, to application, to then explanation, a better understanding in terms of the value of the theory will be shown, as well as the function that it†¦show more content†¦According to West and Turner this is critical to the Social Exchange Theory (182). The theory rests on the notion that within the limits of the information that is available to them, people will calculate the costs and rewards of a given situation and guide their behaviors accordingly West Turn er 182). Meaning that people are always calculating the rewards and costs for each situation they are put into, and those rewards or costs determine the outcome of their decision-making. Along with assumptions for the Social Exchange there is another factor that plays a key role. Relating to the concept of cost and rewards is the comparison level or CL. The comparison level is a standard representing what people feel they should receive in the way of rewards and costs from a particular relationship (West Turner 184). Therefore the individual weighs the pros and cons of the relationship. If the cons are an Social Exchange Theory 5 acceptable amount, then the relationship should very well stay the same. However, if the costs far outweigh the rewards, then there is what is called a comparison level for alternatives (CLalt). As stated by West and Turner, this refers to the lowest level of relational rewards a person is willing to accept given available rewards from alternative relationships of being alone (185). Signifying that the CLalt measures how people evaluate a relationship compared to the realistic alternativesShow MoreRelatedSocial Exchange Theory1512 Words   |  7 PagesThe Social Exchange Theory was created by researchers John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley, was an attempt to everyday interpersonal relationships. This theory, with backgrounds in sociology and economics, appeals to so many because of it simple answers to human interaction and intentions. The social exchange theory is very rational and considers humans to be rational in every thought they make. It examines human behavior through co sts and benefits of being in a particular relationship. The theoryRead MoreSocial Exchange Theory2516 Words   |  11 PagesTheories Of Relationship Theories Of Relationship [Document Title] [Document Title] Elizabeth Wiwoloku Elizabeth Wiwoloku Introduction There are two main theories applied to relationships, Social Exchange Theory and Equity Theory underpin commonly used behavioural therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Integrative Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. More recent studies in neuroscience and behavior and the importance of language have led to theRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Exchange Theory Essay2323 Words   |  10 PagesDuring the course of this week’s discussion we will examine the social exchange theory (SET); Dr. Cone did a great job presenting SET to us in this week’s media, I hope you all enjoyed it. 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In a relationship, if one sees a relationship as having more benefits than risks,Read MoreTheory, Social Exchange Theory And Symbolic Convergence Theory1249 Words   |  5 PagesTheories are a way humans try to explain the world by what they see happen in time. Theories are an observed phenomenon that occur a multitude of times. When these events are observed, humans need an explanation for these events. When one finds this explanation, it is called a theory. Theories apply to many different aspects of life. Small group theories create explanations for what happens when a group of people get together for one purpose; or a goal. What happens when different types people withRead More Social Exchange Theory Essay examples1557 Words   |  7 Pagesbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Social Exchange Theory 2 Application of: The Social Exchange Theory In everyday interactions people are always looking to have a positive experience among those with whom they interact. According to the Social Exchange theory, with each interaction an individual has with another, that individual attempts to maximize the positive outcomes and minimize the negative. The purpose of this paper is to apply the Social Exchange theory to an authentic real life situationRead MoreThe Social Exchange Theory in Interpersonal Relationships1577 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent levels of interpersonal communication and theories of interpersonal communication. One of the theories that is used to explain changes in social behavior is the social exchange theory. The social exchange theory proposes that social behavior is the result of an exchange process between two people. The basic concept of the exchange theory is that it emphasizes the cost between the interactions of people and their social environment. Exchange theory attempts to explain human behavior under the contentRead MoreSocial Exchange Theory, And Uncertainty Events1757 Words   |  8 Pagestheir relationship and they conclude their issues started after they got married. Hence, within this paper, I will take a closer look at Jose and Denise’s scenario and analyze how their case exhibits three communication concepts: avoiding, social exchange theory, and uncertainty events. After the analysis, I will give detailed recommendations on what should be done in the future to improve their communication and relationships. In Jose and Denise’s situation, Denise started having concerns overRead MoreSocial Exchange Theory by George Homans Essay1699 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Exchange theory was created by George Homans in 1958. Since its publication as â€Å"Social Behavior as Exchange†, several other theorists like Peter Blau, Richard Emerson, John Thibaut, and Harold Kelley have contributed to the theory. Before diving into the biggest concepts of this theory, two main properties need to be discussed. This theory is all about social exchanges, which are essentially reactions and decisions in relationships. The two properties are self-interest and interdependenceRead MoreThe Social Exchange Theory : Catfish, By Ariel Schulman And Henry Joost1111 Words   |  5 Pageshuman behavior, is dubbed the Social Exchange Theory. In the documentary Catfish, directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, Nev Schulman and â€Å"Meghan†, who Angela pretends to be, continue to grow their relation ship until the cost of the dyad becomes too much for Nev to simply enjoy. This causes Nev to reconsider what this relationship means to him, before making a decision on whether it’s worth keeping or not in several different contexts. While the Social Exchange Theory sounds like a basic concept

What is the main purpose of prison Free Essays

What is the main purpose of prison BY assists What is the main purpose of prisons? Although the human society is marching on all the time, a variety of crimes such as cheat, steal and even more serious kidnapping, rape and murder keep happening around us unavoidably. In order to maintain the stability of our countries and punish those people who commit crimes, prisons appear. That is the simplest reason for prison establishing, and in this article I will analyze the purpose of prisons deeply. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the main purpose of prison or any similar topic only for you Order Now Generally speaking, despite the punishment action, known as retribution, the purpose of prisons can be divided into another 3 categories. Firstly, incapacitation, it can be expressed as isolating the criminals and depriving their freedom by locking them in a secure place. Secondly, for people who intend to commit crime but have not broken the laws, prisons are deterrence to some extent. In another word, prisons act as a warning in people’s mind to prevent future crimes. Finally, rehabilitation means that the prisons have the responsibility to develop prisoners’ abilities and integrate them into society after releasing. Those activities may include but not limited in launching educational courses, teaching Job skills, informing current news s well as providing psychotherapy by professional staffs. However, after explaining the functions of prisons thoroughly, there comes a new problem for us, what should be the main purpose of prisons – rehabilitation (positive side) or punishment/societal protection (negative side)? In my opinion, it depends on the crime behavior and the intent behind the crime. If it is not a serious crime such as driving after drinking a bottle of beer, then absolutely yes, this person should be forgiven. And in this case, rehabilitation is the main purpose of prison to get him off of the wrong behavior. But then, if someone commit violate criminals such as murder or rape, the purpose of prison will change to the negative side and most of ordinary people will agree with locking him and punishing him with no hesitation. In this case, it is not necessary to give him another opportunity and the prison’s duty is only isolating the prisoner and taking away all the luxury things so that rehabilitation is not that important. In addition, if someone commits crime due to addition and has psychological problems, then rehabilitation should be put as priority, because punishment is useless for reforming addicts. How to cite What is the main purpose of prison, Papers