Introduction to Sociology of Medicine

1
Introduction to Sociology of Medicine
2
The Sociological Imagination

• Definition of sociology the scientific study of
  social institutions
• Medicine as a social institution
• Why do some groups live longer than others? Is it
  a social characteristic that causes this?

3
History of Medicine in Sociology

• Social factors play a critical role in
  determining health and access to health care.
• Social factors influence how we organize
  resources and in the delivery of medical care.

4
Development of Medical Sociology

• Established in the 1940s but appeared as early as
  1896.
• The importance of WWII in the development of
  Medical Sociology.
• Medicine was largely ignored by Sociologys
  founders.
• Engels and Durkheim

5
Classical Sociological Frameworks

• Structural Functionalism
• Conflict Theory
• Feminist Theory
• Symbolic Interactionism

6
Modern Frameworks

• Current Thinking Post-Structuralist,
  Post-Modernist, Critical Race and Thinking
  theories, etc.

7
Current Themes

• Social Capital and Health
• Definitions of each
• Social capital- investments
• Health-varying types
• Body and Society
• The political and moral controversy over the
  human body
• Michel Foucaults perspective on the body

8
Discussion Questions

• Text p.23