FSU SYG 2010 - CHAPTER 10: MEDICAL CARE-PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS

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SYG2010 Chp 10 12 04 01 2015 CHAPTER 10 MEDICAL CARE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS 10 1 The Problem in Sociological Perspective The Social Nature of Health and Illness Not Just Biology o When America went from farming nation to factory nation heart disease became number one killer Bc we became richer could eat richer foods became less physically active ect o Pursuit of pleasure causes disease Unprotected sex leads to STDs Smoking drinking o Social cause of illness take us far beyond biology Latrogenesis o Medical errors that harm patients o Very common and can be fatal o If number of Americans killed by medical errors were an official classification of death it would rank as 5th leading cause of death Changing Ideas About Health and Illness o Doctors are the reason babies and mothers are considered ill if baby is not delivered within 24 hours Gives it an arbitrary definition of illness o We see a social nature of disease when looking at the meaning of symptoms and how they can change Ex coal miner goes to doctor and says he has a bad cough and is coughing up blood doctor says they are not sign of disease but instead just something that happens to those who work in the mine Miners had to fight to get their definition accepted This led to a new understanding of how the environment can cause illness Disease called Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis proved to be preventable and soon dropped in half Environment and Disease on a Global Level o Human activity reshape the environment and then in return effects the diseases that humans experience o Health and illness is considered not only a biology matter but also a social matter 10 2 The Social Organization of Medicine An Explosion in Medical Costs o Reasons why nations medical bill exploded 1 More elderly in our population 2 New technology expensive 3 We approach medical care as a commodity to be sold Medicine for Profit A Two Tier System of Medical Care o Medicine for profit is also known as fee for service medical for profit system They collect a fee for each service room surgery post surgery fees extra gauze extra scalpel The more services they sell the more money they make o This has lead to a two tier system of medical care One for those who can afford good insurance and another for those who cannot Medicine for Profit Cesarean Delivery o Doctors prefer this method They can plan when the baby will come therefor they get the money from the surgery They also stay in the hospital longer and most likely be rehospitalized after birth 1 Profit 2 Convenience 3 Technology 4 Preference some women ask for c section Feminist Controversy o Central issue is the relative power of women o Feminist say that it takes the power over childbirth away from women and puts it in the hands of doctors o Some say c section can empower women 10 3 Scope of the Problem Physical Illness as a Social Problem o Life Expectancy Male avrg 76 Female avrg 81 Whites live avrg of 4 years longer than African Americans Asian Americans live the longest Native Americans live the shortest If you want to save lives go into public health not medicine o Infant Mortality Infant mortality rate the number of babies who die before their first birthday per 1 000 births Used to measure a groups well being Reflects quality of nutrition health of mothers and babies and the quality of health care Rate is now 6 6 deaths per 1 000 Most infant mortality is seen in the south east least in the west o Lifestyle US has the highest rate of infant mortality Poverty important lifestyle may be more important Found that not biology but social conditions Ex US pregnant women more likely to gain weight during pregnancy abuse drugs scarring from abortion Immigrant women more likely to live conservative lifestyle Lifestyle is the major cause of illness and death STDS alcohol drugs all are causes of this lifestyle is related to health o Heroic and Preventative Medicine Chronic illness lingering and ongoing medical problems Medical services are geared for Acute illnesses those that have a sudden onset a sharp rise and a short duration Heroic Medicine the attention getting situations you see in movies and on television of doctors intervening in life death emergencies Preventative Medicine not dramatic consists of routine More profitable everyday activities Ex Exercise healthy eating avoiding smoking drugs o Quick Care Emergency Rooms and Drugstores Emergency rooms are the most expensive Insurance companies now refuse to cover routine care treatment given at emergency room to prevent people from going there Drugstores now offer minute clinics Avrg cost is 1 5 of what emergency room charges o Uneven Distribution of Doctors Difficult for small towns to attract doctors They don t want to work there want to be in busy city like Massachusetts 10 4 Mental Illness as a Social Problem Measuring Mental Illness o Believe it has increased bc people experience more stress while their social support systems have become weaker o Impossible to compare mental illness from then and now o Experts cant even agree on how we define various forms of mental illness The Social Nature of Mental Illness o Has a strong social basis People who experience more stress are more likely to also experience what are known as mental problems o Mental problems are assumed to be primary reason for suicide Two Tier System of Mental Health Delivery o Deinstitutionalization discharges was that these people could lead more normal lives in the community than they could in mental hospitals How they emptied the mental hospitals Wanted to support them with medication and community health services 10 5 Looking at the Problem Theoretically Symbolic Interactionism o The Meaning of Symptoms Try and figure out what our feelings mean We use definitions or labels that our culture provides Ex Back pain in lower classes is seen as what happens when you get older Middle class would see it as something that needs to go to a doctor We use cultural and subcultural symbols to determine what our symbols mean The Significance of Definitions o Homosexuality used to be listed as a mental illness by APA o Conversion therapy psychiatrists would attempt to change a person s sexual orientation Few therapist still practice it o Labels we apply to health and illness have a direct impact on how we see the world o Ex If we define alcohol abuse as a disease we perceive an alcohol abuser as sick Conflicting Referral Networks o Lay referral network patients use this family friends


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FSU SYG 2010 - CHAPTER 10: MEDICAL CARE-PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS

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