The Rest Cure

Hey guys, below is the link for the reading that will be discussed in class on Wednesday.

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/164/5/737

Sociology 101

Hey Guys.. This probably looks a little familiar, but here is a small list, including the one handed out in class on Monday, of some key terms that will be helpful for you in the long run. Emily & I will most likely be adding to this throughout the semester so be sure to check back here occasionally especially when writing your papers or studying.


Sociology
"Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behavior as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of world-wide social processes." (Anthony Giddens, 1989 Sociology)

Medical Sociology
"Medical sociology is concerned with the relationships between social factors and health, and with the application of sociological theory and research techniques to questions related to health and the health care system.
Typical areas of research include the influence of ethnicity, gender, age, or socioeconomic status on the access to and quality of health care; health and risk taking behaviors; social constructs of illness; health beliefs and perceptions; health effects of sociocultural changes; the role of health institutions and health professionals in society; the social implications of biomedical innovations, education, and communication; and other sociological aspects of medical organization and practice." (Nation Library of Medicine: Institute of Health.)

Culture
Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief. Within societies there are subcultures, which exhibit their own norms and ways of doing things.

Social Structure
Several ideas are implicit in the notion of social structure:

1. First, human beings form social relations that are not arbitrary and conincidental, but exhibit some regularity and continuity.
2. Second, social life is not chaotic formless but is, in fact, differentiated into certain groups, positions, and institutions that are interdependent or functionally interrelated.
3. Third, individual choices are shaped and circumscribed by the social environment, because social groups, although constituted by the social activities of individuals, are not a direct result of the wishes and intentions of the individual members. the notion of social structure implies, in other words, that human beings are not completely free and autonomous in their choices and actions but are instead constrained by the social world they inhabit and the social relations they form with one another.

Morbidity
The incidence of disease : the rate of sickness (as in a specified community or group.)

Mortality
The number of deaths in a given time or place; the proportion of deaths to population; the number lost or the rate of loss or failure.

SocioEconomic Status (SES)
A family's socioeconomic status is based on family income, parental education level, parental occupation, and social status in the community (such as contacts within the community, group associations, and the community's perception of the family.) (Demarest, et al. 1993)

Ice breaker

So we're going to start out with a very basic, but highly debated topic to get everyone talking! This is completely opinion, so give it a shot. Here is the question:

Is healthcare a right or a privilege?

Welcome!

Hey Everybody! So this is our class blog. We will be posting articles, video clips, questions and discussion topics weekly for everyone to respond to. This is critical for your participation grades! You guys can also post any questions you might have about class, assignments or tests and we will be quick to answer them. We will be sending out a class email everytime we post an entry so no one forgets. We are going to be keeping track so be sure to comment. Good luck!
-Emily & Charlie

How to Blog

Here are some quick instructions to navigating the blog:

1) click on the link to the blog sent in email.

2) Posts appear in chronological order but they are archived in the sidebar.

3) Read the blog and from the main page, click the Comment link under the post on which you want to comment. On an individual post page, scroll down to the end of the post if necessary.

4) You can choose to sign-in and create a blogger account and profile (you will need a name and email address to do this)… If you choose to do this but are not comfortable with having your real name out there in blogger world, you can create a ‘name’ for yourself. Obviously you will have to let me know what your screen name is…

5) You can also leave posts anonymously, but you will have to identify yourself in the body of your comment so that I know who you are

6) You will need to post at least one comment in response to a blog.

7) The blog is public for now. However, if there are a lot of comments from people not in the class which are not appropriate, I can make the blog private (i.e. only the class will be able to access the blog).

8) If there are any inappropriate class comments I can delete the comment.. and I can also make the blog so that I moderate the comments before they’re posted (I’d much prefer not to do this.. so keep it clean and respectful…)

9) You should check the blog regularly – at least twice week.