medical sociology

and its overlapping sciences

Samantha Gmez | 27 April 2014 | Emily Prior| Sociology 1
what is medical
sociology?
Branch of sociology
focused on the analysis of
the whole field of
medicine
Spotlight on availability of
medical care
Look into the political and
economic facets of
medical care (e.g.
different socioeconomic
groups receiving varied
standards of health care
History of medical
sociology
Unbrokenly developed around 1930
Individuals did not refer to
themselves as medical sociologists
until after WWII
Derived from 3 overlapping concepts:
medicine as a social science; social
medicine; and the sociology of
medicine
History of medical
sociology, continued
Doctors sought for social
explanations, deviating
from the clinical criterion
for diagnosis
Led to the development of
social epidemiology
Determinants of health
Major contributors
Rudolf Virchow studied the typhus
fever epidemic in 1847, Upper Silesia
(located mostly in Poland, with parts in
Germany and the Czech Republic). He
discovered the outbreak to be a mix of
social and economic factors

Major contributors today
Matthew Dupre, Ph.D
Examined educational
differences in age-specific
rates of disease prevalence
Found education affects
the health of individuals
with increasing age
Social epidemiology
Branch of epidemiology
that studies the social
distribution and social
determinants of health
Why do some people get
sick while others dont?
Epidemiology of Tuberculosis
Case Study of social
epidemiology
Social factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
What do social epidemiologists
look at?
Factors of why people get sick:
Socioeconomic status
Gender
Geographical location
Education level
How does society view medical
sociology?
Typically respected
Most people accept the study findings
Ex. During the H1N1 flu outbreak, many people received the
vaccine and stayed away from pork (pigs being identified by
epidemiologists as the carrier of the flu)
Is it fair?
Haves
In the US, healthcare is most
available to those with health
insurance or the capital to pay for
pricy procedures
Have-nots
Those in the lower class and/or
are below the poverty line cannot
afford such procedures
A lot of retirees and elderly are not
granted appropriate hospice care
What would I change?
More government funding to hospitals, universities, and facilities with social
epidemiology research programs
Universal healthcare (such as that of Canada) to allow those who need to
receive medical care to have the opportunity regardless of socioeconomic status
Meet in the middle. Allow subsidized healthcare rates for those who participate
in social epidemiology research programs (donating bodies to science, clinical
trials)
Theoretical perspectives on
medical sociology
Functionalism and Conflict Theory
functionalism
Each internal organ must
function correctly, together
Main roles: sick role, healer role
Sick role: patient; Healer role:
doctors, nurses, epidemiologists
Sick patients tell the doctor their
symptoms which are passed to
epidemiologists for data spreads

Ill have someone come in to prep you for the bill
Conflict Theory
Conflict theory is essentially the
basis paradigm of medical
sociology
Constant conflict from those who
cannot receive the care they need
Haves and Have-nots
Supports why certain people get
sick and others stay healthy

Works cited
Anspach, Renee R., and Nissim Mizrachi. The Field Workers Fields: Ethics, Ethnography
and Medical Sociology. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web
Bloom, Samuel William. The Word as Scalpel: A History of Medical Sociology. New York:
Oxford UP, 2002. 11-12
Dupre, Matthew E. Educational Differences in Age-Related Patterns of Disease:
Reconsidering the Cumulative Disadvantage and Age-As-Leveler Hypotheses. Journal of
Health and Social Behavior 48.1 (2007): 1-15. SAGE Journals. Web.
Kelly, Moira. Medical Sociology: An Introduction. Sociology of Health & Illness 31.5 (2009):
779-80. Academic Search Complete. Web
Krieger, N. A Glossary for Social Epidemiology. Journal of Epidemiology & Community
Health 55.10 (2001): 693-700. Pan American Health Organization. Web.
Reid, Margaret. The Development of Medical Sociology in Britain. The British Sociological
Association. British Sociological Association, 1976.Web.
Sociol Epidemiology. Epidemiology. Columbia University Mailman School of Public
Health. Web.