Planetarion Forums

Recon · 4 Dec 2003, 10:57

"How have sociologists attempted to explain the different patterns of health and illness for different groups of people across the globe?"

This is in no way an essay question and it does not have to be handed it on the 8th dec at all

Recon · 4 Dec 2003, 11:20

yeah thought Dante might, he gave me quite a bit of help in my last sociology essay and my last economics essay(working class children...government conflict of interest on smoking) - can you swing him by to this thread when you next catch him.

At Aberdeen University and only at 1st year level

Nodrog · 4 Dec 2003, 11:37

by using pseudoscience and marxism., I'd imagine.

Dante Hicks · 4 Dec 2003, 13:02

"How have sociologists attempted to explain the different patterns of health and illness for different groups of people across the globe?"

A rather wide question, and I suspect they want you to quote various boring sociologists (i.e. named individuals) on what they think on x, y, z. Which I can't really help you with.

But the main explanations for health differences are obviously :

1. Economic (Absolute) Disparity.
Different levels of income, different access to healthcare, different standards of nutrition, etc. All of these are absolute differences which affect people's health in a direct (and often drastic) manner. The research on this is pretty well entrenched and is generally common sense (see the previous thread mentioning UN Human Development Indexes and stuff).

The level of healthcare provision is obviously a self-reinforcing factor. If I live in a country with good health provision, then my neighbours are less likely to gain infectious diseases, thus meaning my health is strengthened indirectly. This was the original reason for the rise of the urban municipal state in places like London. Cholera outbreaks in urban centres (which spread dangerously near well-to-do areas) forced Boards of Public Health / Works to rise. It's also the cause for a lot of public housing policy in this country (and others).

2. Cultural/Lifestyle
Certain groups are more suseptible to infection/illness due to their lifestyle. Obvious examples are heart disease in the west (due to high fat diets), higer rates of AIDS infections among drug users, or whatever. Less obvious examples are African Muslim countries having lower AIDS infections than other similar African non-Muslim countries. There's tonnes of these.

3. Social-Instability Factors
Countries where social instability has reached the level where violence is common place obviously put their citizenry in a higher category of risk. Even ignoring "voluntary" AIDS infections, what effect does the estimated 1 million rapes in South Africa have on the health of the nation? Less obviously - the level of alienation (Durkheim, etc) affects the suicide rate / self-harm, which once again affects these sort of things. I think there's some statistic that more men between 18 - 30 die by suicide than by traffic accidents (or some sort of other drivel).

4. Economic (Relative) Disparity
Even if we presume everyone has enough food, clean water, etc - there is an argument put forward by various theorists (search the British Medical Journals archives) that relative poverty also affects people's health. I won't bother going into the details here (they are frightfully boring) but that mainly falls to the medical profession to investigate.

There's tonnes of other stuff. An entire essay can be written on any of them (the first is most obvious, least disputable, and probably most evidence on).

Good Luck

Rumad · 4 Dec 2003, 13:09

work related illness and absenteeism would be mayo et al

Rumad · 4 Dec 2003, 13:14

On a side note Dante missed political prioritisation -governments where they have military objectives often will see a decline in otehr social services. This has a knock on effect on illness though probably not ethnicity (although there have been instances (apartheid).

Also education - often economies with better educated populations will often have better appraisal of situations which may jepardise there own health. Especially with things such as Aids and such.

Deepflow · 4 Dec 2003, 14:55

thats a horrible HORRIBLE question

I dont even know where to start heh.

im just doing "to what extent is it possible to provide an objective functionalist explanation?" which i have to start and finish today. Should be ok though... my other jobs for the day include : bath and asda. so im not exactly in the middle of a "busy day"

\o/

essays are fun.

and to answer your question... i have no idea how to even begin to answer your question.

Recon · 4 Dec 2003, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deepflow

thats a horrible HORRIBLE question

I dont even know where to start heh.

im just doing "to what extent is it possible to provide an objective functionalist explanation?" which i have to start and finish today. Should be ok though... my other jobs for the day include : bath and asda. so im not exactly in the middle of a "busy day"

\o/

essays are fun.

and to answer your question... i have no idea how to even begin to answer your question.

first one i had was alot easier

- "Why do working class kids end up with working class jobs?" or something along those lines.

been in library since 9am doing research - got heaps of notes and with Dante's advice and views should make serious headway on it tonight as cba starting it now - there's only so much sociology you can handle in 1 day!!

Marilyn Manson · 4 Dec 2003, 15:36

I'm reading about The Nazis.\0/

JonnyBGood · 4 Dec 2003, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

I'm reading about The Nazis.\0/

Snap. Remember that book I mentioned to you a while ago. Really good but fantastically long and I keep on getting distracted and reading russell, hume, marx (I'm attempting to actually understand das kapital) and aristotle. You should hume though MM, he's a philosopher with a few silly ideas but he's great at massive underlying sarcasm towards the church and any/all religious authorities.

PS My sociology textbook is thicker than anything I've ever seen (that works on so many levels heh). I'll probably read it the week before my exam and then fluke my way into second year. Ah life is good.

Marilyn Manson · 4 Dec 2003, 17:09

I'm using Burleigh atm in my essay.

I can't find the funny pages, anymore, though.

Been reading about Hitler for weeks now. Starting to grate.

btw this is fantastic.

JonnyBGood · 4 Dec 2003, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

I'm using Burleigh atm in my essay.

I can't find the funny pages, anymore, though.

Been reading about Hitler for weeks now. Starting to grate.

Read about Stalin! I found an article that said he was misunderstood a few days ago and I still haven't stopped laughing.

PS There's some good bits when he starts in on eugenics and racial policies (I'm on like page 500 now or something).

PPS I'll have to find a copy of that book. Does it outline your essential dislike for fagocracy?

Marilyn Manson · 4 Dec 2003, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnyBGood

PS There's some good bits when he starts in on eugenics and racial policies (I'm on like page 500 now or something).

There was a bit whereby some putchists siezed power, and it was fantastic. I pissed myself laughing. I thought it was during the Raterepublik period, but I can't find it in the book. The putschists were ****ing insane. They had a whale of a time. They sent telegrams to The Pope and Lenin and all sorts of shit.

I think it's in the Weimar section. I'll have to have a look for it now.

The Kershaw books are quite good , once you get into them. Hitler said 'I'll brew them up a devil's potion.' in response to The UK and France. \0/