socl terms 3

obesogenic environment

a combination of physical, social, economic, culture, and policy factors that encourage weight gain and make it hard to lose weight

food deserts

geographic areas where people don't have easy access to high-quality, affordable food(rural and poor urban areas)

body mass index

a measure of body fat based on height and weight

sociology of the body

a field that focuses on how our mental health and illnesses are affected by social and cultural influences

health

a state of physical, mental, and social well-being

sick role

talcott parsons describes the patterns of behavior that a sick person adopts to minimize the disruptive impact of their illness on others

stigma

any physical or social characteristic that is labeled by society as undesirable

health disparities

inequalities in health, health care, and health behavior across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups

social epidemiology

the study of the distribution and incidence of disease and illness within a population

health literacy

one's capacity to obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services needed to make health decisions

gini coefficient

standard measure of a countries economic disparity(0=perfect equality and 1=maximum inequality)

complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)

diverse set of approaches and therapies for treating illness and well-being that fall outside of standard medical practices

biomedical model of health

defines diseases objectively in accordance with symptoms; scientist based treatment; human body is like a machine; very cut and dry medicine

audience segregation

each individual performs multiple and possibly conflicting roles in everyday life and it needs to segregate the audience for each role

homogamy

marriage between people who are culturally similar to people

hypergamy

marrying or dating someone of a higher social or sexual status

compulsion of proximity

peoples need to interact with others in their presence

graying

a term used to indicate that an increasing proportion of a society’s population is over 65

older adults

adults ages 65 and older

population aging

the relatively faster growth of the older population compared to the younger population and the resulting shifts in the age distribution of the population toward older ages

social gerontology

the study of aging and older adults

social aging

the norms, values and roles that are culturally associated with a particular chronological age

disengagement theory

a functionalist theory of aging that holds that it is functional for society to remove people from their traditional roles when they become older adults, thereby freeing up their roles for others

socioemotional selectivity theory

the theory that adults maintain fewer relationships as they age, but that those relationships are higher quality

activity theory

a functionalist theory of aging that holds that busy, engaged people are more likely to lead productive, fulfilling lives

continuity theory

the theory that older adults’ well-being is enhanced when their activities are consistent with their personality, preferences, and activities earlier in life

conflict theories of aging

arguments that emphasize the ways in which the larger social structure helps shape the opportunities available to older adults. Unequal opportunities are seen as creating the potential for conflict.

life course

the various transitions and stages people experience during their lives

young old

sociological term for persons age 65 to 74

old

sociological term for persons age 75 to 84

oldest old

sociological term for persons age 85 and older

cohort

a group of individuals who were born during the same time period, and thus share a similar pattern of historical experiences from childhood to adult life

emotional loneliness

the absence of an intimate confidant

social loneliness

the absence of a broader social network

old-age dependency ratio

the number of people ages 65 and older, divided by the number of persons ages 18 to 64

AARP

US advocacy group for people age 50 and over

generational equity

the striking of a balance between the needs and interests of members of different generations