Media and technology, Health and Medicine

digital divide

the uneven access to technology around race, class, and geographic lines

gatekeeping

the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount

knowledge gap

the gap in information that builds as groups grow up without access to technology

media

all print, digital, and electronic means of communication

media consolidation

a process by which fewer and fewer owners control the majority of media outlets

media globalization

the worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas

monopoly

when a single company or entity creates an unreasonable restraint of competition in a market.

Luddites

people who dislike new technology

(neo) those who see technology as a symbol of the coldness of modern life

net neutrality

the principle that all Internet data should be treated equally by internet service providers

oligopoly

a situation in which a few firms dominate a marketplace

panoptic surveillance

a form of constant monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly

planned obsolescence

the act of a technology company planning for a product to be obsolete or unable from the time it’s created

technology

the application of science to solve problems in daily life

technophiles

those who see technology as symbolizing the potential for a brighter future

contested illnesses

illnesses that are questioned or considered questionable by some medical professionals

disability

a reduction in one’s ability to perform everyday tasks; the World Health Organization notes that this is a social limitation

epidemiology

the study of the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases

individual mandate

a government rule that requires everyone to have insurance coverage or they will have to pay a penalty

infant mortality rates

• Huge variance among different racial groups in the US Non-Hispanic Black at more than 10 deaths for every 1000 births, American Indian and Alaska Native at more than 10 (but less than Black individuals), Hispanic and White at more than 4, and Asian and Pacific Islanders at slightly less than 4.

• US total is slightly less than 6 deaths per 1000 births

medical sociology

the systematic study of how humans manage issues of health and illness, disease and disorders, and healthcare for both the sick and the healthy

medicalization

the process by which aspects of life that were considered bad or deviant are redefined as sickness and needing medical attention to remedy

medicalization of deviance

the process that changes “bad” behavior into “sick” behavior

morbidity

the incidence of disease

mortality

the number of deaths in a given time or place

sick role

the pattern of expectations that define appropriate behavior for the sick and for those who take care of them

social determinants of health

Conditions that people live, work, and play in. There are five main factors:

1. Access to quality health care

2. Access to quality education

3. Economic Stability

4. Built Environment

5. Social Environment

social epidemiology

the study of the causes and distribution of diseases

stigmatization

the act of spoiling someone's identity; they are labeled as different, discriminated against, and sometimes even shunned due to an illness or disability

stigmatization of illness

illnesses that are discriminated against and whose sufferers are looked down upon or even shunned by society

universal healthcare

a system that guarantees healthcare coverage for everyone