Sociology of Health, Social Movements, and Inequality: Key Concepts and Theories

Feminism

A conflict theory perspective focusing on gender inequality and the social, economic, and political oppression of women

Marxism

A conflict theory based on the ideas of Karl Marx, focusing on the class struggle between the bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (workers)

Illness work

Activities involved in managing a chronic condition, such as taking medications or diagnostic tests

Everyday life work

The management of daily tasks, such as household chores or employment, while living with a chronic illness

Biographical work

The process of incorporating a chronic illness into one's self-identity and life story

Complementary and alternative medicine

Medical practices and products (like herbal remedies or acupuncture) not considered part of conventional Western medicine

Health disparities

Preventable differences in health outcomes experienced by socially disadvantaged populations

Social factors in health

Factors like income, education, race/ethnicity, and geography that lead to unequal health outcomes

Suburbanization

The movement of populations from central cities to the surrounding outskirts, leading to the growth of suburbs

Crude birthrate

The total number of live births per 1,000 people in a population in a given year

Age-specific birthrate

The number of live births per 1,000 women in a specific age group within a population

Crude death rate

The total number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population in a given year

Mortality

The incidence of death in a population

Infant mortality rate

The number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a year

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person in a specific population is expected to live

Economic deprivation

A theory suggesting social movements arise when people feel they are denied their fair share of economic resources

Resource mobilization

A framework stating that a movement's success depends on its ability to acquire and use resources like money, people, and media

Structural strain

A theory that social movements emerge from tensions or gaps in the social structure between cultural goals and legitimate means