Health and Society Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key sociological concepts regarding health, medicine, and social inequality based on Chapter 11 of 'You May Ask Yourself'.

American Medical Association (AMA)

The self-regulating body for physicians that, along with state medical boards, acts as a judge, jury, and jailer for the medical profession.

Medicalization

The process by which problems or issues not traditionally seen as medical come to be framed as such, with alcoholism serving as a classic example.

Heterodoxy

Nontraditional medicine that has challenged the authority of the traditional medical community.

The Sick Role

A concept developed by Talcott Parsons describing the social rights (not performing normal roles, not being held accountable) and obligations (trying to get well, seeking help, complying with orders) of a sick person.

Fee-for-service

A dominant medical payment model in the $1930s$ that gave doctors an incentive to overtreat by paying them for every specific treatment provided.

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)

A system designed to hold down costs by paying doctors a fee per person rather than a fee per treatment.

Affordable Care Act of 2010

Federal legislation that expanded Medicaid, mandated insurance purchase, eliminated risk adjustment for preexisting conditions, and allowed young adults to stay on parents' insurance until age $26$.

Morbidity

Illness in a general sense.

Mortality

The state of being subject to death; the rate or occurrence of death.

Epigenetics

The chemical regulation of gene activity that may be switched "on" or "off" in response to environmental influences such as diet, stress, toxins, exercise, and aging.

Selection theory

The theory that the relationship between low income and poor health is not causal, but rather influenced by outside factors like genetics.

Drift explanation

A theory of reverse causality suggesting that health determines social position; specifically, poor health may lead to an inability to find gainful employment, resulting in lower SES.

Social determinants theory

A theory maintaining that social status position determines health through psychosocial, materialist, or fundamental cause mechanisms.

Psychosocial interpretation

A school of thought where stress and physical wear-and-tear are caused by feelings of inadequacy, low worth, and stigma.

Materialist interpretation

A school of thought stating that differences in health outcomes result from unequal access to a healthy life, including monetary, psychological, and environmental risk factors.

Fundamental causes interpretation

A school of thought suggesting those in higher socioeconomic positions have more resources to maintain health and avoid disability, regardless of the distribution of resources.

Medicare

Federal health insurance for adults ages $65$ and above that does not fully cover prescriptions or pay for long-term care.

Medicaid

Health insurance that covers home or nursing home care, but requires applicants to meet strict income thresholds and spend down all assets first.

Mortality crossover effect

The phenomenon where Black Americans experience higher mortality rates before age $75$, but White Americans experience higher mortality rates after that age.