Key Concepts of Sex, Gender, and Inequality

A series of flashcards designed to reinforce understanding of key concepts related to sex, gender, race, and health disparities.

Sex

Refers to biological attributes, typically based on chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy.

Gender

Refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of women, men, girls, boys, and gender diverse people.

Gender Binary

The classification of sex and gender into two distinct, opposite, and disconnected forms: male and female.

Intersex

Individuals born with variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

Sexual Orientation

A person's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person.

Gender Identity

A person's internal sense of being male, female, both, neither, or somewhere else along the gender spectrum.

Gender as Performance

The idea that gender is a set of behaviors and expressions that are performed and reinforced through social interactions.

Doing Gender

The active and ongoing process of creating gender through everyday interactions, reinforcing social expectations and norms.

Gender Paradox

The observation that while women report higher rates of morbidity than men, men have higher rates of mortality.

Life Expectancy Gap

The difference in average lifespan between men and women, with women typically living longer.

Chronic Illness

Long-term health conditions that require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living.

Standard Body in Biomedicine

The male body historically used as the 'standard' in medical research and practice.

Androcentrism in Medicine

The practice of viewing the world from a male-centered perspective, often leading to the exclusion or misrepresentation of women's health.

Legitimacy Deficit

The experience of having one's pain or symptoms dismissed or minimized by medical professionals.

Medical Gaslighting

Psychological manipulation where medical professionals dismiss or invalidate a patient's symptoms.

Intersectionality

A framework that recognizes how social identities intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege.

Gender Convergence

The trend toward increasing similarity in the roles and behaviors of men and women.

Institutional Sexism

Systemic discrimination based on gender, embedded within institutions such as education, employment, and healthcare.

Men's Health Policy Gap

The relative lack of attention and resources dedicated to men's health issues compared to women's health.

Black Men's Health Outcomes

The significant disparities in health outcomes experienced by Black men, including higher rates of chronic illness and violence.

Color Line

The division of society based on race, creating social, economic, and political barriers.

Racial Hierarchy

A system of social stratification based on race, with certain racial groups deemed superior to others.

Race as a Social Construct

The idea that race is not a biological reality but a social invention created and reinforced through social interactions.

Eugenics

A set of beliefs and practices aimed at improving the genetic quality of the human population.

Positive Eugenics

Encouraging reproduction among those deemed 'genetically fit.'

Negative Eugenics

Discouraging or preventing reproduction among those deemed 'genetically unfit.'

Racism

A system of oppression that combines prejudicial attitudes with institutional power to discriminate against individuals based on race.

Structural Racism

Systemic racism embedded within institutions such as education, employment, and the criminal justice system.

Causal Pathways for Racial Health Disparity

The overarching system of racial bias across institutions and society that leads to racial health disparities.

Racial Algorithmic Bias

Systematic and repeatable errors in a computer system that create unfair outcomes

“Invention of Race”

historical process by which racial categories were created to justify social and economic inequalities, particularly during colonialism and slavery

Race

social construct that groups people based on perceived physical characteristics, often related to skin color

Ethnicity

shared cultural heritage, language, religion or national origin

institutional racism

Systemic racism embedded within institutions such as education, employment, and the criminal justice system that perpetuates inequality and discrimination against marginalized racial groups

Residential segregation

separation of racial groups into different neighborhoods, leading to unequal access to recourses

environmental racism

disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities, often based on race or ethnicity.

food deserts

areas where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food, often affecting low-income communities.

educational inequality

disparities in educational quality and access among different socioeconomic or racial groups, resulting in unequal opportunities for learning and achievement.

chronic stress (allostatic load)

the cumulative wear and tear on the body due to prolonged exposure to stressors, which can negatively impact health and well-being.

weathering

the cumulative impact of social, economic, and environmental disadvantage on health over time, contributing to early aging and increased health risks.

John Henryism

a coping strategy where individuals endure high levels of stress for prolonged periods, often linked to health disparities in marginalized groups.

access to care/implicit bias

a concept referring to how biased attitudes and beliefs can influence the availability and quality of medical services received by individuals, particularly in marginalized communities.

discrimination/audit study

a research method used to assess bias in treatment by measuring differences in outcomes based on characteristics such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

professional dominance

a framework whereby certain professions assert control over the delivery and regulation of services, often influencing patient care and access in healthcare systems.

cultural authority

the power and influence certain cultural narratives and values hold over practices and beliefs in healthcare, impacting patient experiences and care outcomes.

social authority

the influence exerted by social norms and expectations on individuals' behavior and interactions, particularly in healthcare settings.

medical pluralism

the coexistence of multiple medical systems and practices within a society, allowing individuals to choose among various forms of healthcare.

professionalization

the process by which a profession develops and standardizes its skills, knowledge, and ethical codes, often resulting in higher status and authority within a field.

licensing laws

regulations governing the practice of certain professions, requiring individuals to obtain a license to practice, ensuring competence and public safety.

AMA (American Medical Association)

a professional organization that sets standards for medical practice and advocates for physicians' interests.

Flexner Report (1910)

a landmark document that evaluated medical education in the United States and Canada, leading to significant reforms in medical training and the establishment of higher educational standards.

“Regular” Doctors vs Competitors

a comparison between traditional medical practitioners and alternative or non-traditional healthcare providers. This distinction highlights differences in training, practices, and public perception.

Heroic Medicine

a practice that emphasizes aggressive treatments and interventions, often including bloodletting and purging, prevalent before the rise of evidence-based medicine.

exclusion of women and black physicians

the systemic barriers faced by women and Black individuals in accessing medical education and professional opportunities, resulting in significant underrepresentation in the field of medicine.

scientific legitimacy

the perceived credibility and validity of medical practices based on scientific evidence, often used to differentiate between traditional and alternative medicine.

reductionism

an approach that analyzes complex phenomena by breaking them down into simpler components, often criticized for oversimplifying the intricacies of biological and social systems.

countervailing powers

the forces or institutions that balance power dynamics within society, often preventing the dominance of one group over another, particularly in social and political contexts.

patient consumerism

a movement where patients actively engage in their healthcare decisions, seeking to obtain the best quality of care while also acting as informed consumers.

Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)

a clinical practice approach that emphasizes using the best available research evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to make decisions about patient care.

Managed Care (health maintenance organizations)

a system that integrates the delivery and financing of healthcare services, emphasizing cost control and coordinated care to improve health outcomes.

medical autonomy

the right of patients to make informed decisions about their medical care and treatment without coercion.

thalidomide

a medication that was used in the late 1950s and early 1960s for treating morning sickness in pregnant women but was later withdrawn due to its teratogenic effects on fetal development, leading to severe birth defects.

self-help groups

voluntary associations of individuals who share common experiences or challenges, providing support and resources to each other.

medicalization

the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical issues, often leading to increased control of social behavior and identity by the medical profession.

biomedicalization

the transformation of health and medicine into a deeply integrated system with a focus on enhancing health through technological and scientific advancements.

demedicalization

the process of reversing medicalization, where previously medical problems are redefined as social or personal issues, reducing medical authority over these aspects.

social control

the various mechanisms, strategies, and institutions that regulate individual behavior and maintain social order in society.

disease mongering

the practice of expanding the definition of disease to increase the market for medications and treatments.

direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA)

a marketing approach that promotes prescription drugs and health products directly to patients through media, encouraging them to ask their healthcare providers about specific treatments.

FDA Modernization Act of 1997

legislation that aimed to reform the process of drug approval and promote more efficient access to new drugs and medical devices.

“me too” drugs

drugs used to treat conditions that are often oversold in marketing, leading to increased prescriptions and scrutiny.

social anxiety disorder (SAD) & paxil

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a chronic mental health condition characterized by intense fear and avoidance of social situations. Paxil is a medication commonly prescribed to help alleviate the symptoms of SAD.

pharmaceutical determinism

the theory that health outcomes are predominantly shaped by pharmaceuticals and medical interventions, often overlooking social and environmental factors.

ADHD & Ritalin

the increasing diagnosis of ADHD and the use of ritalin to treat it; raises questions about the medicalization of childhood behavior and the potential of overdiagnosis

neurodiversity

the concept that neurological differences, such as autism ad ADHD, are normal variations in the human brain, rather than disorders

diagnostic expansion

the broadening of diagnostic criteria for medical conditions, leading to an increase in the number of people diagnosed

obesity and bmi

use of BMI as a primary measure of obesity, which has been criticized for its limitations and potential to stigmatize individuals

New Jim Code

ways in which technology and algorithms perpetuate racial bias and inequality

Coded Exposure

the way that algorithms and digital systems can expose users to biased or discriminatory content

algorithmic bias

systematic and repeatable errors in a computer system that create unfair outcomes, such as privileging one arbitrary group of users over others