Sociological Perspectives on Health, Environment, and Demography

Flashcards covering key concepts from sociological perspectives on health, environment, and demography.

Health

State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.

Culture-bound syndrome

Disease or illness that cannot be understood apart from the social context.

Sick role

Societal expectations about attitudes and behavior of a person viewed as being ill.

Social epidemiology

The study of distribution of disease and health status across a population.

Morbidity rates

Incidence of disease per 100,000 people.

Mortality rate

Incidence of death in a given population.

Environmental justice

A legal strategy claiming racial minorities are disproportionately subjected to environmental hazards.

Holistic medicine

Practitioner considers a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics.

Demography

The scientific study of population and its changes.

Climate change

Observable alteration of the global atmosphere affecting natural weather patterns over decades.