Chapter 19

Anxiety disorders

feelings of worry and fearfulness that last for months at a time

commodification

the changing of something not generally thought of as a commodity into something that can be bought and sold in a marketplace

Contested illnesses

illnesses that are questioned or considered questionable by some medical professionals

demedicalization

the social process that normalizes “sick” behavior

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

Impairment

the physical limitations a less-able person faces

Individual Mandate

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

Legitimation

the act of a physician certifying that an illness is genuine

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

Mood disorders

long-term, debilitating illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder

Morbidity

the incidence of disease

Mortality

the number of deaths in a given time or place

Personality Disorders

disorders that cause people to behave in ways that are seen as abnormal to society but seem normal to them

Private Healthcare

health insurance that a person buys from a private company; private healthcare can either be employer-sponsored or direct-purchase

Public Healthcare

health insurance that is funded or provided by the government

Sick role

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

Social epidemiology

the study of the causes and distribution of diseases

Socialized medicine

when the government owns and runs the entire healthcare system

stereotype interchangeability

stereotypes that don’t change and that get recycled for application to a new subordinate group

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

Underinsured

people who spend at least 10 percent of their income on healthcare costs that are not covered by insurance

Universal Healthcare

a system that guarantees healthcare coverage for everyone