Foundational Concept 9

Foundational Concept 9

Foundational Concept 9: Cultural and social differences influence well-being

Social structure and demographic factors influence people’s health and well-being. Knowledge about basic sociological theories, social institutions, culture, and demographic characteristics of societies is important to understand how these factors shape people’s lives and their daily interactions.

Foundational Concept 9 focuses on social variables and processes that influence our lives.

Content Categories:

  • Category 9A focuses on the link between social structures and human interactions.
  • Category 9B focuses on the demographic characteristics and processes that define a society.

With these building blocks, medical students will be able to learn about the ways patients’ social and demographic backgrounds influence their perception of health and disease, the health care team, and therapeutic interventions. 

jhoard@aamc.org

Content Category 9A: Understanding Social Structure

Content Category 9A: Understanding Social Structure

Social structure organizes all human societies. Elements of social structure include social institutions and culture. These elements are linked in a variety of ways and shape our experiences and interactions with others — a process that is reciprocal.

The content in this category provides a foundation for understanding social structure and the various forms of interactions within and among societies. It includes theoretical approaches to studying society and social groups, specific social institutions relevant to student preparation for medical school, and the construct of culture.

Topic Our Social World Introduction to Sociology Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life Exploring Psychology

Theoretical Approaches (SOC)

  • Microsociology vs. macrosociology
  • Functionalism
  • Conflict theory
  • Symbolic interactionism
  • Social constructionism
  • Exchange-rational choice
  • Feminist theory
  • Ch. 1: Sociology
  • Ch. 2: Examining the Social World
  • Ch. 4: Socialization
  • Ch. 6: Deviance and Social Control
  • Ch. 7: Stratification
  • Ch. 10: Family
  • Ch. 11: Education
  • Ch. 12: Religion
 Sociological Theory
  • Ch. 2, Seeing and Thinking Sociologically, pp. 38-41 (“Three perspectives on social order”)
  • Ch. 3, Building Reality: The Social Construction of Knowledge
  • Ch. 1, p. 5
  • Ch. 12, pp. 456-457

Social Institutions (SOC)

  • Education
    • Hidden curriculum
    • Teacher expectancy
    • Educational segregation and stratification
  • Family (PSY, SOC)
    • Forms of kinship (SOC)
    • Diversity in family forms
    • Marriage and divorce
    • Violence in the family (e.g., child abuse, elder abuse, spousal abuse) (SOC)
  • Religion
    • Religiosity
    • Types of religious organizations (e.g., churches, sects, cults)
    • Religion and social change (e.g., modernization, secularization, fundamentalism)
  • Government and economy
    • Power and authority
    • Comparative economic and political systems
    • Division of labor
  • Health and medicine
    • Medicalization
    • The sick role
    • Delivery of health care
    • Illness experience
    • Social epidemiology
  • Ch. 1: Social Institutions
  • Ch. 10: Family
  • Ch. 11: Education
  • Ch. 12: Religion
  • Ch. 13: Politics and Economics
  • Ch. 14: Health Care
  • Ch. 16: Process of Change
 Economy
  • Chapters 4, 8, 9, 10, 11
  • Ch. 10, The Architecture of Stratification: Social Class and Inequality;
  • Ch. 11, The Architecture of Inequality: Race and Ethnicity
  • Ch. 7, Building Social Relationships: Intimacy and Families.  
  • Ch. 4, pp. 118, 136-138, 155-157
  • Ch. 7, pp. 240, 262
  • Ch. 8, pp. 292-294
  • Ch. 10, p. 376
  • Ch. 11, pp. 384-406
  • Ch. 12, pp. 422-429, 443, 451-452
  • Ch. 14, pp. 504, 512

Culture (PSY, SOC)

  • Elements of culture (e.g., beliefs, language, rituals, symbols, values)
  • Material vs. symbolic culture (SOC)
  • Culture lag (SOC)
  • Culture shock (SOC)
  • Assimilation (SOC)
  • Multiculturalism (SOC)
  • Subcultures and countercultures (SOC)
  • Mass media and popular culture (SOC)
  • Evolution and human culture (PSY, BIO)
  • Transmission and diffusion (SOC)
  • Ch. 3: Society and Culture
  • Ch. 8: Race and Ethnic Group Stratification 
 Culture
  • Ch. 4, Building Order: Culture and History
  • Ch. 2, pp. 76-77
  • Ch. 3, pp. 111-113
  • Ch. 5, pp. 177-178, 184-185
  • Ch. 7, pp. 262-263
  • Ch. 9, pp. 319-321
  • Ch. 10, p. 353
  • Ch. 12, pp. 420- 430, 443-450
  • Ch. 13, pp. 489-491
jhoard@aamc.org

Content Category 9B: Demographic characteristics and processes

Content Category 9B: Demographic characteristics and processes

To understand the structure of a society, it is important to understand the demographic characteristics and processes that define it. Knowledge of the demographic structure of societies and an understanding of how societies change help us comprehend the distinct processes and mechanisms through which social interaction occurs.

The content in this category covers the important demographic variables at the core of understanding societies and includes concepts related to demographic shifts and social change.

Topic Our Social World Introduction to Sociology Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life Exploring Psychology

Demographic Structure of Society (PSY, SOC)

  • Age
    • Aging and the life course
    • Age cohorts (SOC)
    • Social significance of aging
  • Gender
    • Sex vs. gender
    • The social construction of gender (SOC)
    • Gender segregation (SOC)
  • Race and ethnicity (SOC)
    • The social construction of race
    • Racialization
    • Racial formation
  • Immigration status (SOC)
    • Patterns of immigration
    • Intersections with race and ethnicity
  • Sexual orientation
  • Ch. 7: Stratification
  • Ch. 9: Gender Stratification
  • Ch. 11: Education
  • Ch. 4, Building Order: Culture and History, pages 103-107 (“The sexes”)
  • Ch. 5, Building Identity: Socialization pages 123-129 (“Gender”)
  • Ch. 11, The Architecture of Inequality: Race and Ethnicity
  • Ch. 12, The Architecture of Inequality: Sex and Gender 
  • Ch. 13, Demographic Dynamics: Population Trends
  • Ch. 12, pp. 410-411

Demographic Shifts and Social Change (SOC)

  • Theories of demographic change (i.e., Malthusian theory and demographic transition)
  • Population growth and decline (e.g., population projections, population pyramids)
  • Fertility, migration, and mortality
    • Fertility and mortality rates (e.g., total, crude, age-specific)
    • Patterns in fertility and mortality
    • Push and pull factors in migration
  • Social movements
    • Relative deprivation
    • Organization of social movements
    • Movement strategies and tactics
  • Globalization
    • Factors contributing to globalization (e.g., communication technology, economic interdependence)
    • Perspectives on globalization
    • Social changes in globalization (e.g., civil unrest, terrorism)
  • Urbanization
    • Industrialization and urban growth
    • Suburbanization and urban decline
    • Gentrification and urban renewal
  • Ch. 6: Deviance and Social Control
  • Ch. 7: Stratification
  • Ch. 13: Politics and Economics
  • Ch. 15: Population and Urbanization
  • Ch. 16: Process of Change 
 Demography
  • Ch. 13, Demographic Dynamics: Population Trends
  • Ch. 14, Architects of Change, pp. 445-456 (“Social movements”)
 NA
jhoard@aamc.org