Socially Constructed Life Chances-
education, – education affects your social status and impacts your job opportunities
employment, – employment had a direct correlation to your income and your access to goods and services
housing, – housing affects your quality of life
health care- health care (both physiological and mental health) is essential to living a disease-free/pain-free life
Durkheim’s definitions of Sociological Trouble- individuals with problems vs. Sociological Issue- systemic institutional flaws, society-wide problems.
Ideologies:
A set of beliefs that are not challenged or subjected to scrutiny by the people who hold them. These beliefs are taken to be accurate accounts and explanations of “why things are.” These beliefs, however, are half-truths based on misleading arguments, incomplete analysis, unsupported assertions, and implausible premises. They cast a veil on clear thinking and allow inequalities to persist.
As such, the scientific process Sociological methodology, be it Qualitative or Quantitative, are used to create an unbiased analysis that is supported by data to create a scientific argument.
When we think of bigotry it is easy to envision some mean jerk yelling hate speech. This example can be classified as an individual’s bigotry (trouble); and while it is annoying and even dangerous, what Sociology focuses on is systemic bigotry (issue). To quote the Nina Simone in her iconic song Mississippi Goddam, “you don’t have to live next to me, just give me my equality” – what this means is “you don’t have to like me, just don’t get in the way of my life chances”.
Your access to an education, health care, affordable housing, and decent jobs: these determine the chances you have in life- Life Chances.
Racism is an ideology that classifies people into categories on the basis of physical characteristics and attributes people’s capabilities to those categories with rigid and unfavorable judgment that does not change despite contradictory evidence.
As mention, individuals who hold racist ideologies can range from annoyance to fatality; Durkheim calls this a trouble. The issue would be the institutions with racist policies. This then leads to the question of civic engagement: how do we help our institutions grow in a way create that dissolves systemic problems. Since those with power get to dominate the policy-making process, it is up to us to be involved/civically engaged in creating a more equitable society.
In order for Racism to exist, there needs to be a way to identify people. One of the ways the U.S. does this is through racial categorization; making Race a socially constructed category.
How the U.S. makes Race a Social Construct:
-Black= any person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa (There are over 2,000 languages spoken throughout the continent of Africa and over 3,000 ethnic groups)
-American Indian/Alaska Native= any person having origin in any of the original people of North America. (There are over 500 different tribes currently in the U.S. and by some anthropology studies; there have been more than 2,000 distinct tribes.)
-Native Hawaii/Pacific Islander= any person having origin in any of the original people of the pacific islands (There are over 750 languages spoken throughout the Pacific Islands).
-White= any person having origins in any of the original people of Europe, North America, or Middle East (There are 24 official languages spoken throughout Europe and 60 official languages spoken in throughout the Middle East).
-Asian= any person having origin in any of origin people of far east, southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent (There are 22 different official languages spoken throughout India, with over 19,000 “unofficial” languages currently spoken, and there are over 2,300 languages throughout Asia).
— According to the U.S. Census data collection, there are only TWO ethnicities = 1. Hispanic, and 2. Non-Hispanic.
Immigrant –
what is an “immigrant”,
who do we classify as “immigrant”
What are some forms of immigration:
-political refugee/exile: forced out of your home country
-voluntary immigrant: in search of a better life
-involuntary: forced servitude
What is the reasoning used to demonize some immigrants and not others
-What socio/economic position did you have in your country
-What US atmosphere greets you
-Are there social services provided to you upon arrival
*The Immigrant is the “First Generation” (you were born in a different country), their children, born in the country of residency are the “Second Generation” (you were born here but your parents were not)
How does Race, Class, Gender afeect our Life Chances? How does it affect our access to Health Care?
The Sociological Perspective is used to identify critical research questions that focuses on social patterns rather than individuals behaviors.
First, the study how social forces can promote health or illness on certain social groups. Example: Prior, to the Industrial Era, Europe was wrought with epidemics such as smallpox, typhoid, cholera, leprosy; the bubonic plague, also know as “Black Death” killed over 25 million. Rats over populated the towns and cities, and people, even royalty, slept on beds with lice and fleas. No indoor pluming meant that human waste was discarded into the streets and often entered the water supply. All this was a recipe for spreading infection. As they traveled, European colonizers transmitted their diseases worldwide. In the US, influenza and measles decimated many Native American populations. Instead of burning the bedding of those who had died from measles and smallpox, historical records show that the colonizers intentionally spread the disease to Native American populations by giving them the blankets of the infected sick people which in some cases resulted in wiping out entire tribes; this is called genocide (killing large numbers of people of a particular group with the intention of destroying that group). Socialized Racism towards Native American populations caused a health epidemic (a significance increase in the numbers affected by a disease and the first appearance of a new disease).
Second, the study of how illness affects individuals sense of identity, relationships, or ideas about what causes illness; including the study of health care providers, changes in doctor’s social authority, power dynamics between doctors and nurses, health car workers and patients, race & gender differences in treatment. Example: When people think of disabilities, they tend to think of individuals who have some sort of physiological disability such as those requiring a wheelchair, which is something everyone can see. However, many people have invisible disabilities. People with invisible disabilities are afraid to reveal their disabilities at work because they fear they will receive unfair treatment in the workplace, suffer a loss of credibility in the eyes of others, be the target of gossip and/or experience rejection. People with disabilities expect to be productive at work but may need accommodations in order to do their jobs. People with invisible disabilities such as chronic illnesses, mental health issues or other conditions may need a variety of accommodations at work.
Third, the study of the health care system as a whole; strengths and weaknesses of different systems, socialized medicine vs. insurance based providers. Example: Indian Health Services (IHS) works with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) tribe governments to meet the complex needs of their people. Yet, a small fraction are receiving comprehensive health services through the Indian Health Service organization. This in large part is because most IHS services occur in the rural tribal areas and abutting counties. A majority of AIAN’s live outside of tribal areas in urban settings (70%) and may or may not have access to urban clinics (Office of Minority Health [OMH], 2018). Lack of access to adequate healthcare is a common issue for AIAN’s and results in poor health outcomes. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) currently number 7 million (2.09% of the U.S. population). This vulnerable population is disproportionately affected by many health conditions and have a higher rate of death than other Americans with these same conditions. In addition, American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer more physical assaults and homicides.
Poverty & Gender:
Some of the largest factors in accessing healthcare is poverty. Relative poverty is a state of living where people can afford necessities but are unable to meet their society’s average standard of living. Contrary to relative poverty, people who live in extreme poverty lack even the basic necessities, which typically include adequate food, clean water, safe housing, and access to healthcare. Extreme poverty occurs when someone lives on less than 2 U.S dollars per day. Subjective poverty has more to do with how a person or a family defines themselves, it describes poverty that is composed of many dimensions; it is subjectively present when your actual income does not meet your expectations and perceptions.
Global Feminization of Poverty: In almost all societies, women have higher rates of poverty than men. More women and girls live in poor conditions, receive inadequate healthcare, bear the brunt of malnutrition and inadequate drinking water, and so on. Throughout the 1990s, data indicated that while overall poverty rates were rising, especially in peripheral nations, the rates of impoverishment increased for women nearly 20 percent more than for men. More recently, as extreme poverty rates continue to fall, women still make up a disproportionate amount of the world’s poor. Gender differences are sometimes difficult to discern in international poverty data, but researchers have undertaken efforts to define the makeup of those affected by poverty. Of people aged 25-34, the world has 122 women living in poverty for every 100 men living in poverty. The world’s elderly below the poverty line are also more likely to be women.
Essay 3:
How is access to health care used as a form of oppression?
Use the lecture above AND cite the video below to give examples.
