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Introduction to Sociology 2e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 2eKey Terms

Key Terms

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
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