SHDH2040 Lecture 1-3
SHDH2040 Lecture 1-3
SHDH2040 Lecture 1-3
Sociology of
Health Studies
Lecture 1: The sociological
imagination
Key Concepts
Common sense
Sociological imagination
Ideology
Different perspectives in sociology
Lecture Flow
1. What is Sociology?
2. Critical Thinking: challenge common sense
3. Sociological Imagination
3.1 the promise
3.2 “Debunking!!!”
3.3 Is Sociology as Science?
3.4 Sociological Approaches to Health and Illness
3.5 Myths of Modernity ( 現代性的迷思 )
3.6 Three paradigms in Sociology
4. Functionalism
4.1Emile Durkheim: Social Integration
4.2 Mechanical Solidarity--> Organic Solidarity
4.3 Talcott Parsons: Structural Functionalism
4.4 Critique on functionalism
5. Conflict Theory
5.1 Introducing Conflict Theory
5.2 Working lass as alienated labour
5.3 Critique on Conflict Theory
6. Idealism
6.1 Max Weber: society as rationalization
6.2 Society as an “Iron Cage”
6.3 McDonaldization of Society
6.4 McDonaldization: rationalization of human lives
7. Social Model of Health & illness
1. What is Sociology?
Sociology: Socio ( 社會的 )+ logos ( 對某樣事物的
研究 )
Systematic study of human society
How Sociology is different from other similar disciplines, e.g.
political studies, economic studies, religious studies … ?
the individual needs to understand the history of his society to understand the
society, and himself in it. Associating ‘personal troubles’ and ‘public issues’ the
individual will see that 'others also share these troubles,
and that the solution is not to struggle individually, but to join forces with those
who also share his experiences' (Mills, 1959, p.8).
http://www.studymode.com/essays/C-Wright-Mills-Personal-Problems-And-1229939.html
To put into diagram…
individual
history
Imagery of Sociological Imagination
3.2 “Debunking!!!”
“The first wisdom of sociology is this: things are not what they
seem.”
Feminist Approach
Different gender experience
3.5 Myths of Modernity ( 現代性的迷思 )
Does social development inevitably imply social progress?
Should we also ask if modernity has any adverse impacts on
human lives?
Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim are the great
founders of sociology. Their perspectives are useful for us to
examine how we are affected by the rise of modernity.
3.6 Three paradigms in Sociology
Modern conflict theory asserts that conflict is not simply based on class
struggle, but also includes parents and children, husbands and wives, young
and adult, sick and healthy, heterosexual and homosexual, males and
females.
5.2 Working lass as alienated labour
Working class are commodified, losing their autonomy and
creativity. They are alienated labour
Calculability
- an emphasis on the quantitative aspects of products sold
(portion, size, cost) and service offered (the time it takes to get the
product).
- Quantity equals to quantity
Predictability
- the assurance that their products and services will be the
same over time and it all locales
Control
- through the substitution of nonhuman for human technology
6.4 McDonaldization: rationalization of human lives