HSCI 140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Biopower, Sociological Theory, Structural Functionalism

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: HSCI 140
• Professor: Michel Joffres

Document Summary

Major theoretical paradigms guiding sociological analysis of health: The conflict paradigm, understanding health as professional constructs. The symbolic interactionism, understands as interpersonal meanings. The sociology of body paradigm, embodied cultural facts. Applying sociological paradigms to theorize health, illness & the body: understand culture, we understand health more, understand health, understand society and culture. Theoretical paradigm: conceptual framework which interrelated ideas and concepts about an aspect of reality are formulated. Depending on which model used, sociologists make assumptions about how the social world works, and which part to focus. Health and illness as social roles the structural functionalist paradigm: Structural functionalist paradigm: views society as a harmonious social system made up of interconnected parts or institutions that function to maintain order and stability. Institutions are a specific kind of social structure that organize the behaviour of large numbers of people into standardized patterns, family, economic etc. When social structure is supported by culture, it leads to institutions.