SA 150 Study Guide - Final Guide: Sildenafil, Commodification, Iatrogenesis

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Sociology and Anthropology
• Course: SA 150
• Professor: Suzanna Crage

Document Summary

Big pharma: world"s largest pharmaceuical companies: reap enormous annual proits from developing and manufacturing drugs to used to ight/manage diseases, beneits when media uncriically spreads fear over pandemics, sending concerned ppl for immunizaion shots. The sick role (talcot parsons) sick/paient role: being sick came w/ certain expectaions (4: 2 based on what paient is expected of, 2 based on what sick person would expect from society. Person on sick role expect not need to bare normal social responsibiliies. Paient expect to be taken care of rather than having to take care of self. Paient obligated to try to get well. Paient expected to seek competent help: gives ppl right to be temporarily deviant, structural-funcionalist approach, but sick role not applicable to everyone more privileged = more able to aford sick role. Factors like ethnic background, culture, class, age, and sex: ex. upper-class person working oice job vs. working-class person working labour intensive job = two dif. environments w/ possible illnesses.