Social Sciences and Medicine: Health can not be isolated from its social context. Social and economic factors have as much influence on health as medical intervention. All these factors have a direct bearing on the incidence, prevalence, course and outcome of a wide variety of communicable and non- communicable diseases as well as on many other health problems found in the world today. Examples of that, poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of education, inadequate housing, unemployment, poor working conditions, bad cultural and behavioral factors all predisposes to ill health. The patient is no longer considered as one who is under strict laboratory control ( i.e. not a lab animal or a case) but, an individual with personal characteristics, erratic habits, customs and beliefs all are reacting on his body and mind. *Good doctors are being identified as those who treat people, and bad doctors as those who treat cases.
Classification of Social Sciences: 1. Behavioral Sciences: - Psychology. - Social Psychology. - Social Anthropology. - Sociology ( one of its specialty is medical sociology). 2. Demography. 3. Economics. 4. Political Sciences.
Sociology: the scientific study of human society through investigations of social behaviors and relationships of man. It deals with the study of human relationships and of human behaviors for a better understanding of the pattern of human life. It is also deals with the effects on the individuals of the way in which other individuals think and act. Medical sociology: science that concerned with implications of sociology for the problems of health and disease in the society. It is part of community medicine and is essentially a practical discipline. Historical review: The first awareness of the effects of social and economic factors on disease process was in 1930s, and the first institute of social medicine was established in 1943 in U.K. Now medical sociology is taught in every medical schools all over the world
Definition of terms:Society: an organization of member agents. It is a system of social relationship between individuals.Community: The people living in a particular place or region and usually linked by common interests. So it is a social group determined by geographical boundaries and or common values of interests .Social Structure: the patterns of inter-relations between individuals. It is a complex of major institutions, groups, power structure and status hierarchy.Social Structure → anatomySocial Organization → physiology
Social Institutions: A social institution is an organized complex pattern of behavior in which a no. of persons participate in order to further group interest. The family, the school, the club, the hospital and professional associations are all social institutions and within each institution, the rights and duties of the members are defined. Socialism: Any economic doctrine that favors the use of property and resources of the country for the public welfare. It is a system of production and distribution based on social ownership for raising the living standard of the working class ( motto here is "all for all" and "each for all"). This opposite to Capitalism, which is based on private ownership of the means of the production and aims at maximum private profit at the expense of the working class ( motto here " all for each" and "each for each").
Socialization: The process by which an individual gradually acquires culture ( beliefs, customs, traditions and prejudices) and becomes a member of a social group. It includes 2 parts: Primary socialization: When a child first grow and be a member of his family, some of these beliefs and customs may be dangerous to his health as smoking , and hysteria. Secondary socialization: A process which operates through a person whole life i.e. when being a member of a new group or society as being a doctor. * Since the primary socialization is started in the family, so it could be the first step in the solution of every personal problem.
Norms of Society: the standard of behavior expected from a person by their social group. Deviance: departure from accepted behaviors and it includes any thing from bad table manner to murder. Social Control Mechanism: In every society, there are rules, formal ( laws of enactment and parliament) and informal for maintenance of relationships of authority and subordination. Authority: is the power of influence which some people have over the others which is generally accepted. It is of different types as Traditional authority ( e.g. the father in the family). Bureaucratic authority ( e.g. the dean of college ). Charismatic authority ( e.g. the religious leader). Professional authority ( e.g. the senior in a hospital).
Culture: learned behavior which has been socially acquired and it is the product of human society and man largely is the product of his cultural environment . It is transmitted from one generation to another through learning process, formal and informal. Definition of Culture: the organization of shared experience which determine our patterns of thinking and feeling, it is socially learned, shared and reinforced. It guide our daily behavior ( we recognize the situation and behave automatically). Race: When population differentiated according to certain biological characteristics only. Ethnics: Cultural aspect of racial groups.
Acculturation: " culture contact" When there is contact between two peoples with different types of culture, there is diffusion of culture in both sides, it occurs in various ways: -Trade and commerce. -Industrialization. -Propagation of religion. -Education. -Conquest. Standard of Living: usual scale of our expenditure , the goods we consumed and the services we enjoy. It includes food, dress, house and in short " mode of living" and it depends on: -the level of national income -the total amount of goods and services a country is able to produce -the size of population -the level of education -general price level -distribution of national income
Dynamics of Social Change: "Demographic Transition"Example one: in European countries , after the industrial revolution in nineteenth century, which lead to increase the income, both death and birth rates declines, and the main cause of ↓ in mortality was the effect of increase in the income and welfare (not the introduction of modern medicine).Example two: In many parts of Asia, in twentieth century, the demographic transition, include decrease in mortality, and increase in fertility was due to the introduction of modern medicine (antibiotics and vaccines).
Social Stress: It is a major source of stress, particularly in transitional societies, and it is the conflicts generated by new opportunities and frustrations arising from societal change and it includes: - the wave of migration from rural to urban areas and the consequent diminution in the traditional family support system. - a greater exposure through the mass media to ideas that have been previously culturally alien. - tourism. - change in the technological needs.
Social Problems: When an individual problem affecting large no. of population and lead to threat to welfare and safety of the whole group. Poverty, crime and disease are common social problems. Many public health problems are social problems and vise versa as alcoholism, venereal diseases and addiction. Social Defense: The entire process of preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative services for the protection of society from antisocial, criminal and deviant conduct of man and it includes: -Prevention and control of juvenile delinquency -Eradication of beggary -Social and moral hygiene program -Welfare of prisoners -Prison reform -Elimination of prostitution -Control of alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling and suicide
Systems of the society and its effect on heath of population: -Economic system. -Social system. -Political system. -Ideological system. -Cultural system. -Educational system. -Health system. -Army system. -Religious system.