Social epidemiology

People all across the country get diagnosed with disease everyday. Disease do not stereotype of pick who they will strike. Social epidemiology is the study of the distribution of disease. (Schaefer) Many people suffer from diseases, however there are a few groups that have higher risks of obtaining diseases than others.

Studies have shown that diseases are more popular among the poor. This is probably true because the poor often do not have the health care that the wealthy do. Since they do not get the proper medical attention, they are more likely to obtain diseases. Once the disease takes over their body, it is hard for them to get rid of it because they may not know exactly what is wrong with them or how to treat is because they do not have the ability to go see a doctor. Because of this, lower-class people have higher rates of mortality and disability that upper-class people. (Schaefer)Lower-class people are often overlooked when it comes to government health care because the upper and middle class citizens do not want to pay taxes that go toward health care.

Another group that has a high disease rate is ethnic minorities. This is probably true because many ethnic minorities are poor because they migrate to the country and take low income jobs to have an income. Because of this the ethnic minorities get hit double because they are an ethnic minority and they are poor. It may be hard for the to get the health care that they need because they do not speak English, they don't have enough money, or they do not know where to seek medical attention.

For these groups of people, the face many hardships. Once they are in the lower-class it is hard to rise above it. Therefore for most of their life they are disease ridden or ill ridden because they cannot see a physician. It is a sad epidemic in the country, and citizens should do what they can to help the poor get out of their rut.

Catholic Social Teaching tells Christians that they need to base their decisions on how they will affect the poor. They need to stand up and look after the ones that need the most help. The poor often get over looked, and nobody seems to worry about their conditions. Catholic Social Teaching is trying to get citizens to view their poorer classes on the same level as everybody else, and show them the respect that they deserve.

Americans need to look out for the poor and the ethnic minorities. It is hard for them to make it in the world, and it is even hard for them to rise above their poverty. If American citizens help the poor more, they may be able to rise above the social epidemiology.

The Sick Role

Day after day somebody develops a sickness. Whether it is a common cold or a chronic illness, everybody plays the sick role. The sick role refers to societal expectations about the attitudes and behaviors of a person viewed a being ill. (Schaefer) When people are sick the do not have to go to work or school, they do not have to tend to their normal duties, and they are allowed to stay in all day.

For many people it is hard to play the sick role. They do not want to believe that they are sick, or that they have to stop doing their normal tasks. They often try to push past their sickness and deny that it is happening to them. However, this can be harmful to ones body. When someone pretends like they are not sick, they may worsen the situation. The sickness that is overlooked can develop even more because the person is using all of their strength that they have. Instead they should be resting and recharging their energy.

On the other hand, many people become "babies" when they are sick. It has been reported that men often become helpless when they are sick. When there are signs of the slightest sickness, they go to the doctor or local drug store to get medication to make them feel better. The often play the sick role and become exempt from all their jobs. However, men are not the only ones that play into the sick role. Women too become "babies" when they are sick. The call off work or school and stay in to sleep on the couch.

When one becomes sick, they try to make a recovery as soon as possible. However this is not a reality for some people. People who suffer from chronic illness usually have to deal with their sickness on a daily basis. Sometimes it is hard to function because of their chronic illness, but many get used to the symptoms that come along with the illness.

Sometimes when people get sick they can fall into a depressed state. Because they cannot get over their sickness or maybe it is chronic and they never will, their mood can drop. The often feel a state of helplessness and lethargy, and they may not even want to get better. These people have to struggle through their sickness with depression on top of it. It is often difficult, and they usually must seek medical attention to get over both of their sicknesses.

Illness often come at the wrong time for everyone, but we eventually get through them. To get through them we play the sick role so we can cope with the sickness. It usually is a struggle but soon enough we will feel better.

College Subcultures

Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz identified some distinctive subcultures among college students. Her four ideal types of subculture that came out of her analysis were: the collegiate subculture, the academic subculture, the vocational subculture, and the nonconformist subculture. (Schaefer) Many students fall under one of these categories, however it is hard to define a student by using just one subculture.

The first subculture is collegiate. The collegiate is defined as focusing on having fun and socializing. These students define what constitutes a "reasonable" amount of academic work. Members of the collegiate subculture have little commitment to academic pursuits. (Schaefer) It is hard to stay that any one college student is not a part of the collegiate subculture. Just like any environment, there is a social aspect, and everybody wants to make a few friends. And it is hard to say that no college student because sidetracked from their work and instead wants to hang out with their friends. It is just a common part of college.

The second subculture is academic, which identifies with the intellectual concerns of the faculty and values knowledge to its own sake. (Schaefer) These students are really involved with their school work and usually hold a good relationship with their professors. However, many students in college can be labeled as being in the academic subculture because students like to be on good grounds with their professors and value knowledge.

The third subculture is vocational. A vocational subculture is interested primarily in career prospects and views college as a means of obtaining the acadmeic degree essential for advancement.(Schaefer) Just about every student falls under the academic subculture. Students advance on to college because they want to get a higher degree. The main reason for coming to college is to get a degree and advance to bigger and better things.

The final subculture is nonconformist. The nonconformists are hostile to the college environment and seek out ideas that may or may not relate to college studies. Members may find outlets for their thinking through campus publications or issue-oriented groups. (Schaefer) Every once in a while students lean toward the nonconformists subculture because they want to get away from the fast pace life of college. Who doesn't want time to breathe and be by themselves for a little bit?

All in all, I do not think a student can fall under just one of Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz's subculture. It is almost impossible for one to completely be involved in only one. Human's personality are so complex that they have many different personalities and attitudes at different times. Therefore, many students at college are a combination of these four subcultures.

Sexism

In today's society, women are often exploited for their gender. This is called sexism, the ideology that one sex is superior to the other. (Schaefer) Almost all of the major istitutions of our society, the government, the armed forces, large corporations, the media, universities, and medical establishments, are controlled by men. (Schaefer)This makes it difficult for women to rise above sexism and develop a major role in today's society.

In the work place, women can hit a "glass ceiling" in which they can no longer advance in the work place. Often, men receive the promotions, bonuses, and recognition that women should get. Because their boss may be sexist and he or she is acts upon it, they do not give the promotions to their female employees. The women in these situations are usually overlooked because in the company or organization they work for, it is not socially except able to let a women climb higher on the business/work ladder.

Recently it was calculated that women make seventy-seven cents to the one dollar and man makes. Not only are women kept from moving up in their work place, but they also make less money than males do. It is usually difficult for a single mom to raise her children because she has to account for that she makes less money than she should.

Women almost always work in occupations with lower status and pay than men.(Schaefer) Women usually work as teachers of small children, nurses, dental hygienist, and beauticians. And men are usually known for working as physicians, lawyers, dentists, and CEO of major companies. Though some women do work these jobs, they are often exploited into working the less paying jobs.

Today, many women face the challenge of trying to juggle work and family. Once the are done with their job at work, they come home to their second shift; the family. The second shift is defined as the double burden, work outside the home followed by child care and homework that many women face and few men share equitably. (Schaefer) For single mothers, this is even harder. They have to work by themselves to make a living to support themselves and their children, and then once they return from work they have to run errands, pick up the kids, make dinner, and do homework.

Though it is hard for women to overcome the burden of sexism, many women do. More women are becoming physicians, lawyers, and serving in the government. It is more except able today for women to go to college and receive a degree. Women are not just house wives anymore, they are respectable part of society. Women are even getting a break on child care. Many companies are now allowing men to receive a paternity leave so that they can care for their child. Everyday, women grow in society, and one day their will no longer be an issue of sexism.

Ethnocentrism

On a day to day basis, many people in the world are judged because of their racial or ethnic group. They are seen as different because of the way they act, look, or speak. These judgments can come from ethnocentrism, which is the tendency to assume that one's own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to others. (Schaefer) Prejudices, a negative attitude toward an entire category of people, can grow from ethnocentrism.(Schaefer)

Ethnocentrism can often lead to racism because people do not understand others culture because it is not like there own. Many people assume that their culture is the only one, and anything that differs from it is out of the ordinary. This leads people to judge cultures other than their own because they see something that is different. Since there is a difference it can lead to negative remarks or actions.

Children are often taught when they are small the culture, values, and teachings of their society. However, they are often not educated on the other cultures that exist in the world. When these children grow up they are faced with a melting pot of different cultures in which they do not understand. Since they encounter so many different values of other races as they get older, they may be quick to judge because it is something that their culture does not do.

When people travel the country, they often encounter ethnocentrism. Usually, cultures in different parts of the world can be widely different from the ones that they are used to in their home country. Often, people will compare their culture to the ones that they are visiting and think that there culture is the way of life. They believe that the other culture is wrong, and the aspects of their culture are the true and right ones to follow. They feel that their culture is the superior one. However, traveling throughout the world can help people build a stronger culture and learn from the ones that they visit so that they can incorporate some of the things they saw into their own.

Ethnocentrism is a hard concept to over come, but actions can be taken to prevent it. If children were taught at a young age about the different cultures in the world, they may not be quick to judge. Racism and prejudices could be overlooked and not even begin to develop. Also, if more people had the opportunity to travel throughout the world, they could become more aware of the different values and teachings of other cultures. Seeing how different societies function could help them to understand that their culture is not the only one that is right or important. It is a hard ideal to achieve, but if effort was taken, then it could become a big step in ridding the world of racism.

prejudicies

Many people believe today that there are no longer prejudices in our country. There no longer is slavery, ghettos of immigrated people, or schools for a particular race. However race and ethnicity still do matter in the United States. (Shaefer)

Even though prejudices are not predominate in our society today, we still see them everywhere. People often judge someone for the race without even knowing it. Often, minorities are the ones that get judged the most. It is a simple as brushing your teeth in the morning, when people see someone of another race they automatically think of the prejudices they have heard. They might not agree with these judgments, but they still are in their mind because of where they grew up or who raised them. One might not even think that they way the judge a certain race is wrong.

Many minorities such as, Asians, Hispanics, African Americans, and just about any other minority feel as if they are discriminated from something everyday. Minorities can be discriminated from a job opportunity, a loan, a school, a house, and other countless things. They are often looked at as an outsider, and if they can not really be trusted because they might come from a different part of the world or their skin color is not the same. Many people in the workplace fear minorities that have immigrated to the United States because they feel these new Americans will steal the job opportunities that they should have had. Children can even judge a person based upon their race because of the examples their parents or guardian set for them.

The dominant race, whites, usually take an advantage of being the dominate race. Peggy McIntosh (Shaefer) list several ways that she feels in which her races allows her to get ahead in life. For example, she feels that she could cash checks without suspicion or browse a store without being followed by a security guard. Many people view whites as be able to trust them in contrast to a minority. When approach by a minority on the street, one might not feel comfortable talking to them because of the prejudices that there are about that particular race. However, if they were approached by their own race, they would not feel this uneasiness.

Though many people would like to believe that race is not a factor in the United States and more, that is just simply not reality. Daily, different types of race get judged because of their skin type, the texture of their hair, or their facial structure. Though we have come far in are nation to treat every man equal, we still are not quite at that point.

stratification

I have been sitting here for a while thinking of a good example of stratification. I have read and reread the books definition of stratification several times. I decided to write about social class stratification, and the first thing that came to mind about social class stratification was a college student.

I have been thinking about how many men and women never get the chance to challenge their intellectual abilities in college because of their social class. Maybe their families are from the working poor class, the working class, the lower middle class, or even the middle class. And because of their families status in America they cannot afford to go to college.

I know many people argue that they could get into college if they could get a good scholarship from academics. But, what if their middle school and high school did not have the tools to give them a good education because of the neighborhood they lived in, and they live in this neighborhood because that's what their parents can afford because of their social class?

Also, many people argue that they could get financial aid. However, financial aid often cannot pay a student's tuition in full and their parents usually cannot make up the difference. Even if the student has the intellectual ability to go to college they still cannot because of their social class.

I understand many students work their way through college, but sometimes these job opportunities do not arise for students with a low social class because of simply the class they fall under.

After reading about stratification and thinking about students from lower classes that want to go to college but cannot, I have really learned about the impacts that stratification has on our country. Many of these students did not ask to be in the social classes, but were born into them because they are ascribed statues. It is very unlikely and difficult for these students to break away from their ascribed status of lower class and move up the social class ladder. America makes it hard to break through social class stratification because once you are in a social it is basically inevitable that you will stay there.

It will always be a challenge for these students and the people of the lower social class to get by. They constantly struggle to make a better life for themselves when the middle class ad up tend to have it easier and do not even think sometimes about the simple things that come to them because of their social class.

Sociological Imagination

In my Intro to Nursing class this week, my professor asked us to find reports of nurses who lost their nursing licenses for various reasons. I searched all over the website she gave us and stumbled upon a few violations that interested me. However, one of them completely caught me off guard. The nurse was stealing the patients pain killers and taking them as her own. She would write on their charts that she had administered the drugs. However, she was using them for her personal use. (http://pr.mo.gov/nursing-publications.asp)

After reading this nurse's account with the law I began think about C. Wright Mills' sociological imagination. Sociological imagination is defined as an awareness of the relationship between and individual and the wider society, both today and in the past. Or, the ability to view society as an outsider might, rather that from the perspective of an insider.(Schaefer)

C. Wright Mills' sociological imagination made me think, "Did the nurse put herself in the patients of the hospitals shoes?" "Did she know how the patients felt when they did not receive their pain medications?"

As we read some of the stories to my professor she told us that many of these accounts have happened many times, and that they usually only get documented once. So, I sat there wondering how many patients this nurse had done this to and how many people on society had she effected?

The nurse obviously did not think of her patients when she stole their Morphine, Demerol, Vicodin, and other prescription pain medications. She not only hurt her patients who had to suffer through their medical problems without any pain medication, but she probably effected everyone around these patients. The patients probably complained to other nurses, doctors, surgeons, and family members about the pain that they were in. These people probably wanted to help the patients, but could do anything about it since the prescribed medication had already been administered to them. These people most likely began to grow worried about their patients or loved ones because they did not seem to be getting any better, and the probably complained more and more everyday about the pain their in.

I cannot help but wonder why this nurse would do this to her patients. Obviously she had some type of dependency on these prescription drugs. But why hurt the people around her to get her much needed fix? If only she took in the perspective of the sociological imagination and put herself in the patients, doctors, nurses, surgeons, and loved ones shoes, she could see how much of an impact she was having on society.

Sororities/ Fraternities

When I arrived at St. Louis University, I decided to become open about new ideas and opportunities that arrived at my door. I knew very few males at St. Louis University and even fewer females. My brother attended SLU before me, and joined a fraternity during his college years. He often raved about how his fraternity opened new doors for him and that he had a blast doing various activities within his chapter. I always thought that the Greek life was not for me. I was not the typical sorority girl, but I decided to give rush week a chance. What would be a better way to meet more girls, let alone hundreds of them?

I entered rush week very skeptical. I did not want to have to act differently in order for the sororities to like me. I wanted to be myself and have them like me for me. I entered my first ‘party’ a little nervous. One of the girls from the sorority grabbed my arm and pulled me across the room to the other side. She introduced herself and began talking. I felt a little awkward but knew that I just had to be myself.

As the night went on the ‘parties’ got more and more comfortable. I began to think that maybe a sorority could be for me. I carefully took note of each sorority I visited and began to make pros and cons of the ones I liked.

By the second to last night I had made a list of the top three sororities that I would like to receive a bid from. I had been to three sororities that night, and I felt I had gotten a better feel of what their personalities were like. My top three seemed to fit well with me.

The last day I was really anxious to go back. I went to the three sororities one more time, and by the end of the night I felt like I knew which one I belonged to. The next day was bid day, in which one of the sororities would extend a bid to you if you wanted to be a part of their organization. The night before I was extremely nervous that I would not get into the sorority that I wanted.

The next day came, and I received a bid from my number one sorority! I was ecstatic! We followed bid day with a massive celebration. I felt so comfortable with all my new sisters.

Since bid day I have been excited about the new events that my sorority has been planning. I looked forward to all the new activities I would be participating in and I would count down the days till they arrived. I never thought I was a sorority girl, but I think that one must look past the stereotypes of groups and organizations and take themselves out of their comfort zone in order to get involved in something that could make a major difference in their lives.

smoking

In today's society it is widely accepted to smoke. Employees, students, parents, and teachers often have to put on hold whatever they are doing for a quick smoke. However, we all know it is unhealthy to smoke. About 70% of smokers say they want to quit (thetruth.com).


Cigarettes contain ingredients from antifreeze and gasoline to rat poison and dynamite (thetruth.com). Everyday more and more people in the world pick up the habit of smoking tobacco. It is believed that peer pressure, stress, and self-esteem issues can cause some to begin to smoke.


The streets and pavements of cities are littered with cigarette butts from people throwing away their no longer wanted cigarettes. The air is polluted from the smoke issued from cigarettes. These factors cause the environment to be destroyed.


Many parents and teachers discourage children from picking up the habit of smoking cigarettes. They scare them as children about the harmful effects of smoking. As the get older they tell children not to get sucked into peer pressure, telling them that it is not cool to smoke despite what people may say. And when they get even older they warn them of the medical risks that come along with smoking. Also, television ads, magazine, and many other media sources spill out facts about smoking and it’s effects on the human body.


When I walk through St. Louis University’s campus I see many students smoking at the designated smoking areas. They are usually chatting with the person next to them while clouds of smoke issue from their mouths. Many people ask others for a light because they forgot their lighter or ask for a cigarette because they are all out. Usually people only smoke one cigarette while they are sitting in the smoke area. However, I often see many people smoke up to three or four.


Once they are done with their cigarettes they through the butts on the ground and walk away. After a few days, even hours, the ground that surround the designated smoking area are covered in cigarette butts. Maintenance sweeps the ground daily and throw away the unwanted cigarettes from the campus’s floor.


I decided to blog about people who smoke because I see it at college more than I ever have in my life. It really interested me how many students and faculty members at St. Louis University smoke. I came from a very small high school of about 600 and hardly anybody I knew smoked. Therefore, coming to a new institution that has a wide variety of students from all over made me see how many people in our world smoke cigarettes despite the knowledge and facts they know about them.