SOC 109 CH 13 & 14

environmental justice involves ensuring that

-some aren't exploited for the benefit of others -fair access to environmental resources -we work for the benefit of everyone, not just the majority or those that seem most worthy -equal ability to participate in decision making

realism

The point of view that the world is directly knowable.

men's experience of health

acquire dominantly linked traits like skipping doctor's check ups and under-reporting pain

common features to flawed assumptions on health

-claim disease is a problem of the individual's body (not true. socioeconomic location plays huge part in this. where the person grew up and not having adequate resources) -incorrect to think people can easily change their lifestyle of their own

What is currently known as climate change had previously been known as ______.

global warming

medicine

used as a form of social control. it sets the limits of behavior and defines those outside as sick

4 dimensions of the sick role

-a sick person is excused from normal obligations -sick person's neglect of social obligations is not considered a personal fault(deviant behavior is viewed as being caused by nature) -legitimized by seeking treatment for the illness -the sick person obliged to act in a certain manner ex: resting or taking meds

socioeconomic and occupational differences in health

-age at death and cause of death are linked to social class, poor having significantly higher disease and mortality rates than rich -the poor are vulnerable to effects of urbanism (slum dwellings, poor ventilation, garbage, overcrowding)

pharmaceutical companies

-benefit from a sicker society -drug advertising is a form of medicalization

conflict theorist perspective on environmental problems and policy

-conflict theory suggests that our economy is going to continue to exploit the environment as competition puts pressure on industry to produce more while reducing environmental costs, so a fundamental economic reorganization of society is the only way to truly resolve our environmental problems. -environment produces goods but has no ability to negotiate a price -many environmental consequences of human activities shared(doesn't fall on the individual who caused the PROBLEM)f

fundamental cause theory

-emphasizes basic social conditions as a source of health inequalities, rather than individually based risk factors -socioeconomic status and social support are "fundamental causes of disease"

social causes of environmental problems

-extracting too many resources -producing too much stuff -throwing too much stuff away

social constructionist perspective on the environment

-focus on ways of understanding environmental problems that resonate and that are shared by friends, family and society

functionalist perspective to environmental problems and policy

-functionalist perspective shows us how society has organized everyday life in ways that create environmental problems, so we can recognize how reorganizing life and building more efficient technologies can alleviate the negative effects of human action.

symbolic interactionist perspective on environmental problems and policy

-symbolic interactionists consider how people identify environmental problems and give them meanings in ways that relate to identity, access to resources, and what people hold to be culturally valuable.

trends in climate change

-warming climate -higher sea level -less snow pack -more extreme weather events

2 flawed assumptions of health

1. genetics explain illness and disease to the exclusion of social factors 2. people have control over the factors that make them ill

Researchers have found that, in the United States in 1990, more than ______ of people living within a mile of a disposal site were persons of color.

40%

waste

NIMBY attitude common (not in my backyard) -people not opposed to having landfills, just having them located nearby -some evidence suggest being living near a landfill associated with increased rates of: birth defects, cancer, low birthweight babies

reflexive modernization

A form of economic development focused on revising current systems of production and making careful assessment of future outcomes of projects and decisions.

frame alignment

A situation in which multiple frames work together to enhance the efficacy of each.

Why is waste a social problem and a problem of social justice?

Negative health effects of waste are experienced primarily by low status groups.

risk society

A society stratified by the ability to avoid risk.

frame analysis

A sociological approach that focuses on the presentation of information and ideas in ways that are intended to elicit particular understanding and responses. -people will present environmental issues in ways that elicit a particular type of response

treadmill of production

A theory that describes the ways that production is constantly accelerating without moving forward.

indicators

Observable changes in social and ecological behaviors that are used to indirectly measure other changes that are less visible.

risk contract

The implicit understanding that government will enact rules to make sure people are protected as society bounds progressively forward.

CDC and WHO

Center for Disease Control / World Health Organization CDC: the primary public health organization that determines and responds to epidemics in the US WHO: the key global institution that defines and monitors pandemics.

what are some of the global qualities of environmental problems

Climate change, waste management, natural disasters, and radiation

social equity

Closely related to the concept of social equality, social equity stresses fairness and justice.

2 major trends influencing the way we think of patterns in environmental problems

Environmental justice: entices us to look at fairness in the distribution of environmental hazards and bounties Globalization: draws our attention to the scope of modern environmental problems and their geographic and political complexity.

environmental problems as social problems

Environmental social problems often: -have social causes and effects -threaten human's health of lifestyle -signal human actions are unsustainable Experience of problems tied to location, occupation, activities, living environment

status groups

Social groups that are either negatively or positively privileged.

social control

The ability of a strong group in society to control the actions of subordinate groups.

social gradient of health

The consistent finding that inequality and health are related, with those at the top of the social system being healthier and living longer than those at the bottom.

cognitive dissonance

The discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs or values.

For symbolic interactionists especially, environmental problems involve experiences and interpretations. This means that different people can experience the same ecological event but have very different views about the consequences. Why is this?

The frame alignment of the issues is not the same for all parties.

morbidity

The number of diagnoses of disease or other condition in a given population at a designated time, usually expressed as a rate per 100,000.

environmental dispossession

The reduction or removal of access to environmental resources previously accessible, largely by a dominant group of beneficiaries.

Ecological Modernization Theory

The theory that society can become environmentally sustainable through the development of greener technologies and government regulations.

Conspicuous Consumption

Using the consumption of goods to display social status, like prominently carrying a designer handbag.

toxic colonialism

When toxic waste is moved from wealthy countries to economically and politically marginalized regions.

ecologic modernization techniques

alter current economic system to encourage good environmental behaviors -competition, management, taxes can reduce inclination to use the environment for free

Ecological dialogue refers to ______.

an approach to understanding the interaction between humans and the environment

Social capital theorists on health

argue that concentration and communication alleviate social conflict. In communities with strong social capital, members generally experience better health. -believe that communities based on shared occupational interests would result in social harmony

Suppose that a community begins to experience widespread illnesses, and a local news report reveals that pollution from the plant where many people in the community work is the cause. If asked to protest their place of employment, many community members would be likely to experience ______.

cognitive dissonance

A ______ perspective would be most likely to focus on how the desire to accumulate capital and wealth leads to an attempt to reduce both human and environmental labor costs while expanding production and increasing inequality and environmental degradation.

conflict

For______ theorists, the plight of the environment is closely tied to the plight of labor.

conflict

deaths of despair

decline in American life expectancy due to suicide, alcoholism, opioid addiction, that are striking down more and younger people

treadmill of production

production cycle: -resources and work generate goods -goods are sold for a profit -profit is reinvested into the system -waste from the production process is deposited back into the environment

The structural functionalist approach to environmental problems is associated with ______ theory, which suggests that we can find solutions by altering our current economic system to encourage good environmental behaviors.

ecological modernization

The reduction of access to environmental resources by a dominant group of beneficiaries is ______.

environmental dispossession

epidemic vs pandemic

epidemic: when the number of cases of a particular disease during a particular time period is significantly higher than might otherwise be expected pandemic: when cases of the disease also cover an especially large geographical region (such as a continent or the entire globe)

From a sociopolitical point of view, it is easier to locate waste facilities and polluting industries near low-status communities because members of those communities do not complain, as they fear being kicked out of their homes.

false

Overall climate trends point to lower sea levels globally.

false

Social constructionists largely assume that environmental problems have an objective, scientific grounding.

false

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected the sea level will rise by over 20 meters by 2100.

false

The idea that people's understanding of environmental problems are generally self-interested is synonymous with the ______ perspective.

symbolic interactionist

The population that experienced the highest radioactivity from Chernobyl in Norway were ______.

the Saami, a minority group of reindeer herders

Whether or not an extreme natural event in the environment becomes a social problem depends upon ______.

how society is organized and information distributed

Talcott Parson's sick role(1958)

illness is not just a psychological issue(it's also deviant behavior) people adopt the sick role to avoid social responsibilities

functionalist theory on health

in order for healthcare professionals to deliver health care effectively, patients must have trust in their ability and must adopt a "sick role," which excuses them from normal social obligations.

Bourdieu's notion of physical capital

maintaining a healthy body is symbolic of good social standing. Communities high in social capital have higher rates of health among their populations -health is a source of capital we can use to gain valued social goods (jobs, education, social status)

symbolic interactionist perspective on health

placebo effect: if you think you received a drug, your body may respond as if you had received it(the way we define a situation affects what happens) -the meanings that patients give to particular drugs will largely determine their effectiveness

______ is modernization that is increasingly reflective about what it is doing.

reflexive modernization

Ulrich Beck argues that ______ is the great class equalizer in an age of global environmental problems.

risk

A ______ is stratified by the ability to avoid risk.

risk society

______ emphasizes the ways in which conflicts between groups of people are increasingly tied to the groups' different perceptions of hazard.

risk society

______ emphasizes the ways in which conflicts between groups of people are increasingly tied to their different perceptions of danger.

risk society

conflict theory on health

see the U.S. health care system, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, believe the main goal is profit, not health care -those who suffer from illness can afford least treatments

epidemiologist

seek to understand the causes of a particular illness, how it is transmitted, the factors affecting its distribution within a population, and what interventions might be most effective. -study the outbreaks of a disease within a particular population

A ______ perspective would be most likely to focus on reorganizing society to make bad environmental behaviors less appealing and more inconvenient.

structural functionalist

Ecological modernization is most closely associated with the ______ perspective.

structural functionalist

The concept of ______ refers to production cycles that are constantly accelerating without moving forward.

the treadmill of production

______ refers to the process of moving toxic waste from wealthy countries to economically and politically marginalized regions.

toxic colonialism

The ______ perspective suggests that the capitalist economy is organized to promote cost cutting and expansion, so the environmental benefits of new technology will always be limited.

treadmill of production

Conflict theorists view society as being in an exploitative economic relationship with the environment, where the environment provides "free labor."

true

Globally, the warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998.

true

globally, the warmest years have all occurred since 1998

true

the gov on health

under Obamacare: -more employers required to insure workers -more eligible under Medical-caid -aid to those without employer coverage

women's experience of health

women are diagnosed as suffering more than men do, yet we live longer