Education, Health, and Medicine

Lecture 13 Education Paradox: Although school is supposed to be the institution in society that provides equal opportunity, it ends up sorting and stratifying students by the background from which they come. Learning to Learn or Learning to Labor? Functions of Schooling Education is the process through which academic, social, and cultural ideas and tools are developed. Unfortunately, not all students emerge successfully from this system.

Education vs. Schooling Education The social institution through which society provides its members important knowledge Including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values Schooling–Formal instruction under the direction of specially trained teachers © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Schooling and Economic Development The United States Equal opportunity and practical learning The United States was among the first countries to set a goal of mass education Some problems include: functional illiteracy: the inability to read or write well enough to function in society innumeracy: having insufficient math skills to function in society The two main functions of schools are to educate students and to socialize them. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Functions of Schooling Socialization Primary schooling: Basic language and mathematical skills Secondary schooling: Expansion of basic skills to include cultural values and norms Cultural innovation Educational systems create as well as transmit culture Social integration Brings a diverse nation together Social placement The enhancement of meritocracy © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Illiteracy in Global Perspective

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Critical Analysis Functionalist approach overlooks that the School quality is greater for some than others US educational system reproduces the class structure in each generation System transforms privilege into personal worthiness and social disadvantage Into personal deficiency © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Schooling and Social Inequality Social control Schooling reinforces the status quo. Bowles & Gintis: The 19th-century rise of public education came when factory owners Needed obedient, disciplined workers Standardized testing Biased based on race, ethnicity, or class? School tracking Tracking–Assigning students to different types of educational programs Disadvantaged students typically end up in lower tracks School inequality Public vs. private schools; not all the same © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Teachers’ Salaries across the United States

Access to Higher Education Money is largest stumbling block to higher education Family income is still best predictor for college attendance Those with the most schooling are likely to Come from relatively well-off families to begin with © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Expanding Higher Education Government makes money available to help certain people pay for college Community colleges Low tuition Special importance for minorities Attract students from abroad Faculty focuses on teaching © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Problems in Schools Discipline and violence Many believe schools need to teach discipline because it isn’t addressed within home setting Students and teachers are assaulted Weapons; society’s problems spill to schools Student passivity Many students are bored © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dropping Out The dropout rate has declined slightly in recent decades Dropping out is least pronounced among non- Hispanic whites Researchers: Actual dropout rates are probably 2x government's numbers Some reasons for dropping out: Problems with the English language Pregnancy Must work to help support their family © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health Health is as much a social as a biological issue Patterns of well-being and illness are rooted in social organization © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health and Society Cultural patterns define health Cultural standards of health change over time A society’s technology affects people’s health Social inequality affects people’s health © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health: A Global Survey Health in low-income countries Relatively short life expectancy Most die before reaching their teens Poor sanitation is a killer Health in high-income countries By the early 20th century, death rates from infectious diseases had fallen sharply Now chronic illnesses cause most deaths, usually in old age © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Age & Gender Death is now rare among young people Across the life course, women fare better than men Males are socialized to be more aggressive and individualistic Which contributes to their higher rates of accidents, violence, and suicide © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Higher income and wealth boosts health: Better nutrition Better health care Safer and less stressful surroundings Infant mortality Twice as high for disadvantaged children as for children born into privileged families. Poorest US children are as vulnerable to disease as those in low-income nations © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social Class and Race

The Medical Establishment Medicine–Social institution that focuses on fighting disease and improving health The rise of scientific medicine American Medical Association founded in 1847 Healers kept tradition but occupy lesser role Chiropractors, herbalists, midwives Conflict between scientific medicine and traditional healing continues today © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Holistic Medicine Holistic medicine–An approach to health care that emphasizes prevention of illness And takes into account a person’s entire physical and social environment Three foundations of holistic health care: Treat patients as people Encourage responsibility, not dependency Provide personal treatment © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paying for Care in the US Direct fee system–Medical care system; patients pay directly for medical services Private insurance: Few programs pay all costs Public insurance programs Medicare for those over 65 Medicaid for impoverished and veterans Health maintenance organizations An organization that provides comprehensive medical care to subscribers for a fixed fee The 2010 Health Care law Made significant changes to the way this country pays for health care © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Extent of Socialized Medicine in Selected Countries

Future of Health and Medicine Today, Americans take good health and long life for granted Individuals taking responsibility for their own health Double standard of health between rich and poor people Problems greater in low-income countries © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources Conley, Dalton May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist (Second Edition). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Macionis, John J Society: The Basics (Twelfth Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson 26