Sociology Australia Sociology, Ethnic Identity, Journal

This week's additional readings resonated for me that for many the unequal distribution of wealth and assets can take away healthy opportunities to make these contributions and can turn into feelings of hopelessness, depression, violence, as well as self-destructive tendencies. In a society that is as wealthy as Austraila, it is still amazing that so many individuals experience feelings of deprivation and poverty.

Sociology and Health

I enjoyed reading about health this week and understanding that a sociological perspective speaks to more than just the physical or biological health of an individual or society but also includes social factors. We often look at health in terms of the specific momentary physical ailments or diseases rather than whole person. When applied to women one can see that sociology can impact health beyond physical in the manner in which health services are delivered to this population. There is a significant emphasis on reproductive health in women who are in their reproductive years without attention being paid to the needs of specific groups of women. Looking through a sociological lens allows us to identify the connection between social factors such as income, housing, and education with physical health and overall well-being.

Sociology, Order and Power

My friends asked me what I learned in Person and Society this week and I explained that I was intrigued by the notion of conformity and deviance being social constructs. One often thinks of social norms as being understood in a given society but the leap is not often made to the inclusion of deviance a social construction as well rather we believe that persons who are deviant are somehow lacking in the moral values that other individuals possess. This allows for an individual emphasis rather than a society-based responsibility. Yet once processed it makes sense that if behavior norms are established by society then all behavior must be measured against these norms. The decision that a behavior is deviant therefore also falls into the category of a societal construct. This was a new way of frame the concept of deviance for me and this week has challenged me to look at issues through a sociological lens.