Sociology and Medicolegal Aspects of Nursing

INTRODUCTION

The term society is derived from the Latin word ‘socius’, which means companionship or friendship. ▪ Two primary components of a society are its culture and its social structure. ▪ Society is one of the basic sociological terms. In simple sense, society is a large grouping that shares the same geographical territory, shares a common culture and social structure, and expected to abide by the some laws.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Discuss the relationship between individual and varies society

4. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY 

               A society consists of people who share a territory, who interact with each other, and who share a culture. Society is defined a web of social relationships. A society is a collection of individuals united by a certain relation or mode of behaviour which marks them off from others who do not enter theses relations or who defer from them in behaviour.

The characteristics of society consists of people, mutual interaction, and mutual awareness. There is likeness, which refers to similarities but differences in their social relationships that involved co-operation and division of labour.

The interdependence and dynamics causing change is always present in society. Thus, social control, has its own means and ways of controlling the behaviour of its members. While culture and gregarious nature, it refers to the tendency of men to live in groups.

 4.1. THE INFLUENT OF BIOLOGY

a. Community Rural & Urban 

Rural society - The villager’s satisfaction all the needs in the village.  They have a sense of

unity and feeling of friendliness towards each other. The development of village is influenced considerable by the life of the village. Major occupation is agriculture which involves dependence on nature.

Rural sociology-->scientific study of rural society; involve study on the on the society,

institutions, activities, interaction, and social change. Takes urban surrounding into consideration for a comparative study.

                Urban society- There’s division of labour into specialized occupation. Social organization are based on occupation are based on occupation and social class. Practice trade and commerce. There is formal government institution. Practices good communication, record keeping with technology update.

                Urban sociology - Urban derived from Latin ‘urb’ referring to a city. Urban sociology is a study of urban living; the people in the society, the relationship, interaction and social changes.

Urbanization is when the Movement of people from communities concerned chiefly or sorely with agriculture to other communities generally larger whose  activities are primarily centred in government,  trade, manufacture or allied interest.

b.  involve 2 ways process:

 •       Movement from village to cities; change from agricultural occupation to business, service, profession.

•       Changes in migrants’ attitude, belief, values and behavioural pattern. What attract people to migrate to urban area?

•       Better wages & technology

•       Employment / business opportunity

•       Better community for education

•       Poverty and unemployment, long working hours, low income in rural compared to urban.

•       Developing countries are placing more and more reliance on industrialization.

It is also involved social process and affect not only environment physically but also socio-culturally. 

c. Industrialization 

The process of converting to a socioeconomic order in which industry is dominant.

Along with its technological components. Industrialization & urbanization completely transform family interaction. Many factors fuelled industrial growth in the late 19^{th century}. Abundant resources, new technology, cheap energy, fast transport and available of capital and labour. 

d. Advantages of urbanization & industrialization 

Business leaders how to operate and coordinate many different economic activities across

broad georaphic area. Business become larger and the modern corporation become an important from of business organization.

 e. Disadvantages of urbanization / industrialization

 Family → from extended. Multigenerational family system into a nuclear family (parent/ children). Urban families significantly smaller. Live in unhealthy housing; overcrowded, polluted. Social → increase crimes, independent neighborhood.

Environment → pollution, disaster, global warming. Health →communicable diseases 

4.2. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION 

                                The definition is Population distribution is the pattern of where people live, population density with measurement of the number of people in an area. It is an average number which is calculated by dividing the number of people by area. And usually shown as the number of people per square kilometre

a. What factors affecting population density are physiological factors, high density, and low density.

Physiological factors – see to the shape and height of the land, resources, and climate

Resources - High density - shape and height of the land, Low land which is flab, areas rich of resource (coal, oil, fishing area, gold) and area with few resources tend to be  sparsely populated.

Climate - Low density. Areas with temperate climates tend to be densely populated as there is enough rain and heat to grow crops and areas with extreme climates of hot and cold tend to be sparsely populated.  Eg : Sahara dessert 

b. What factors affecting population density are human factors, high density, and low density.

Population density consist of Human factors, political, social, and economic.

Human factors - Political – High density, Country with stable government tend to have a high population density Eg : Singapore and Low density, Unstable countries tend to have  lower population densities as  people migrate. Eg. Afghanistan

Human factors – social - High density - Group of people want to live close to each other for security. Eg. USA Low density other group of people prefer to be isolated. Eg : Scandinavans

Human factors -economic – high density with good job opportunities encourage high population densities. Low density - Limited job opportunity cause some areas to be sparsely populated Eg : Amazon Rainforest

c. Population distribution 

                This rapid growth in population has been called a population explosion. Birth rate -> number of live babies born in a year for every 1000 people in the total population. Death rates-> number of people dying per 1000 people. When birth rates are higher than death rates the population of an area will increase. Over the past 150 years improvements in health care and sanitation around the world have led to a drop in  the death rate. 

d. Population structure 

                The population structure for an area shows the number of males and females within different age group in the population. This information is displayed as an age-sex or population pyramid. Population pyramid of Less Economic Developed Countries typical have a wide base and a narrow top. This representation a high birth rate and high death rate. Population pyramid of More Economically Developed Countries typically have a roughly equal distribution of population throughout the age group. The top obviously gets narrower as a result of death.

 4.3. THE INFLUENCE OF THE CULTURE 

           Culture is an organization of phenomenon of acts (patterns of behavior) objects (tool) idea (belief, knowledge, sentiments) attitudes values the use of symbols. The values, beliefs, standards, languages, thinking patterns, behavioral norms, communications styles etc. shared by a group of people. We have an obligation to be respectful and sensitive to another’s belief system. Healthcare workers must be culturally competent and comfortable with those they serve. Healthcare workers should understand how their own personal biases and values influence communication with parents, families, and co-workers. 

                Culture is derived from the English word ‘kulthra’ and Sanskrit word ‘ samskar ’ which denotes social channel and intellectual excellence.  Culture is a way of life. Culture is a complex whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habit acquired by the man as a member of society. Culture is symbolic, (representative) continuous, cumulative (collective) and progressive process.

a.  CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

Culture is an acquired quality or learned way of behavior. Learn through experience, imitation, communication, concept, thinking and socialization process. Culture is transmitted by vertically and horizontally and thus it is communicative. vertical transmission from generation to generation

Horizontal transmission from one group to another group. Culture is social but not individual. Culture can be shared by members of group (thinking, feeling, acting). It is

idealistic. (unrealistic/impractical) that fulfills some needs and desires of individual to fulfill group function. Culture is adoptive and integrative. It evolves into more complex forms through division    

 of labor, which develops special skills, the interdependence of members within the society continuously and cumulatively.

Culture is dynamic and gratifying which varies from society to society. Every culture has a culture of its own/unique. (Customs, tradition, moral, ideals, belief, practice). It is super organic, and  independent of physical and physiological properties and characteristics

 b. TYPES OF CULTURES

 Culture is unique, every culture has its own varied and diverse, culture is base on society and the content is culture is of two types:

Material culture - Manmade objects, which may be experienced with senses e.g. pen, table,  it is concerned with external, mechanical, and utilitarian objects.

Non-material culture- Include the concepts, values and ideas, e.g. Monogamy, polygamy, democracy.

 c. FUNCTION OF CULTURE

          As a social being – it requires us to regulate the conduct and prepares the human being, understand the meaning of situation. To provides solutions to complicated situations as it provides traditional interpretation to certain situations. You should be able to defines value, attitudes, and goals in order to broaden the vision of individuals. It also keeps the individual behavior intact. Creating new needs and interests by moldings national character and able to defines myths, legends, supernatural believes in providing behavior pattern and relationship with others.

4.4.  HOW SOCIETIES ATTEMPT TO CONTROL DEVIENCE.

                Mores (MOR-AYZ) are norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society.  Each society demands obedience to its mores  when  violations can lead to severe penalties. e.g. most countries have strong mores against murder, child abuse, use of illegal drugs.

 Folkways are norms governing everyday behaviour that plays an important role in shaping the daily behaviour of members of a culture. It is relatively weak norms in which violation does not cause concern. They are the conventions and habits learned from childhood.,  are correct behaviour, correct manners proper dress and eating food with the proper utensils. The breaking or questioning a folkway does not cause severe punishment, but may cause the person to be laughed at, frowned upon or scolded

Sanctions are rewards and punishments given out to those who follow or violate social norms.

Formal norms – positive – staff given Bonos, testimonial dinner or given medal or certificates whereas the negative norms when the staff is demoted, fired or expulsion from work.

The informal norms – positive – smiling to staff, complimented and cheers whereas negative norms the characteristic of frowning, humiliation and be littering the staff.

4.5. ATTITUTES TOWARDS CULTURAL VARIATIONS

Ethnocentrism - Refer to the tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life’s represent the norm or are superior to all others.

Cultural Relativism - The evaluation or looking at people’s behaviour from the perspectives/point of view of their own culture.