Unit 2: Social Systems PDF

UNIT 2: SOCIAL SYSTEMS PRESENTER: MRS CHISHA  GENERAL OBJECTIVE To make student nurses understand different social system in relation to health.  SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson, students should be able to; To define social system. State the characteristics o...

UNIT 2: SOCIAL SYSTEMS PRESENTER: MRS CHISHA  GENERAL OBJECTIVE To make student nurses understand different social system in relation to health.  SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson, students should be able to; To define social system. State the characteristics of a social system. To state the two types of social system. To compare and contrast modern and traditional social systems. State the factors affecting health of the society.  INTRODUCTION Social structure or social system refers to patterns around which society is organized. This social structure framework of society was already laid out before we were born. " Social mobility is often achieved by routes provided by the social structure.  The constituent parts of social system are individuals, groups and institutions such as government, education and religion. Often, ordinary people are not even aware of their existence as part of the system.  DEFINITION OF SOCIAL SYSTEM SYSTEM is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Social system may be described as an arrangement of social interactions based on shared norms and values. Social System can be defined as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships. It is also defined as a set of people bound in a society.  TYPES OF SOCIAL SYSTEM Basically, there are two types of social systems. These are traditional and modern social systems. Traditional refers to those societies or elements of societies that are small-scale and are derived from indigenous and often ancient cultural practices. Traditional society  Modern refers to those practices that relate to the industrial mode of production or the development of large-scale often colonial societies. These societies co-exist in the world today. Even though there is no such thing as a completely traditional or completely modern society at the present time, the collision between the two forms of systems has great significance on health. Modern  CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL SOCIETY People in traditional societies tend to live in extended families Share deep long-lasting patterns of interactions and interdependence with neighbors or primary relationships or organic solidality.  TRADITIONAL SOCIETY CONT.. The people live in rural areas or communities and have highly traditional attitudes and beliefs. Reject new ideas. They have fewer contacts with the outside world hence culture is stable but backwards.  TRADITIONAL SOCIETY CONT.. Receive relatively low education, and only the more ambitious and aggressive succeed in life. This is because an individual may fill multiple roles. Rural communities always include some families who engage in farming and some of these supply services needed by the farmer or work in nearby cities.  TRADITIONAL SOCIETY CONT.. Production is for use or consuption. Simple division of labor (age, sex). Units of production family, clan, village, age-set (organic social units).  TRADITIONAL SOCIETY CONT.. Accumulation for redistribution, exchange for prestige. Collective ownership. No work for pay; no formal contract; no labor.  TRADITIONAL SOCIETY CONT.. Few possessions; similar standard of living. Transport by human or animal energy. Individuals have variety of skills; make tools and control them. Human, plant, animal and solar energy. Limited but nutritious diet.  CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN SOCIETY In Modern Societies families are more nuclear, The communities are urban. Because people are busy with own chaos, social interaction is very superficial and transitory.  MODERN SOCIETY CONT.. Modern society people are more open to new ideas and therefore are aware of the things happen in the world. There is great concentration of population in urban areas because of locality, availability of resources and the particular function of the city.  MODERN SOCIETY CONT.. Production is for profit. Complex division of labor (specialization, differentiation). High degree of transport, Dependence on others’ skills, knowledge.  MODERN SOCIETY CONT.. Resources not always used for social needs (self). Cult of wealth/Private ownership. Pay for goods and services; contract-based work. Many possessions; inequitable distribution of resources and wealth.  FACTORS IMPACTING ON SOCIETY’S HEALTH SOCIAL – ECONOMIC STATUS: this may impact health either in a positive way or negative way. For people in a high class or middle class may be able to seek health services early on the other hand those from the lower class may find it difficult to access health services.  SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS CONT.. 1. Housing With urbanization, more people are migrating into towns in order to work in factories and industries. This has led to high density areas within communities leading to over-crowding and mushrooming of shanty compounds.  SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS CONT.. Inadequate shelter and overcrowding are major factors in the transmission of diseases with epidemic potential such as acute respiratory infections, typhus, cholera, scabies, etc. Outbreaks of disease are more frequent and more severe when the population density is high.  CONT.. 2. Sanitation and Water supply With the mushrooming of unplanned shanty compounds, there is no proper water supply and refuse disposal. This has led to poor sanitation and outbreaks of water borne diseases, for example, cholera.  CONT.. 3. Education Urbanization has caused high population in urban areas, hence the need for more schools to cater for the children. Lack of these institutions gives rise to ignorance on the importance of hygiene among other health related problems.  CONT.. 4. Medical care There are now more people using few health facilities and this has caused over-crowding in hospitals. This in turn leads to shortage of drugs, bed spaces and linen.  CONT.. 5. Transport system and Communication Urbanization has led to an increase in the production, thereby increasing demand for roads and vehicles. This has led to overcrowding at bus stops and poor site for buses which can predispose people to accidents.  CONT.. Increase in production results in the increase in fuel consumption, this scenario results in increased carbon monoxide fumes into the atmosphere which are hazardous to health.  CONT.. 6. Prostitution Some people have gone into prostitution due to poverty. Others have indulged into prostitution due to peer pressure in cities as a form of identity or a way of conforming to the rules of a group.  CONT… 7. Unemployment Lack of employment or insufficient income violets the status of wellbeing acceptable in our society. This may lead to alcoholism and reduced access to health care and other necessary services.  CONT.. 8. Nutrition Due to poor salaries people cannot afford nutritious foods. This has led to people’s poor health, nutritional status and people are predisposed to diseases.  RELIGION Emile Durkheim defines religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden. Religion has an effect on society’s health and services depending on the type of religion.  RELIGION CONT.. Religion may equally affect health either in a positive way or not. Religion promotes moral behavior of which if followed may contribute to health positively. On the other hand religion can be a source of ill health and deaths.  RELIGION CONT.. 1. Christianity Teachings in Christianity forbid premarital sex, sexual related violence, extra marital sex, polygamy, sexual cleansing etc. These reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.  RELIGION CONT.. Abortion, traditional medicine, drug abuse and alcoholism are also discouraged. On the other hand, some doctrines with.in Christianity are detrimental to health  For example Lenshina’s church in the 60s and 70s. This church instructed it members to drink urine as it can purify their bodies. The genocide in Rwanda was spear headed by religion and the Zion church which advocates for polygamy and does not allow it members to seek health services such immunizations. These negative aspects can worsen the condition or even cost the lives of the sick. 2. Islam In Islam male dominance and polygamy are encouraged which may contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Islamic fasting, unlike Medical fasting, has numerous adverse or harmful effects on health. These health effects include heat stress, dehydration, migraines and, for lactating women, the nutritional make-up of their milk, amongst others.  Hinduism In Hindu context the river Ganges is considered sacred. The river, personified as a goddess, is worshipped by Hindus, who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates liberation from the cycle of life and death. However this river contains human waste from sewers that predispose people to life threatening diseases such as cholera and bilharzias.  Cultural Practices: sexual cleansing, circumcision, female genital mutilation and restricting pregnant women from eating certain food staffs all may affect health either in a positive way or negative way. However, male circumcision can minimize the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS if done in a proper health facility where antiseptic procedures are observed.  Political: Political concerns are the means whereby power is used to affect governmental activity Political situations may affect health in the sense that were political situation is stable, the government will be able to provide health service to its people. In a country where there is war, no resources can be channeled to the improvement of health services in the country.  LEGAL The procedure of having to acquire a police report before receiving treatment at a health facility, may delay treatment and cause complications. The strictness of the law may provide adequate punishment for those who misuse/steal drugs and other hospital equipment thereby prevent thefts.  Education: education plays an important role in some one’s life. With education one can read articles on health and can easily understand and apply things related to the promotion of health.  Beliefs: Traditional beliefs may affect health of the society in a negative way. If most of the people believe in witch craft as the cause of illness, they may not be able to access health services even when the condition requires medical interventions. For example, where people believe in inchila, even when there are difficulties in delivery such as obstructed labor, they will not seek medical help.  Folklores: These are traditional stories, sayings and beliefs from a particular region with a moral or health teaching, for example a story of a rabbit who claimed to be a traditional doctor and would falsely guide people into dirty water for wealth and in the process they would get sick.  TABOOS Taboos are ritual isolations or an act in a community perceived as scary or wrong when done and which demands a curse when done. Taboos were created by elders to protect the people from themselves, for example it was taboo to swim upstream; anyone who did that could suffer from leprosy.  PURPOSE OF BELIEFS, TABOOS, AND FOLKLORES It was to maintain order and peace among the people. Protect the people. It was for selfish men to take advantage of the rest. To preserve culture.  For planning sake, for example ground nuts meant for relish would be safe only through taboos. It was also meant for guidance and teaching.  SUMMARY A social system is a plurality of individuals interacting with each other according to shared cultural norms and meanings. It is a formal structure of role and status that can form in a small, stable group. It presupposes a structure that is designed to perform certain functions.