Sociology

🏥 Sociology

Part 1 of 7 — Social Structure & Stratification

Social stratification: unequal distribution of resources based on class, race, gender.

Social class: upper, middle, working, lower — defined by income, education, occupation, and wealth.

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Key Insight: Social mobility: intragenerational (within lifetime) vs intergenerational (across generations).

MCAT Tip: Intersectionality: race, class, gender, and other identities overlap to create unique experiences.

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Culture & Socialization

Part 2 of 7 — Culture & Socialization

Culture: shared beliefs, values, norms, and material objects of a group.

Socialization: process of learning norms and values; agents: family, peers, media, school, religion.

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Key Insight: Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by your own standards; Cultural relativism: understanding in context.

MCAT Tip: Material culture: physical objects (technology, buildings); Non-material: ideas, beliefs, values.

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Social Interaction & Self

Part 3 of 7 — Social Interaction & Self

Symbolic interactionism: meaning is created through social interaction and shared symbols.

Dramaturgy (Goffman): life as a stage — front stage (public self) vs backstage (private self).

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Key Insight: Looking-glass self (Cooley): self-concept based on how we think others perceive us.

MCAT Tip: Social identity theory (Tajfel): in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination.

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Group Dynamics & Deviance

Part 4 of 7 — Group Dynamics & Deviance

Conformity (Asch): people conform to group pressure even when the group is wrong.

Obedience (Milgram): people obey authority figures even when causing harm.

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Key Insight: Groupthink: desire for harmony leads to poor decision-making; bystander effect: diffusion of responsibility.

MCAT Tip: Deviance: violation of social norms; labeling theory: societal reaction creates deviant identity.

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Health Disparities

Part 5 of 7 — Health Disparities

Social determinants of health: income, education, race, environment, access to healthcare.

Health disparities: unequal health outcomes across socioeconomic and demographic groups.

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Key Insight: Sick role (Parsons): society expects sick people to seek help and try to get well.

MCAT Tip: Healthcare access: uninsured populations have worse outcomes; preventive care reduces disparities.

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Demographics & Population

Part 6 of 7 — Demographics & Population

Demographic transition: pre-industrial (high birth/death), transitional, industrial (low birth/death).

Urbanization: movement to cities; impacts health, social networks, and resource distribution.

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Key Insight: Globalization: increased interconnection affects disease spread, economic opportunity, and cultural change.

MCAT Tip: Fertility rate, mortality rate, and migration determine population growth.

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Review & MCAT Practice

Part 7 of 7 — Review & MCAT Practice

Demographic transition: pre-industrial (high birth/death), transitional, industrial (low birth/death).

Urbanization: movement to cities; impacts health, social networks, and resource distribution.

Concept Check 🎯

Key Insight: Globalization: increased interconnection affects disease spread, economic opportunity, and cultural change.

MCAT Tip: Fertility rate, mortality rate, and migration determine population growth.

Concept Check 🎯

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