Chapter 18 : The Sociology of the Body: Health and Illness and Sexuality

1. Statistical studies of our national health persistently show a gap in life expectancies between the rich and the poor. Review all the major factors that would explain why rich people on average live about 8 years longer than poor people.

2. Your text discusses the biological and sociocultural factors associated with sexual orientation. Why are twin studies the most promising type of research on the genetic basis of sexual orientation? Briefly summarize their analysis and show whether it presently appears that sexual orientation results from genetic differences and/or sociocultural practices and experiences.

3. Briefly summarize the major features in Americans' sexual behavior--frequency, number of partners, homosexual experiences, differences between men and women, and differences between married and unmarried persons-as shown in Kinsey and Laumann's different sex studies. Based upon the information presented, how credible do you think these studies are?

4. Eating disorders are now a common problem for many young women and some young men in the United States, and the disorders are spreading to the rest of the world. Your text discusses the social factors that influence our bodies. How can "the sociology of the body" be applied to eating disorders? How has globalization affected eating disorders?

5. The text includes a discussion of alternative medicines in discussing the sociology of health and illness. How do sociologists explain the increase in the number of people in this country, as well as other Western industrialized nations, who are turning to alternative medical practices? What do you see as the appeal of this medical approach?

6. Review the ethical questions that have been raised as a result of the emergence of new procreative technologies and then discuss how you feel about these developments.

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