Acupuncture: Ancient Chinese art based on the theory that energy in the body can be stimulated by inserting fine needles into the body.
Aetiology: The study of causation of a disease/condition.
Ageism: Prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a persons age.
Alternative medicine: Any medical therapy that is not considered orthodox by the medical profession.
Artefact approach: the existence of health inequalities as simply an artefact of the measurement system used
Biomedical model: A model of health that excludes psychological and social factors and includes only biological factors in an attempt to understand illness.
Birth rate: The number of babies born per thousand per year.
Complementary medicine: Alternative medicines which are used alongside the treatment of disease.
Demography: The study of statistics which illustrate the changing structure of human populations.
Disability: A physical or mental condition which limits a person's movements, senses or activities.
Disease: A biological or mental condition which usually involves medically diagnosed symptoms.
Dominant ideology: The attitudes and beliefs shared by the majority of a population
Esoteric: Information accessible to only a few eg Doctors have medical knowledge accessible to them only.
Fertility rate: The average number of children born to a woman between the ages of
Functional prerequites: Basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, and money) that an individual requires to live above the poverty line and the factors that allow a society to maintain social order.
General practitioner: A doctor within a community who treats minor illnesses and refers those with serious conditions to a hospital.
Grand narrative: Postmodern concept that refers to any area of knowledge that claims to offer complete explanations.
Health: The absence of disease and the complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well being.
Health authorities: A state or territory that is responsible for public health.
Homeopath: A system of treating disease by prescribing minute doese of a drug that in large quantities would cause illness.
Illness: A subjective feeling of being unwell. May not represent the presence of a disease.
Impairment: The state of being diminished, weakened, or damaged, especially mentally or physically.
Infant mortality rate: The number of children who die before their first birthday, per thousand per year.
Lay definitions of health: Commonly held ideas about health and illness - not by doctors.
Life expectancy: The number of years a new born baby can expect to live.
Marginalisation: occurs when certain groups of people get denied access to areas of society.
Master status: If you are labelled as a criminal, prosititue or mental patient, this overrides any other social status.
Mental illness: A condition that cuases a serious disorder in a persons thinking or behaviour. This may disrupt their functioning of everyday life.
Obesity: A medical term for being overweight.
Personal tradegy: A term used by Oliver to describe the way disability is seen as a personal as opposed to a social problem.
Postnatal clinic: Clinics for women to attend after giving birth.
Postmodernism: an approach that attempts to define how society has progressed to an era beyond modernity.
Preventative medicine: Preventing becoming ill in the first place or detecting disease early.
Presenting culture: The way in which people choose to portray themselves to others through their language, accent, hair and clothing styles.
Professionalisation: A tactic used by occupational groups to gain prestige and financial rewards.
Psychoanalytic approach: A branch of psychology which seeks to liberate patients from unconscious thoughts and fears that inhibit their freedom.
Reiki: A Japanese technique in which the practitoner channels spiritual energy to promote the body's own capacity to heal itself.
Self fulfilling prophecy: predictions made by others (e.g. teachers) about the future success or failure of a person / student will tend to come true because that prediction has been made.
Sick role: according to Parsons's when somebody is diagnosed they enter this role. Freeing them from some social expectations (e.g., work) and blame for being sick, while they temporarily occupied the role
Social capital: A network of social contacts. For example being friends with a doctor, nurse, teacher can be an advantage to you.