social sciences in dentistry

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND DENTISTRY

CONTENTS

Sociology Cultural Anthropology

Social Psychology Economics

Political Science

INTRODUCTION 1

SOCIAL SCIENCES 2

HEALTH BEHAVIOUR AND LIFESTYLE 3

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH 4

SUMMARY 5

Fill….in….the….blanks

MAN IS A --------------------

ANIMALSOCIAL

INTRODUCTIONSocial environment is as important as

the physical and biological environment in relation to health and

disease in man.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

BIOLOGICALENVIRONMENT SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENT

EFFECT OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTHOSTEL Vs. HOME

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTComplex of psychosocial factors

influencing the health of the individual and community.

BRANCHES

02

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

05

01

SOCIOLOGY

04

ECONOMICS

03

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Science concerned with the organization or structure of social

groups.

DEFINITION“a system of uses and procedures of authority and mutual aid of many groups coupled with division of control of human behaviour and liberty”

HUMANS Vs ANIMALS

Even though animals live in groups

we differ from them in one component

An art of adding experience.

Man learns from experience .

Works in the shadow of the past for a better tomorrow.

Structural aspects of societySocial institutions - it is a social structure and machinery through which human society organizes, directs and executes the multifarious activities required to satisfy human needs.

Community - defined as a group small or large, living together in such a way that the members share not one or more specific interests but rather the basic conditions of a common life.

Associations – they are groups of people united for a specific purpose or a limited number of purposes and are based on utilitarian interest.

Functional aspects of societySocial norms – The specified rules of conduct to be followed by the members of a society.

Folkways Customary ways of behaviour

Norms that are not strictly enforcedNot a threat to society

Mores Norms when broken, go against a society’s basic core values.

Moral significance FOLKWAYS

MORES

TABOO Mores expressed in a negative context

socially repulsive

LAWS Mores are converted into laws

in order to ensure implementation.

HABITS Personal affair Bathing daily

CUSTOMS Broad term involving folkways and

norms.Repeated by generations

ETIQUETTES AND CONVENTIONS

SOCIAL VALUES

Etiquette - Choice of proper form for doing something in relation to other people.

Convention – an agreed upon procedure

VALUES – Standards of judgements by which things and actions are evaluated as good or bad.

All men are born free and equal.

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

CULTURE the training and refinement of mind, tastes and manners, the condition of being thus trained and refined.

BRANCHES

ETHNOLOGY ARCHEOLOGY LINGUISTICS SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Comparative study of cultures.

various aspects of humans

within past and present societies

scientific study of language

studies the cultural and social aspects of human communities.

SOCIAL PSYCOLOGY ECONOMICS

POLITICAL SCIENCE

It studies the effect of social environment on individual psychology Studies the production, distribution

and consumption of the three basic essential for his living namely food, shelter and clothing.

It deals with the constitution, the government and the laws of the state which impose some sort of discipline on mans movements or behaviour.

HEALTH BEHAVIOUR AND LIFESTYLE

DIRECT WAYS INDIRECT WAYS

HOW HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND LIFE STYLE INFLUENCES HEALTH???

PREVENTIVE AND SELF CARE BEAHVIOUR

SOCIAL NORMS, CULTURE, ORGANIZATION AND ENVIRONMENT

BEHAVIOUR OR HEALTH RELATED HABITSWHICH ARE HARMFUL FOR YOU!

SMOKING

NUTRITION

DRUG USE

SOCIAL SCIENCE IN DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

• Social scientists are called to aid in adapting new health programmes to existing cultural patterns

• Adds a new dimension to the process of surveying and evaluation.

• In finding out why effort and effect do not match??

• How well the programme fits with the socio cultural group with which we are working.

BEHAVIOUR SCIENTISTS CLASSIFICATION OF SOCIAL CLASS

THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS

• The professional and business executive group, well educated, living in well maintained homes.

• Seek out expert advice and follow the advice religiously when it comes to health care.

• They value their teeth and are interested in preventive dentistry and actively pursue dental care.

THE LOWER MIDDLE CLASS

THE UPPER LOWER CLASS

• Includes small business owners, minor executives, teachers, salesman.• They are highly moralistic group with at least a high school education• They live in a clean pleasant neighbourhood.• Most compulsive in dental care attitudes.• Dentist is regarded as an authority who fixes teeth.• The necessity to be socially presentable makes for a high standard of dental care

among this status level.

• Generally skilled and semiskilled blue collar workers with limited education.• The group which needs to become the objective of major educational efforts

regarding dental care.• They are most accessible to these attempts and offer best possibilities of

behavioural and attitudinal changes.• They acquire artificial dentures at an early age and are reasonably happy with

them.

THE LOWER CLASS

• They are called underprivileged or disadvantaged class.• Consists of unskilled labourers, people who shift from job to job, limited

education, live in slum areas and exhibit no stable pattern of life.• Reveal most consistent neglect of teeth.• They require careful understanding if they are to receive adequate care in public

health facilities.

ATTITUDE OF UNDER PRIVILEGED TOWARDS HEALTH

CASTRATION COMPLEXReluctance to be at the complete mercy of health practitioner.

CONTRADICTION OF COMMON SENSEContinuation of drugs after acute symptoms have subsided seem to contradict common sense.

COMING IN CROWDSHate to be outnumbered so they tend to come in crowds, with family and friends

THE LAST DITCH EFFORTTurn to dental treatment only as a last resort after all individual efforts have failed, thereby challenging the professionals to salvage from an almost hopeless situation.

IF IT HURTS, YOU ARE A QUACKThey have a feeling that medical/dental treatment should be painless and if it hurts, the doctor doesn’t know what he is doing.

UNCLEAN OR DIRTY FEELINGThey feel dental office to be unclean.

THE CLINIC WAS BUILT THERE, NOT HEREWhen clinics are located at inconvenient places.“ if you really cared about me you would have built the hospital or clinic here instead of there”

COLD PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDESComplain about cold attitude and conduct of health professionals.

DIFFERENCES IN PAIN THRESHOLDPain threshold has wider variations and people with poor health may have low threshold.

COMPLICATION OF THE UNKNOWNFear of unknown is accentuated in these people as there are so many things that are unknown to them.

THE PILLS DON’T WORKThere is a tendency to expect immediate results and if the drug fails to do so it is discontinued.

APPOINTMENTS ARE NOT IMPORTANTAppointments are not a part of the lives of the underprivileged so they should be educated with patience and understanding to keep up with the appointments.

TEETH LOST ANYHOWThey have a feeling that loss of tooth is a natural part of life. So they should be educated to overcome this fatalistic attitude.

TRADITIONSStrong and deep seated traditions. To communicate with these people , it is important that these traditions should be recognized and understood.

RECAP• Social environment plays an important

role in relation to health and disease in man.

• By understanding different social sciences we can predict the culture of the concerned community.

• Health behaviour has direct and indirect effects on health.

• Social scientists are called to aid in programme planning and evaluation problems.

SUGGESTED READING

• 1)Soben Peter. Essentials of Preventive and Community Dentistry 3rd edition.

• 2)Park, Park’s Textbook of Preventive &Social Medicine, 22nd Edition, Jabalpur: Banarsidas Bhanot,2013.

THANK YOU