Sociology for practice - the 'ology' you’ve been looking for with Dr Rebecca Olson
Sep 27, 2022
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Dr Rebecca Olson, an Associate Professor of Sociology, discusses the role and value of sociology in healthcare. Topics covered include the distinction between sociology and social science, the importance of sociology in clinical thinking, the evolution of qualitative research, exploring the boundaries of sociology, and the origins and importance of sociological theories.
Sociology provides a lens to understand the complex social interactions and their impact on individuals and communities.
Integrating sociological theories and perspectives in healthcare education and practice can lead to more holistic and patient-centered care.
Deep dives
The role and value of sociology in healthcare
This podcast episode explores the role and value of sociology in healthcare. The speaker, Dr. Rebecca Olson, discusses the distinction between sociology and social science, and how sociology fits within the intellectual landscape. She introduces sociology as a research field and its application in relation to healthcare. The episode also delves into medical sociology and related methodologies like grounded theory and ethnographic research. The importance and value of sociological theory for practice is emphasized, as well as the irony that sociological knowledge is not heavily incorporated in healthcare education or practice. The episode concludes by discussing what can be learned from sociological inquiry and its potential to inform practice and policy.
The social world and its relation to the natural world
The concept of the social world and its distinction from the natural world is explored in this podcast episode. The speaker highlights that sociology is the systematic study of society, focusing on how groups of people form meaningful patterns and structures that shape their perspectives and interactions. While the natural world is often regarded as separate from the social world, it is acknowledged that the social lens can also influence how we perceive and understand the natural world. The episode emphasizes the need for sociological theories and perspectives to grasp the complexity of social interactions and their impact on individuals and communities.
The significance of sociological theories
The episode delves into the importance of sociological theories and their role in understanding and analyzing social phenomena. The speaker explains that theories in sociology serve as lenses through which we can observe and interpret the social world. These theories are derived from various sources, including social philosophy, anthropology, and historical perspectives. They provide frameworks for analyzing and explaining social structures, inequalities, power dynamics, and cultural phenomena. The episode highlights the value of sociological theories in challenging assumptions, foregrounding certain aspects of social issues, and proposing solutions to address them.
Integrating sociology into healthcare education and practice
The podcast episode addresses the challenge of integrating sociology into healthcare education and practice. It acknowledges the packed curriculum and limited space for additional content. However, there is a call to recognize the importance of sociological skills and knowledge in providing holistic and patient-centered care. The episode suggests that healthcare professionals can start by familiarizing themselves with introductory texts on sociology and health sociology, as well as exploring podcasts and other resources to gain a deeper understanding of sociological concepts and theories. Creating a safe learning environment that encourages reflection on practice and engagement with theories is also recommended to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Welcome to another episode of The Words Matter Podcast.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the last couple of episodes exploring pseudoscientific claims and how to think about, and respond to them (here and here). And to give us all a break from the frustration, today I’m speaking with Dr Rebecca Olson about the role and value of sociology for practice.
As a translational qualitative researcher, Rebecca collaborates with health professionals, health professional educators and emotions scholars, bringing sociological insight to addressing complex healthcare challenges.
The importance and value of sociological theory for practice – and we talk about how there is nothing like a good theory to offer a rich perspective and multiple lenses on clinical practice.
And we also talk about what social theories are and where they come from.
We distinguish between the natural world and the social world.
We talk about the irony that while social factors and determinants of health seem to be important in understanding and predicting illness and recovery, yet sociological knowledge is does not feature strongly in healthcare education and practice.
And finally we talk about what can we learn from sociological enquiry and how it can inform practice and policy.
So I really loved this conversation with Rebecca. As clinicians we seem to be very happy and comfortable with the other ‘ologies’ – such as biology, physiology and neurology so I hope that this conversation is a gateway to explore how sociology can support and guide clinical thinking and practice.
