Quotes from William C. Cockerham

Autonomy in making decisions and the control it gives those that have it over their lives is essential, in his view, for a sense of well-being, social engagement, health

rather, it recognizes that social structures influence the thoughts, decisions, and actions of individuals (Sibeon 2004). The theoretical model presented here is strongly influenced by Weber and Bourdieu.

structural variables, namely (a) class circumstances, (b) age, gender, and race/ethnicity, (c) collectivities, and (d) living conditions, provide the social context for (2) socialization and experience that influence (3) life choices (agency).

disease in the casual chain." Consequently, the direct effects of social structures on health are often ignored, even though social structures and conditions may ultimately be responsible for causing the health problem under investigation (Lomas 1998; Sweat and Denison 1995).

Social class or socioeconomic status (SES) is the strongest predictor of health, disease causation, and longevity in medical sociology.

Thus class boundaries were also cultural boundaries and in a very real sense constituted health boundaries as well.

rather that healthy eating symbolizes something undesirable and exposes them to social risks. While this may seem irrational to public health experts, Stead and her associates argue that unhealthy eating can be viewed by the teenagers as profoundly rational because of the risk of an impaired social identity and rejection by peers.

with a bias toward individualism that affects our conceptualization of the social. Smelser (1997: 29) says: "We live in the Western cultural tradition, which has exploited the cultural values of individualism. As children of that tradition, we are most comfortable taking the individual person as the starting point of analysis. Put another way, that cultural tradition 'tilts' us toward assuming that the natural unit for the behavioral and social sciences is the individual.