INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL

AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

Dr. T . Moyana (Mukwidigwi)

2024
NUST- BMS 1
 SOCIAL AND
BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
• Social Behavioral Sciences course is taught during the preclinical years
as a foundation for understanding human behavior and its impact on
health.
• Social and behavioral sciences are concerned with the study, observation
and explanation of human behavior either in single individuals or in
groups.
• Though often used interchangeably social sciences and behavioural
sciences are interrelated but different categories.
• These two are interrelated because they are all involved in the systematic
study of human behaviour.
• Their difference is on their unit of analysis- Behavioural focus on the
individual whereas social sciences focus on the human being in the
social context.
 CONT.
• Behavioural sciences mainly focus on the underlying psychological
processes such as cognition, emotion, temperament, and motivation; and
to bio-behavioural
• The disciplines that fall under behavioural sciences are psychology,
cognitive science, organization theory, psychobiology etc.
• The term “social” encompasses sociocultural, socioeconomic, and socio
demographic status; social interactions; and the various levels of social
context from small groups to complex cultural systems and societal
influences.
• These include fields like anthropology, organizational behavior,
organization studies, sociology and social networks.
 WHY DOCTORS SHOULD POSSES
KNOWLEDGE IN THE BEHAVIOURAL
AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

1.To equip medical trainees with behavioural and social science-derived

knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to practice medicine effectively.
• Health is a product of the interactions among biology, genetics, behavior,
relationships, cultures, and environments.
 CONT.
2. A great number of disease and causes of mortality are linked to social
and behavioural factors
• more and more disease states cannot be addressed without attention to the
behavioural or social factors that cause them, erect barriers against
treating them, or can ameliorate or even cure them.
 CONT.
• Medicine now faces complex societal problems like addiction, obesity,
violence, and end-of-life care, which require behavioural and social
science research and interventions.
• Social and Behavioural Sciences acquaint us with behavioural and social
processes which predict or influence health outcomes or risk factors
• Skills in the social and behavioural sciences are essential for the
prevention of many chronic diseases and the effective management of
patients with these diseases
 CONT.
3. Understanding human behaviour - A comprehensive understanding of
human behaviour facilitates improvement in patient care and the health of
the public
4. Competence in this area is an important element in promoting humane
medical practice
 CONT.
• Basic and applied behavioural and social sciences provide foundational
knowledge and
advanced clinical applications essential for the skilful practice of
medicine.
• Offers an appreciation of the social and behavioural aspects of health and
illness
 COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL
AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

Psychology

Social and
Health
Informatics
Behavioural Sociology
Science

Anthropology
 THE SBS COURSE -
OBJECTIVES
• Gain an understanding of growth and development (including
human sexuality and gender issues) and the life cycle, and how
these relate to health and illness in the social and psychological
context
• Explore the various theories on growth and development which
were developed in the western world .
• Look at the local African context of the growth and development.
• Explore medical care models-western vs. African (local) to explain
behavior.
 THE SBS COURSE -
OBJECTIVES
• Ethics=moral issues which govern a person’s behavior. Define
what is right or wrong in our practice as doctors.
• Regarding science- Ethics is production of unbiased information to
enable others to build upon or extend research findings
• Ethical issues to consider when doing research
• Ethical issues of practice for doctors-e.g. treating family,
colleagues other patients etc.
 THE SBS COURSE -
OBJECTIVES
• Improve ability to communicate with patients
• Understand local concepts of health and disease
• Understand living conditions of people from various backgrounds
(rural and urban) and determinants of health in both settings
• Develop skills for observation and enquiry of socio-cultural factors
in relation to human behavior in families and communities
SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
OF HEALTH SCIENCES
 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY
• Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour.
• Psychologists are actively involved in studying and understanding
mental processes, brain functions, and behaviour.
• The psychology of health deals with the psychological and
behavioural processes contributing to overall individual’s well
being and health.
• Psychological factors – behaviours , emotions, beliefs, attitudes ,
personality, stress etc
 WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
• Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups.
• It is a discipline with a primary responsibility of studying social
interactions among people, groups, organizations, and social institutions,.
• It examines how these interactions influence and are influenced by the
larger culture and social structure of society.
 CONT.
• Sociological explanations always look beyond the individual to take into
account the wider social causes of individual behaviour.
• It also investigates how the two-way relationship between social
structures and individuals shapes the actions of each over time. In order
to do this, sociology unravels and interprets the structure of society as
well as the actions of individuals in a unique way.
• It focuses primarily on the influence of social relationships, norms,
values and beliefs upon people’s attitudes and behavior and on how
societies are established and change.
 CONT.
• Sociological explanations always look beyond the individual to take into
account the wider social causes of individual behaviour.
• For example, when explaining why someone is unemployed,
psychological explanations would perhaps look at personality traits such
as lack of self-esteem, motivation or particular abilities. A sociological
explanation would look at a number of crucial factors that are ‘beyond’
the individual and out there in society and how they affect individuals.
- A sociological account would also consider the way that some
occupational groups are more able to protect themselves from
unemployment
 SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH
SCIENCES
• The sociology of health, healing, and illness—a subfield of sociology
commonly referred to as medical sociology.
• Sociologists emphasize that explanations for health and illness and for
healing practices must go beyond biological and individualistic factors by
examining the important influence of social context.
• Places health and disease in a social, cultural, and behavioural context
• It focuses on the different aspects of our social world (social categories,
social conditions and social processes) and the role of the individual in
determining health.
 ISSUES IN THE SOCIOLOGY
OF HEALTH SCIENCES
• The social behavior of health personnel and consumers of health
care (relationships between doctor and patient, doctor and nurse
and others)
• Organizational unit – analysis of the social function of health
institutions and organizations includes hospitals, medical
associations, clinic etc.
- issues of accessibility and quality of primary health care
- deals with organization's role, relationships, norms, values and
beliefs of medical practice as a form of human behavior.
- Here, the social processes that occur in a medical setting are
studied. Thus, sociology of health sciences includes research and
analysis of medical environment from a sociological perspective.
 CONT.

• The distribution of diseases among various population groups

• Health seeking behaviour - the behaviours or actions taken by individuals
to maintain, enhance, or restore health or cope with illness, disease, or
disability.
• people’s attitudes, and beliefs about health, disease, disability and
medical care providers and organizations.
• cultural values and societal responses with respect to health, illness, and
disability;
• the role of social factors in the etiology of disease
 CONT.
• As we can see from above, sociology of health and illness helps to
understand the various factors related with a healthy or ill person and not
the disease process itself and its specific aetiology.
• Thus, the contribution is more towards understanding the problem from a
preventive and promotive aspect.
 ANTHROPOLOGY AND
MEDICINE
• Medical anthropology is the cross cultural study of medical systems and
the study of bio-ecological and socio-cultural factors that influence the
incidence of health and disease now and throughout human history.
• So, medical anthropology encompasses the study of medical phenomena
as they are influenced by cultural factors.
 CONT.
• Looks at the basis and effectiveness of traditional health care systems and
suggests ways to integrate modern medicine into traditional societies.
• Studies the relationship between the biological and cultural
characteristics of a group(ethnic or racial) and its resistance of
susceptibility to various diseases in view of different genetic constitution.
• It helps to understand the disease prevalence and susceptibility to the
genetic make-up of a man belonging to a particular race or ethnicity,
impact of disease on human evolution and the impact of these inherent
ethnic and racial differences on the functioning and acceptability of
health care.
 COURSE ASSESSMENT
• 50% CA-Assignments/in-class tests/field visits
• 50%-Examination-At end of course (Level 1;2)
• Must pass the CA first before one is allowed to write the exam