Sociology 2246A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 17: Hans Selye, Walter Bradford Cannon, Role Theory
10 Feb 2019
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The interest in social stress is representative of the appeal of the concept by researchers to explain and understand how/why individuals should take responsibility for their own health. Most researchers reference it in the context of an individual who experiences many demands. Stress is a response to threatening and strainful environments and circumstances. This concept has been around for 200+ years. Hippocrates believed in self-healing powers that were present in the body. The term has been associated w/ hardships, and the cause of many illnesses. Pasteur"s research led scientists to focus on germ-caused diseases and focused less on the role of emotions. Cannon coined the term homeostasis and identified specific changes that the body made in response to varying stimuli and emotions. He described the fight or flight reaction, but also noted that it is often navigated today in situations that are not useful.
