ABSTRACT
Social influences upon the onset and subsequent course of a particular disease are not limited to variables such as age, sex, race, social class, and living conditions as they relate to lifestyle, habits, and customs. Stress can therefore be seen as having a very definite social and personal component based on perceptions that people have in social situations. Walter Cannon formulated the concept of the “fight or flight” pattern of physiological change to illustrate how the body copes with stress resulting from a social situation. The discussion thus far has pointed out that an inability to manage the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of life—to respond suitably to a social situation—can cause a physiological reaction to stressful circumstances. The importance of group and organizational membership for the physical and mental health of individuals is seen in the growing interest in the concept of social capital in medical sociology.
