Risk Society

The right to make decisions concerning one’s own death. Any society in which the risks from potentially dangerous modern technologies are interwoven with the economy and thus are commonplace and accepted. RNs See registered nurses. self-diagnosis The process through which individuals try to diagnose themselves. self-fulfilling prophecy A situation in which individuals become what they are expected to be. For example, when it is assumed that no girls can throw a ball properly, girls might never be taught to do so, might never think it is worth trying on their own, and thus might never learn to do so. serial sexual partners Sexual relationships that occur one after another (rather than overlapping) in an individual’s life. sex The biological categories of male and female to which we are assigned based on our chromosomal structure, genitalia, hormones, and so on. Generally, individuals are considered male if they have XY sex chromosomes and female if they have XX sex chromosomes. sick role The set of four social expectations in Western society regarding how society should view sick people and how sick people should behave. First, the sick person is considered to have a legitimate reason for not fulfilling his or her normal social role. Second, sickness is considered beyond individual control, something for which the individual is not held responsible. Third, the sick person must recognize that sickness is undesirable and work to get well. Fourth, the sick person should seek and follow medical advice.