The sociological study of stress
Abstract
This paper presents a critical overview of current concepts and analytic practices in stress research and considers how they can be changed to make the research more consistent with core sociological interests. An overarching concern of the paper is the analytic use of basic information about people's social and institutional affiliations and statuses. It is important that such information be treated not simply as data that need to be controlled statistically; we must examine the bearing of these data on each domain of the stress process: the exposure to and meaning of stressors, access to stress mediators, and the psychological, physical, and behavioral manifestations of stress. The conceptualization and measurement of stressors should move away from their focus on particular events or chronic strains and should seek instead to observe and assess over time constellations of stressors made up of both events and strains. Moreover, the effects of the mediators--coping and social support--are evaluated most fruitfully in terms of their effects in limiting the number, severity, and diffusion of stressors in these constellations. Finally, sociological stress researchers should not be bound to outcomes that better serve the intellectual interests of those who work with biomedical and epidemiological models of stress, nor should the research be committed exclusively to a single outcome.
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Stressor exposures are interpreted differently at different points in our life course since one's developmental stage changes the meaning and expectations of life events.
“Stressor exposures are also interpreted differently at different points in our life course since one’s developmental stage changes the meaning and expectations of life events (Pearlin, 1989).”
From More than a feeling: A unified view of stress measurement for population science (2018) · cites this paper as Pearlin, 1989
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“Incarceration is also a chronic stressor (Pearlin 1989).”
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“Finally, the current analysis and other research suggests the socially isolated, older releasees and those with histories of mental illness and addictionmay bemost vulnerable ðPearlin 1989Þ. Thesemore vulnerable prison releasees have fewer resources to manage the transition from prison.”
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“Moreover, it implies that studies focusing on just one health outcome may understate the potential problems related to racial discrimination (114, 115).”
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“PII: S 0 2 7 7 - 9 5 3 6 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 2 6 6 - 0 health problems, particularly among individuals who do not have access to adequate social supports (Pearlin, 1989; Turner, Wheaton, & Lloyd, 1995).”
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“power and control in work and family spheres and likely contributes to a greater total workload, more sacrifices, and difficulties in balancing work and family (Mirowsky & Ross, 1995; Pearlin, 1989).”
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Couple resilience to economic pressure.
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The life course and the stress process: some conceptual comparisons.
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“It is the emphasis on the pivotal part played by status stratification that helps to establish the place of the stress process within sociology and to distinguish it from other disciplines that also have an interest in stress (Pearlin, 1989).”
BackgroundThe Impact of Childhood Abuse and Neglect on Adult Mental Health: A Prospective Study
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“Demographic control variables, all taken from the wave 1 baseline survey, include sex (male vs. female), race (white vs. nonwhite), and age (based on self-reports and categorized as 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, and 75 or older).”
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“Although many people certainly come under stress as a result of rare and exotic circumstances, research into social stress is more characterized by its attention to difficult and threatening circumstances confronted by collectivities possessing similar social and economic attributes ( Pearlin, 1989 ).”
BackgroundInfluentialCaregiver burden—a critical discussion
Bastawrous, M. (2013) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.10.005 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
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“Instead, we used social group status as a proxy indicator of stress (Aneshensel & Pearlin, 1987; Pearlin, 1989; Thoits, 1999).”
MethodSocioeconomic Status and Depression over the Life Course
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“Social network structure is a good indicator of both social integration and the likelihood of receiving social support—both of which are important contributors to the health and well-being of older adults (Berkman, 1985; Cohen & Syme, 1985; House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988; House, Umberson, & Landis, 1988; Pearlin, 198…”
BackgroundHealth literacy, social support, and health: a research agenda
Lee, S.-Y. D., Arozullah, A. M., & Cho, Y. I. (2003) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(03)00329-0 · Cited by 424 · see citing works
Effort-reward imbalance at work and health
Siegrist, J. (2002) · Research in occupational stress and well being · doi:10.1016/s1479-3555(02)02007-3 · Cited by 416 · see citing works
Beiser, M., & Hou, F. (2001) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(00)00412-3 · Cited by 415 · see citing works
“Towards a dynamic model of resettlement and psychological adjustment Drawing upon stress process theory (Pearlin, 1989; Coyne & Downey, 1991; Thoits, 1995), the RRP has developed a model to guide its investigations (Beiser, 1990, 1999).”
MethodBecoming Married and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of a Cohort of Young Adults
Horwitz, A. V., White, H. R., & Howell-White, S. (1996) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/353978 · Cited by 407 · see citing works
Conger, R. D., Patterson, G. R., & Ge, X. (1995) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00857.x · Cited by 401 · see citing works
“theless, these findings do not completely rule out the alternative possibility that the significant association between life stress and depression represents a measurement confound or, most likely, a reciprocal process wherein emotional problems and life crises are mutually influential (Pearlin, 1989).”
BackgroundOrganizational stressors and police performance
Shane, J. M. (2010) · Journal of Criminal Justice · doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.05.008 · Cited by 389 · see citing works
Turney, K. (2014) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146514544173 · Cited by 335 · see citing works
“In response, a burgeoning literature documents the mostly negative consequences of incarceration for population health.”
BackgroundGrzywacz, J. G., Almeida, D. M., Neupert, S. D., & Ettner, S. L. (2004) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/002214650404500101 · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Whitbeck, B. L., Chen, X., Hoyt, D. R., & Adams, G. W. (2004) · Journal of Studies on Alcohol · doi:10.15288/jsa.2004.65.409 · Cited by 379 · see citing works
The Health Implications of Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China
Chen, F., & Liu, G. (2012) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr132 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Price, R. H., Choi, J. N., & Vinokur, A. D. (2002) · Journal of Occupational Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/1076-8998.7.4.302 · Cited by 506 · see citing works
“gued that the impact of stress exposure on health outcomes is influenced by mediational mechanisms such as the sense of personal control and mastery and by supportive personal relationships (Pearlin, 1989).”
BackgroundCultural differences in conceptual models of depression
Karasz, A. (2004) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.08.011 · Cited by 367 · see citing works
“It is not clear why EAs prefer the ‘‘life events’’ model, while SAs prefer the ‘‘role strain’’(Pearlin, 1989) model of stress and suffering.”
Griffin, J. M., Fuhrer, R., Stansfeld, S. A., & Marmot, M. G. (2002) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00109-5 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
“…that one explanation for the social gradient in rates of minor psychiatric disorders is that people in lower social positions are confronted with a disproportionate number of chronic stressors and negative life events and relatively few material and social resources (Kessler, 1994; Pearlin, 1989).”
BackgroundPavalko, E. K., Mossakowski, K. N., & Hamilton, V. J. (2003) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/1519813 · Cited by 352 · see citing works
Newsom, J. T., Rook, K. S., Nishishiba, M., Sorkin, D. H., & Mahan, T. L. (2005) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/60.6.p304 · Cited by 344 · see citing works
“Accordingly, theory and findings related to the stress process (e.g., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Pearlin, 1989) may provide a useful context for understanding why the mental health consequences of negative exchanges frequently exceed those of positive exchanges.”
BackgroundTsai, A. C., Bangsberg, D. R., Frongillo, E. A., Hunt, P. W., Muzoora, C. K., Martin, J. N., & Weiser, S. D. (2012) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.033 · Cited by 341 · see citing works
“The stress process model, first elaborated by Pearlin and colleagues (Pearlin, 1989; 1999; Pearlin et al., 1981), directs attention to eventful experiences and life strains in the production of stress and psychological distress.”
- Authors
- Pearlin, L. I.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pearlin, Leonard I.
- Venue
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1989-09
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 241
- ISSN
- 0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1976247888
- Cited by
- 3,263
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 117 · 2025: 161 · 2024: 129 · 2023: 142 · 2022: 146 · 2021: 156 · 2020: 147 · 2019: 134 · 2018: 106 · 2017: 167 · 2016: 111 · 2015: 126 · 2014: 138 · 2013: 114 · 2012: 133
- FWCI
- 36.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Health and Well-being Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- stress, stressors, stress mediators, coping, social support, social status, social affiliation, stress measurement, stress effects
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Humans, Life Change Events, Research, Social Support, Sociology, Medical, Stress, Psychological
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