Explain different sociological approaches to health and ill
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Transcript Explain different sociological approaches to health and ill
Explain different sociological
approaches to health and ill-health
Lesson 2 P2
What is health?
What is ill-health?
Functionalists
Society needs a healthy population to function
well
Illness is a form of deviance
When ill, an individual performs a ‘sick role’
A sick role comes with it’s own rights and
responsibilities
RIGHTS include being exempt from normal
activities and obligations and the right to be
cared for by others
RESPONSIBILITIES include taking steps to
get better and re-join society asap and to
cooperate with the medical profession
MARXISTS
The definition of health and
illness serve the interests of
the powerful
Doctors are agents working
in the interests of employers
Their role is to provide the
company with a healthy
workforce
In a capitalist society, profit
is made from products which
are bad for our health
e.g. tobacco, alcohol, junk
food
Levels of illness are closely related to a person’s
social class
Higher levels of illness and lower life expectancy
occur in areas of poverty, unemployment and
environmental pollution
FEMINISTS
Focus on male domination in the medical
profession and it’s impact on women
Argue that a natural process such as pregnancy
and childbirth have been medicalised
High number of women suffer from anxiety,
depression and mental illness which are defined as
medical problems, rather than a consequence of
women's’ exploited position in the family
‘double day’ - Doyal,
‘triple shift’ - Dunscombe and Marsden
INTERACTIONISTS
Focus on the process involved in
becoming defined as ‘ill’
This definition will vary from person
to person
Interested in the negotiation between
the professional and the patient
Therefore, illness is a social
construction
Focus on the self-image of a person
when labelled as ‘ill’
BUT ignore the ‘real’ causes of ill-
health such as poverty, environment
What is HEALTH?
Health comes for the word ‘hael’ or WHOLE
There are 2 definitions of health
NEGATIVE – absence of illness/disease
linked to the medical profession.
1.
When’s the last time you visited the Dr. and
why?
POSITIVE – holistic approach to health
refers to a ‘state of wellbeing’.
WHO definition of health ‘ emphasises social/personal resources
as well as physical capabilities’
2.
What is ill-health?
ILLNESS Illness is SUBJECTIVELY perceived (vary from one person
to the other)
Age differences – what is ‘normal’ to a young adult and an
elderly person?
Gender differences – men less likely to define themselves as
‘ill’
Class differences – working class more likely to accept higher
levels of ‘illness’ than middle class
What is ill-health?
DISEASE Diseases are clinical conditions defined by medical
professionals
Eg.????
WHAT IS ILL-HEALTH?
IMPAIRMENT and DISABILITY
Impairment refers to restrictions on day-to-day
activity caused by a physical or mental dysfunction or
abnormality
Eg. Loss of limb, a sensory impairment or a learning
difficulty
A
disability refers to the restrictions that arise for a
person with an impairment because of the attitudes of others
and a lack of appropriate services to meet their needs
Eg. Physical – no ramps into buildings, doorways too narrow
Assignment 7.1 P2 Tips
In order to achieve P2, you will need to create a PPT presentation
which will provide insight into the concept of health and ill health
which you will be presentation to fellow sociology students.
You will need to initially provide a definition of the following key
terms with examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Health (negative),
Health (positive),
Ill health,
Disease,
Illness,
Impairment,
Disability.
Assignment 7.1 P2 Tips
You will then need to provides an explanation of the
following perspective view of health and ill health using
examples:
Functionalism,
2. Marxism,
3. Feminism,
4. Interactionism
1.