SOCY1050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: World Health Organization, Social Epidemiology, Social Constructionism
Lecture 3B
Sociology of Health & Illness
FOCUSING EXERCISE: WHAT IS HEALTH?
WHAT DOES ‘HEALTH’ MEAN TO YOU?
What do you need to do/be/possess to be healthy?
Is ‘health’ a condition or a practice/lifestyle?
How do we measure health?
Where is the separation between Health/Wellness vs Illness?
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION DEFINITION OF HEALTH
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH AND ILLNESS
1. Social Constructionism: Views health/illness as social constructions. What is healthy (or
unhealthy) varies depending on the meaning assigned to it. Meaning is ascribed through
various social processes and institutions and is in a constant state of negotiation, hence the
creation of temporary truths
2. Functionalism: Views health/healthcare as processes to maintain social order. Classic
functionalists view illness as a form of deviance that inhibits the degree to which individuals
can contribute to society. The medical profession is considered to be a ‘moral guardian of
society’ or an institution of social control, which helps to delineate between normal and
abnormal. In healthcare this involves the adoption of certain roles that reflect power
relations between patient and practitioner
3. Political economy (Marxism/Conflict theory): Approaches health through a lens of inequality,
highlighting the barriers to effective healthcare for the broader population and arguing
against the commodification of healthcare (profit-driven).
SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
Also referred to as the ‘social determinants of health’, social epidemiology considers how
various factors might account for differing distributions of illness and disease.
Determinants relate to human-environmental, lifestyle, public health, and healthcare
indicators.
Age
Positive correlation between age and illness (not a necessary causation)
Elderly men tend to have poorer health outcomes than women
Life expectancy for females 83.7years; 79.2years for males
Concerns for an ageing population and access to quality healthcare
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Document Summary
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Sociological perspectives on health and illness: social constructionism: views health/illness as social constructions. What is healthy (or unhealthy) varies depending on the meaning assigned to it. Meaning is ascribed through various social processes and institutions and is in a constant state of negotiation, hence the creation of temporary truths: functionalism: views health/healthcare as processes to maintain social order. Classic functionalists view illness as a form of deviance that inhibits the degree to which individuals can contribute to society. The medical profession is considered to be a moral guardian of society" or an institution of social control, which helps to delineate between normal and abnormal. Also referred to as the social determinants of health", social epidemiology considers how various factors might account for differing distributions of illness and disease. Determinants relate to human-environmental, lifestyle, public health, and healthcare indicators.
