SOC 100A Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: World Health Organization, The Who, Spinal Manipulation
31 Dec 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
There are a number of definitions of health and pathological states". Definitions vary between academics, professional and lay accounts. Definitions also vary between different cultural and social contexts. In 1946 the constitution of the world health organisation (who) was drafted. This document shows that the founders of the organisation intended who to address social causes of health problems as well as the biomedical causes. Constitution was famously defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". The who constitution provides space for a social model of health linked to broad human rights commitments. Underestimates the complexity of health and illness (powles 1973) Neglects social, structural and emotional aspects of health. Assumption of scientific neutrality and yet medicine is embedded within society. Symptoms are often treated like a disease. Focus on control and power for the elite.
