HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Culture and Health.

Culture influences the differences in medical care as well as how health is defined. For example, in African culture, the fat and plump person is viewed as wealthy and good looking and slim person is considered sick and lack of food. But in Western or Asian culture, a slim person is typically viewed as youthful, healthy and beautiful whereas, a fat person is viewed as ugly and lacking in self-discipline.

Culture can also influence the relative incidence of a disease or disorder. Some diseases are connected to the meanings of particular cultures. The term culture-bound syndrome refers to a disease or illness that cannot be understood apart from its specific social context.



Sociological Perspective on health and illness.

World health Organization defined health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.

People define themselves as “healthy” or “sick” depending on the criteria established by individual, relatives, friends, co-workers and medical practitioners.


Health is relative therefore, it can be viewed in a social context and it varies in different situations or cultures.


Functionalist Approach.

Illness results to break in our social interaction both at home and at work. Functionalist perspective considered that “being sick” must be controlled so that not too many people are released from their social responsibilities at any one time. Functionalist defined illness as that which disrupts people from working in the society.


It is expected that even when one is sick, he/she is still required to take on a social role even if temporary. “Sick role” refers to the societal expectations about the attitudes and behavior of a person viewed as being ill.


The sick role for example according to Talcott Parsons (1951 , 1972, 1975) includes, being exempted from normal day-to-day responsibilities and generally do not suffer blame for their conditions. The sick is obligated to try to get well and this may include seeking competent professional care.


According to Talcot Parsons, Physicians (Medical doctors) function as “gatekeepers” for the sick role. They determine when a patient is sick or recovered. Thus, the sick person depends on the doctor because the doctor can control the valued rewards of being sick (exemption from work or school and also receiving treatment)


Conflict Approach

The conflict theorists, views the medical profession as a means of social control. They argued that, physicians have an officially approved monopoly of the right to define health and illness and to treat illness.


This perceived monopoly of the medical profession is what conflict theorists refer to as “Medicalization of Society”. This refers to the growing role of medicine as a major institution of social control.


Roles of the medical profession

1. Physicians examine a wide range of issues such as sexuality, old age, anxiety, obesity, child development, alcoholism, and drug addiction.

2. Physicians bring new cures to complex human problems and certain infectious diseases.

3. Physicians or medical experts are influential in proposing and assessing relevant public policy.

4. Medicine also serves as an agent of social control by retaining absolute jurisdiction over many health care procedures.


Interactionist Approach

When a person is sick, he/she is not simply passive, but often actively seeks the services of health care practitioners. This is the interactionist point of view.

According to this approach, patients sometimes fail to follow the physician’s advice. For example, some patients stop taking their medication, some take incorrect dosage while others never follow the prescriptions.


Such non-compliance result in increase of self-medication in our society. Many people are so accustomed to self diagnosis and self treatment.

On the hand, Patients who actively get involved in their health care sometimes have positive consequences. For example, some patients read books about how to prevent health problems, some read about health care techniques, nutritious diets, and some carefully monitor the side effects of their medication.


Labeling Approach

This approach examines why some people are considered “healthy or ill”? The labeling theorist argued that, people are often viewed by others to be “healthy or ill”.

The health care practitioners (especially physicians) have the power to define certain people as “sick”. Labels associated with illness commonly reshape how others treat us and how we see ourselves. The society often attaches serious consequences to labels that suggests less than perfect physical or mental health.

People labeled as sick often suffer from prejudice and discrimination and even social ostracism. Examples are people suffering from AIDS or Leprosy.