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Welcome to
Sociology of Health and
        Illness


       Week 14
Introduction to the Module
• Introductions

• What is health and illness?

• The ‘sick role’

• What next?
Introductions
•   Pam Lowe
•   Room NW 922
•   Email p.k.lowe@aston.ac.uk
•   Telephone 0121-204-3807 (Ext 3807)

• Anna Gruszczynska
• gruszcak@aston.ac.uk
What is health?


• For the next couple of minutes discuss
  then write a definition of ‘health’
What is health?
• Classic definition:

  – Absence of disease

• World Health Organisation definition

  – "health is (…) a state of complete
    physical, mental and social well-being and not
    merely the absence of disease or infirmity“
     • http://www.who.int/about/en/
What influences health?



• For the next couple of minutes discuss the
  factors that you think influence health?
What do you think influences
             health?
• Nature and biology
What do you think influences
             health?
• Nature and biology



• Social factors
What do you think influences
              health?
• Nature and biology



• Lifestyle factors



• Environmental factors
Sociological Approaches
• Health and illness is not just natural or
  biological

• Health and illnesses are
  shaped, distributed and understood in
  relation to social factors

• Relationship between social structures
  (class, gender, ethnicity etc) and health
Sociological Approaches
• Biological/genetic factors are always
  shaped by the social circumstances

• Poverty creates illness rather than sick
  people become poor

• Unhealthy ‘lifestyles’ are shaped
  by economic and social circumstances
Professional/Patient
            relationships


• What role to medical professionals play in
  maintaining health?
Sociological Approaches
• Medical knowledge is not just ‘scientific
  facts’

• It develops in relation to wider society

• The power relationship between health
  professionals and ‘patients’ impacts on
  individuals health
The ‘sick role’
• One of the earliest concepts in medical
  sociology was Parson’s idea of the ‘sick
  role’.

• For Parsons being sick not just a biological
  condition but also a social role

• It has both rights and duties
The ‘sick role’
• Rights and Duties:

  – You can be excused normal duties
  – You are not responsible for your ‘deviance’



  – You must want and try to get well
  – You must seek and accept professional help
The ‘sick role’
• People could adopt the ‘sick role’ to opt
  out of social obligations
• So the ‘sick role’ can only be verified by a
  competent professional
• But fails to explain
     •   chronic illness
     •   those held responsible for their illness
     •   the impact of professional power
     •   patient rejection of the sick role
• Discuss the idea of the ‘sick role’. What
  advantages and disadvantages does it
  have?
The rest of the module

Week 15     Medical power and surveillance medicine
Week 16     ‘Lay’ understandings of health
Week 17     Health inequalities and social class
Week 18     Gender inequalities and health
Week 19     Independent Study –no classes
Week 20     Ethnicity, racism and health
Week 21     Chronic illness and social (dis)ability
Week 22     The sociology of mental illness
Week 23     Reading week (essay preparation)
Week 24     Essay Submission
Summary
• Thought about how health and illness and
  shaped by society

• Introduced the power relationship between
  patients and professionals

• Looked at the idea of the ‘sick role’
Next week:
 Medical Power and Surveillance Medicine
• Look at how health and illness are shaped
  by medical power and knowledge


• Consider how bodies are medicalised


• Discuss the advantages and
  disadvantages of surveillance medicine

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Sociology of health and illness wk 14 introduction

  • 1. Welcome to Sociology of Health and Illness Week 14
  • 2. Introduction to the Module • Introductions • What is health and illness? • The ‘sick role’ • What next?
  • 3. Introductions • Pam Lowe • Room NW 922 • Email p.k.lowe@aston.ac.uk • Telephone 0121-204-3807 (Ext 3807) • Anna Gruszczynska • gruszcak@aston.ac.uk
  • 4. What is health? • For the next couple of minutes discuss then write a definition of ‘health’
  • 5. What is health? • Classic definition: – Absence of disease • World Health Organisation definition – "health is (…) a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity“ • http://www.who.int/about/en/
  • 6. What influences health? • For the next couple of minutes discuss the factors that you think influence health?
  • 7. What do you think influences health? • Nature and biology
  • 8. What do you think influences health? • Nature and biology • Social factors
  • 9. What do you think influences health? • Nature and biology • Lifestyle factors • Environmental factors
  • 10. Sociological Approaches • Health and illness is not just natural or biological • Health and illnesses are shaped, distributed and understood in relation to social factors • Relationship between social structures (class, gender, ethnicity etc) and health
  • 11. Sociological Approaches • Biological/genetic factors are always shaped by the social circumstances • Poverty creates illness rather than sick people become poor • Unhealthy ‘lifestyles’ are shaped by economic and social circumstances
  • 12. Professional/Patient relationships • What role to medical professionals play in maintaining health?
  • 13. Sociological Approaches • Medical knowledge is not just ‘scientific facts’ • It develops in relation to wider society • The power relationship between health professionals and ‘patients’ impacts on individuals health
  • 14. The ‘sick role’ • One of the earliest concepts in medical sociology was Parson’s idea of the ‘sick role’. • For Parsons being sick not just a biological condition but also a social role • It has both rights and duties
  • 15. The ‘sick role’ • Rights and Duties: – You can be excused normal duties – You are not responsible for your ‘deviance’ – You must want and try to get well – You must seek and accept professional help
  • 16. The ‘sick role’ • People could adopt the ‘sick role’ to opt out of social obligations • So the ‘sick role’ can only be verified by a competent professional • But fails to explain • chronic illness • those held responsible for their illness • the impact of professional power • patient rejection of the sick role
  • 17. • Discuss the idea of the ‘sick role’. What advantages and disadvantages does it have?
  • 18. The rest of the module Week 15 Medical power and surveillance medicine Week 16 ‘Lay’ understandings of health Week 17 Health inequalities and social class Week 18 Gender inequalities and health Week 19 Independent Study –no classes Week 20 Ethnicity, racism and health Week 21 Chronic illness and social (dis)ability Week 22 The sociology of mental illness Week 23 Reading week (essay preparation) Week 24 Essay Submission
  • 19. Summary • Thought about how health and illness and shaped by society • Introduced the power relationship between patients and professionals • Looked at the idea of the ‘sick role’
  • 20. Next week: Medical Power and Surveillance Medicine • Look at how health and illness are shaped by medical power and knowledge • Consider how bodies are medicalised • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of surveillance medicine