Concepts of health and illness

1. Starter activity
On your tables discuss
What does it mean to be healthy?
Get ready to feedback to the rest of the group

3. Sociology
Unit 7
Concepts of health
Concepts of illness
Sick role
Clinical Iceberg

4. In the next 3 sessions we will be working towards assignment 2.
• P2 – explain different sociological approaches to health and ill health
• M1 – assess bio-medical and socio-medical models of health

5. So what are our Learning Objectives for today?
• To define ‘Health’ and ‘Illness’
• To consider a range of definitions of health including negative and
positive
• To apply sociological perspectives to health and social care.

6. What is healthy?
So we all have ideas about what it means to healthy.
But what do sociologists think?
Sociologists have distinguished between positive health and
ill health.
Lets take at look and what they have come up with…

7. “…not the mere absence of disease, but total physical, mental
and social well being.”
WHO (1974) define health positively as…

8. What this means is that each concept of health is related.
On your tables discuss what each area might include, highlight your ideas with an
example.
Use your handouts to complete this activity.

9. What is spiritual
health?
Does everyone
have it?
What effects it?
What is spiritual health?
Does everyone have it?
What effects it?
In what way can society
effect your health?
How would you describe your physical health?
What effects your physical health?
How would you describe your
psychological (emotional/
mental) health?
What effects your
psychological health?
CONSIDER......

11. If positive health refers to the overall wellbeing of a
person.
Then the whole of the person must always be
considered.

12. This is known as Holistic therapy
and is an approach adopted by
many Social Care professionals.
The Holistic approach considers
the WHOLE PERSON and the
WHOLE RANGE of possible
needs.

13. “The condition in which there is an absence of disease
or disability”
A negative definition of health is..

14. 1. How might it be possible to be ill but
healthy?
2. Can you be unhealthy but not ill?
What do you think?
On your tables answer the two questions below

15. The Clinical Iceberg
According to the
clinical iceberg not all
illnesses are reported
to a doctor.

16. Time for a little recap
On your table discuss the perspectives that we have
covered.
Can your remember who says what?
Place the correct description next to the perspective.

17. Perspective Overview
Functionalism Each part of society has a part to play, in order for our society to survive, each of them
must work in harmony together. A little like the organs of a human body.
Marxism Society is split between the rich and the poor. The rich continue to become richer and
therefore control society, whilst the poor become poorer and carry on working for the
rich. This is known as communism.
Feminism There is a split between society, an inequality between two groups which relates in one
constantly being mistreated.
Interactionism To understand society we must look at how people interpret situations and behave in
small-group face-to-face situations.

18. Does any one remember what the sick role is?

19. Working with the person next
to you, come up with three
ways in which illness and
health affects the way society
functions.

21. According to this approach, society is a collection of parts/ functions,
so when someone becomes sick, they now take on the ‘sick role’ and
impacts other areas of society
FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH

22. Talcott Parsons Sick Role

23. Talcott Parsons says that being ‘sick’ is a socially conditioned role.
He says we behave in a certain way once we know we are ‘sick’.
Parsons said that society applies ‘rules’ to people who are ill.

24. The sick person AND the society have obligations:
Sick Person: To seek appropriate medical help AND to want to
get better.
Society: To excuse the sick person from normal social roles (e.g.
worker, mother etc) AND to not hold the patient responsible for
their condition AND for the sick person to be taken care of

25. The sick role is a functionalist theory. It is a functionalist theory
because he believed that society sees people as having a function and
so if they don’t perform that function they are going to stop society
functioning properly.

26. If this person is sick then
they cannot put into
society in the way they
usually do

27. A functionalist would want the sick person to get
better so they can start contributing to society again.
Society

28. If you were the person in the sick role, what roles would YOU be
exempt from? What would you be excused from having to do?
List all the roles you have in life, and describe how you would be
excused from doing them.
Over to you!
Discuss in your groups
Put your ideas on as sticky note and stick them on the
picture.

29. Lets go back to the obligations of the sick person:
To seek appropriate medical help AND to want to get better.
How many people don’t seek medical help?
What reasons do they have? (Hint, think of the clinical iceberg.
Analysing The Sick Role

30. Do sick people always want to get
better?
Can you think of any situations when
they don’t.

31. • No, they are sometimes naughty!!
• Interferes with their benefits.
• Institutionalised.
• Can’t cope without the medical help.
• Addicted to the medication (pain
killers, no condition then no
medication!)

32. Functionalist perspective in relation to health is that illness has a social
consequence and must be dealt with quickly so that society can again
run smoothly.
Lets summarise!

33. Think about what you have learnt about the Marxist approach.
Try and explain in a short sentence what their approach to health might
be.
Do this individually and be ready to feedback to the group.
Marxist approach to
health

34. • BOURGEOISIE (DOCTORS) AND THE PROLETARIAT (PATIENTS).
• It is argued that the doctors’ main aim is to get the sick back into
work as soon as possible as it is in the best interests of those in
power.
• The Marxist approach believes they do this rather than putting the
needs of the patient first
Marxist approach to
health

35. Doctor:
Bourgeoisie
Patient: Proletariat
Doctors are being controlled by the people on top,
their aim is to get people back into work as quickly
as possible.
Not the needs of the patient.

36. NOT ONLY THIS BUT Marxists argue that the
government allow (encourage) big companies to make
big profits from products that cause ill health…Tobacco,
alcohol, junk food…serves the interests of the ruling
class.

37. • There is a higher level of sickness, illness and disease amongst the
poorer classes in society in comparison to the richer in the higher
classes.
• They also argue that the government do not do enough to tackle ill
health as this costs money and the rich will have to pay.
Other Marxist Beliefs:

38. • This approach gives most attention to issues of health and social care
because it concentrates on the small group and individual opinions.
IT IS CONCERNED WITH:
• The process that leads a person to say they are ill – some deny it,
some just carry on, and some seek help.
INTERACTIONISTS

39. • The interaction between the patient and the health
professionals is also considered by this approach.
• The process of agreeing the patient is ill, the severity
of the illness, signing off work, treatment, medication
etc.
• Interactionists believe that social relationships have as
much influence as any medical diagnosis on whether
or not people declare themselves to be ill or not.

40. How can we relate this to this working
mum?

41. Lets brainstorm
With the person next to you think about what factors might influence a
woman's health?
Hint: Think about the physical and emotional

42. • Feminists believe the medical professions are dominated by males and this
has an impact on women.
• They are concerned that pregnancy and childbirth are considered ‘medical
issues’ and sometimes ‘illness’ as opposed to natural processes.
• Low priority given to male contraception.
• Females are responsible for contraception.
• Because women are ‘exploited’ in society – there are higher numbers of
women with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety.
FEMINIST APPROACH

43. • Females are likely to have extra caring responsibilities – looking after
elderly relatives, children etc
• Females are exploited and so have more pressure on them in terms of
body image, hence higher rates of eating disorders.
FEMINIST APPROACH