Transcript The Sociology of Health

G672
Is there any such thing as a ‘normal body’?
We are going to explore:
 What we mean by health and illness
 The view that health, illness, mental illness
and disability are socially constructed
 Evidence of inequalities in health by gender,
ethnicity and social class...and explanations
for those inequalities
 Sociological views on the role of medical
professionals in our society
 The rise of alternative medicine

Write down your own definition of the word
health.
(In other words, if you refer to someone as
‘healthy’, what do you mean?)
Ext: - What conditions are required to regard yourself as ‘healthy’?
“A state of complete physical, mental and social
wellbeing and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.”
- World Health Organisation
-
Any problems with this definition?
For Homework, read up on the WHO; we’ll probably be referring to them a lot over this unit.
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Some argue that this definition is too broad.
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Very few people are physically, mentally and
socially well at any one time.
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It is absolutist: It ignores the fact that
understanding of ‘health’ can also change
over time and between cultures.
Good health is being able to function
effectively.
This suggests health is a more relative concept...For
example, how would the different people on the first
slide think ‘functioning effectively’
means.
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We only function effectively and experience
good health when we accept that it will not
last.
A healthy person is someone who has
consciously accepted the inevitability of
ageing, illness and – ultimately
– death.
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There is no single, simple, universally agreed
definition of health.

Health is a complex issue because its
meaning varies between individuals, groups
and societies.
Write your own single-sentence definition of
each of the following:
 Disease
 Illness

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A specific biological or mental abnormality.
The patient usually exhibits medically
diagnosed symptoms.
“Any pathological condition, bodily or mental,
whether caused through illness, accident or
injury.” (Taylor et al; 1996)
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The subjective experience of feeling unwell.
Recognising that you are lacking in wellbeing.
Illness is also referred to as morbidity (and
death as mortality).
You can feel ill but not have a disease...and
you can also have a disease and not feel ill!
Copy and complete the table...
(Individually; 5 mins)
DISEASE
Yes
I
L
L
N
E
S
S
No
Yes
No
Good health; Nausea in Pregnancy; Flu; Happiness; Chlamydia; Carrier of Typhoid;
Feeling tired and lacking in energy; Measles...ADD FIVE MORE OF YOUR OWN.
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Health, Illness and Disease are all
interrelated.

They are not separate categories; it may be
easier to think of them as part of a
continuum.
The Health-Death
Continuum
Healthy!!! 
• PRE-SYMPTOMATIC
• e.g. Pathological cell-division
•SYMPTOMS – NO ACTION
•e.g. Smoker’s cough; Hangover
•SYMPTOMS – NON-MEDICAL ACTION
•e.g. Head cold
•ACUTE
•e.g. Infectious diseases
• CHRONIC
• e.g. Diabetes, Arthritis
• TERMINAL
• e.g. some cancers
Death 
Draw your
own
continuum
and add
examples
of your
own.
A.k.a. The Medical Model; The Mechanical Model

Historically (e.g. Pre-C19th) what sort of
explanations might have been offered for
illness?

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Traditionally, illness was explained by these
factors...or possibly just by the will of God.
...But then science came along and started
changing our views of health and illness...
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Over the past two centuries, this has become
the dominant view of illness in Western
societies.

It is held by most Western medical
practitioners and is the main approach found
in the NHS.

The Model is based on the following
assumptions:
When everything in your body is
behaving/functioning ‘normally’, then you are
healthy.
 Being healthy is the ‘normal’ way to be.
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The cause for illness disease is something
than can be identified – and is not the result
of supernatural influence.
For example: Bacteria, faulty genes, virus,
accident...
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Illness and disease can be identified and
classified into different types (e.g. Diseases of
the nervous system). Identification and
classification must be objective.
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Medical professionals/officials and not lay
people are the only ones who should be
identifying and classifying illness/disease.
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For example, antibiotics can be used to treat
infections.
Treatment can involve removing the cause.
The health of a society will therefore be
dependent on its medical knowledge and
medical resources.

Study the excerpt from Red Dwarf and
answer the questions provided.
Think back to a time when you have been ill:
 Did you seek medical advice?
 Was diagnosis and treatment based on the
medical model?
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Research and find out about three diseases
and illnesses in contemporary society.
For each one, identify the cause and the
treatments/cures available.
**There is a link to the NHS Website on the
NCSociology site**
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It encourages research into illness, rather
than assuming nothing can be done...
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...Knowledge of causes helps us avoid illness.
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Many successful treatments have been
developed as a result of research.
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It ignores the view that health and illness are
relative and are socially constructed.
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Coward (1989) points out that it suggests
health problems are individual are ignores
the social factors which can cause illness.
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It focuses too much on treatment, rather
than prevention.
E.g. It was assumed the NHS would spend a
short period of time curing illnesses when first
set up, then focus on preventative measures.
This never happened.
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It gives too much power to medical
professionals.
“The medical profession gained dominance by
creating and controlling a new scientific
language to describe the body which gives the
profession status.” – Foucault (1973)
‘Illness brought forth by the healer’ (Ivan Illich; 1976)
 In what ways could a doctor
make someone feel worse?
Identify a min. 3 ways.
(Pairs; 5 mins)
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The problem of iatrogenesis is considered by
many sociologists to be a key criticism of the
biomedical view.
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It suggests that the medical profession can
do more harm than good.
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There are three types of iatrogenesis.
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It is in the interests of medical professionals
to ensure there is lots of illness/disease
around...
...They do this by turning normal health
issues into medical problems.
Discuss – Pairs.
How have the following things become
medicalised?
 Pregnancy
 Worry
 Bad behaviour among children
 Ageing
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Western medicine is centred around cure
rather than prevention...
...Thus drugs and technology to treat illnesses
has become big business.
The effect of this is that we have become
over-reliant on drugs and technology to
manage our health and have lost our ability
to cope with pain and illness.
Medical treatment itself can do damage. For
example:
 Side effects of treatments
 Results of medical procedures that have gone
wrong
 Illnesses such as MRSA contracted as a result of
undergoing medical treatment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNNJG27J
7V0
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Not all medical treatments produce sideeffects
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Some problems benefit from being
medicalised. If an issue is defined as a
medical problem, it’s more likely to be
researched and solutions found.
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Design a poster or leaflet promoting the
Iatrogenesis concept e.g. Warning people not
to always trust the medical profession!
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Include all three types, with your own
examples and illustrations.
15 mins then present
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Identify and explain two features of the
biomedical model [17]
Or
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...Identify and explain two weaknesses of the
biomedical model [17]