Sociological Perspectives of Health

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May 24, 2024

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SOCIAL 1 Sociological Perspectives of Health, Public Health, and Health Care University of The People HS 2712-01 Dr. Hubert Amu April 17, 2024

SOCIAL 2 Your readings indicate that sociology contributes several unique areas of analysis to the field of health and illness research. Among these, one of them tries to make sense of illness by applying sociological approaches to an investigation of the experience of illness as well as to the social structure of health (cure/healing) and disease (disease/illness). This understanding of the concepts of cure, illness, health, and diseases cannot be viewed solely from the perspective of biomedicine; rather, it must also be viewed from the sociological point of view to assist us in understanding how these concepts impact our interaction with our community. A significant portion of the content of sociology is directly concerned with man's adaptation to his changing environment, and as a result, this field has significant implications for the practice of public health (Mechanic, 1972). The influence of sociology will help us understand how much of the content of sociology is addressed directly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is not simply the absence of sickness or infirmity; rather, it is the whole condition of well-being within the physical, mental, and social domains. (WHO, 1948). The lack of pathogens that are harmful to a person's physical being is not the only factor that determines whether an individual is deemed to be healthy; rather, it is understood that the complete being is in a state of wellbeing. After reading Crinson (2007), which tries to establish a connection between mental health and wellbeing, the reader fully understands this term. My experience and the way in which my community responded to it led me to conclude that "it can be described from two main perspectives: the dual continuum model and the single continuum model." This is something that I have come to believe because of my own personal experiences. Even though the terms "cure" and "healing" as well as "disease" and "illness" are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings when considered in the appropriate context.

SOCIAL 3 Fundamental ideas about health, disease, and healing have an impact on the actions that individuals engage in about their health care and determine the varied models of care that are available (Kleinman, 1978). Beliefs can exert tremendous effects through interactions between the mind and the body. Over the course of human history, these ideas, and the therapeutic expressions of those beliefs, which are frequently rooted in culture, have existed in every community in a variety of forms. As a powerful predictor of future health status and mortality, health attitudes are extremely important. This variable is a robust predictor of survival over a period of five to ten years, according to the findings of an extensive analysis of data on self- perceived health (Idler & Kasl, 1991). This was the case even when controlling for health problems, disabilities, and the objective assessments of physicians, as well as internal-resources factors such as depression, optimism, and religiousness. The fields of biomedicine, psychology, anthropology, history, and sociology each have their own unique views and points of view when it comes to analyzing the concepts of cure, healing, sickness, and illness. By gaining an understanding of these many ways and points of view, we will be able to comprehend the true meaning of the terms "healing," "cure," "disease," and "illness" in a more comprehensive manner. In 1973, Susser tried to define the term "illness" by referring to the inside sensation that an individual experiences while they are feeling poorly. He believes that the term "illness" does not refer to any specific pathology, but rather to the subjective concept of illness that a person has of it, such as feelings of discomfort, fatigue, or overall lack of well-being. To a certain extent, we might even consider the concept of sickness to be a term that integrates the biological model (disease) with the socio-cultural environment of the patient (illness). When it comes to the idea of disease, which is a medical condition that is accompanied by certain indicators and signs, we

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SOCIAL 4 may assume that disease is an aberrant, pathological state that affects either a portion of a human being or all the components of an individual. The deviation of an individual from his or her natural state of being is the result of a pathological process being conducted. There is a difference between the term’s "cure" and "healing," even though they are sometimes used interchangeably. People tend to think about diseases in terms that are no longer relevant, such as whether they can be cured or whether they cannot be cured. The elimination of the signs and symptoms that are distinctive of a disease is what we mean when we talk about a cure. This is the process by which we restore health. The process of healing, on the other hand, requires the restoration of wholeness that extends beyond the physical realm and encompasses mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness (Mooney, 2013). While healing typically takes a longer period, a cure may be able to be achieved in a short amount of time or even instantly. Another point to consider is that it is possible to be treated without healing, and the opposite is equally true in both instances (Tadgemore, n.d.). The term "healing" refers to a process that involves taking steps to restore an individual's health to its previous state. Through the process of treating the pathology that it is suffering from, an organism that is unbalanced, ill, or wounded can regain its normal health and function in society in a manner that is both healthy and appropriate. There was a correlation between the concepts of wholeness, story, and spirituality with the process of healing. There are many factors that are promoted by all members of all societies, and one of these factors is spiritual healing. A healthy way of life is encouraged among individuals who are spiritual because of this. The sociological approach can look beyond the factors associated with a biomedical understanding of chronic illness, which typically focuses on the mechanics of functional limitations and activity restriction (Crinson & Martino, 2017. Section 6). This is made possible

SOCIAL 5 by the understanding that cure and healing are two different concepts. The social characteristics that are involved with living with an illness were primarily subsumed under Parsons' (1951) definition of the "sick role," which was defined as "the rights and responsibilities of people who are sick." This was even though sociology had a limited amount of experience regarding disease. Among their rights is the right to be exempt from their typical tasks, such as job, household chores, or care responsibilities, and to not be held responsible for their illness. Among their responsibilities is the obligation to wish to recover and to seek medical aid in helping them do so. In the article by Crinson and Martino (2017), section 2, it is stated that "it is assumed that these rights and responsibilities are temporary and universal, and that they work together for the benefit of the patient and in the interests of wider society." The relationship between personal identity, which is defined as the experience of living with a chronic illness upon emergence while the individual struggles to maintain normalcy, and the onset of chronic disease, which is defined as the consequences of labeling and stigma due to the perception of the illness changing the social status of the individual, is called into question by these distinct approaches (Crinson & Martino, 2017, Section 6). "Being sick is not merely a condition; it contains within itself customary rights and obligations based on the social norms that surround it," the author writes. From the 2019 edition of Boundless Sociology: Health and Illness. There are functional viewpoints that emphasize the importance of collaboration and stability within modern communities. These perspectives believe that modern societies are comparable to the human body. It is vital to note that when individual portions of the body perform their functions for the benefit of the whole, they are contributing significantly to the overall operation of the body. In the same way that society is composed of many social structures, the human body is composed of several elements that collaborate with one another to ensure that the entire is

SOCIAL 6 functioning properly. If any component of the body does not operate properly, the entire organism will be affected by dysfunction. In a similar manner, it is observable that in society, if any social structure malfunctions, then the entire system is afflicted with chaos and confusion, which in turn causes the usual pattern of society to be disrupted. Health and illness are seen as socially created from the perspective of the symbolic interactionist approach. Interactionists are of the opinion that people behave in the manner that they do because of how they perceive the circumstances. For the year 2019, Boundless Sociology. If we exhibit some abnormal or "deviant behavior,” it is likely that the label that is attached within a society at a particular time to this behavior will then become attached to us as individuals (Crinson & Martino, 2017. Section 1). This is the assertion made by interactionists, who believe that the social identities we possess are influenced by the reactions of others. In the instance of an individual who is stigmatized because of having HIV/AIDS, this can bring about a change in the individual's sense of self-identity. In conclusion, health is the truest kind of riches and a way to do one's duties properly within our community. For a society to function well, it can be expected that every single person will lead a healthy life. When it comes to addressing health and sickness outcomes, the biopsychosocial strategy is the one that needs to be embraced because of what health implies. The approach that we take to treating diseases and illnesses to cure and heal needs to be taken into consideration. Beyond the absence of diseases and the state of one's physical health, the wellness of the entire being is of the utmost importance.

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SOCIAL 7 Additionally, religion does play an inevitable part in this age of globalization, and it assists members of society in recovering from both their physical and mental suffering. This is because religion helps people heal from both types of suffering. A sense of association, involvement, and active engagement in the community is created because of this, which can assist in the development of resistance to psychological issues and the discovery of a more meaningful purpose.

SOCIAL 8 References 13.1 Sociological Perspectives on Health and Health Care | Social Problems . (n.d.). Courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-socialproblems/chapter/13-1-sociological-perspectives- on-health-and-health-care/ Candova, A. (2022, November 24). Healing vs. Curing . Www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/healing-vs-curing-alena-candova Idler, E. L., & Kasl, S. (1991). Health Perceptions and Survival: Do Global Evaluations of Health Status Really Predict Mortality? Journal of Gerontology , 46 (2), S55–S65. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/46.2.s55 Kleinman, A. (1978). Concepts and a model for the comparison of medical systems as cultural systems. Social Science & Medicine. Part B: Medical Anthropology , 12 , 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7987(78)90014-5 Martino, L. (2010, June 28). Section 6: Impairment, disability and handicap . Health Knowledge. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy- economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section4 Martino, L. (2018a, January 19). Section 1: The theoretical perspectives and methods of enquiry of the sciences concerned with human behaviour . Health Knowledge. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy- economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section1 Martino, L. (2018b, January 19). Section 2: Illness as a social role . Health Knowledge. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy- economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section2

SOCIAL 9 Martino, L. (2018c, January 19). Section 3: Concepts of health and wellbeing . Health Knowledge. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy- economics/4a-concepts-health-illness/section2/activity3 Mechanic, D. (1972). Sociology and public health: perspectives for application. American Journal of Public Health , 62 (2), 147–151. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.62.2.147 Susser, M. (1973). Causal Thinking in the Health Sciences. Concepts and Strategies in Epidemiology. Annals of Internal Medicine , 79 (1), 143. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-79-1-143_1 Tadgemore Murigwa. (2020). Concepts of Cure, Healing, Disease and Illness . GRIN Verlag. (Original work published 2024) World Health Organization. (1948). Constitution of the World Health Organization . World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution

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