Unit 10: sociological perspectives
Learning aim B: Examine how sociological approaches support understanding of models and
concepts of health
The biomedical model and alternative model of health
The biomedical model of illness and healing also known as the negative model of health, focuses on
the biological factors, and eliminates psychological, environmental, and social influences. It focuses
on physical processes that influence health, such as the biochemistry, physiology and pathology of a
condition which can be cause by germs, diseases, or accidents. This is seen to be the dominant,
modern way for health care professionals to diagnose and treat disorders in majority of western
countries, especially after the industrial revolution of the mid-19 th century. When people seek help
from healthcare professionals, they do not ask for the psychological or social history of the patient.
They instead analyse and investigate biophysical or genetic malfunctions. The focus is on laboratory
tests rather than the subjective feelings. This model believes that good health is freedom from pain,
disease, or defect, and purely the absence of illness. It ignores the social or psychological factors that
may have played a role in the illness. The biomedical sees that each illness has one underlying cause,
and once that case is dismissed, or treated, the patient will be healthy again.
The biomedical model fits well with the functionalist perspective introduced and created by Talcott
Parsons. He believed that if individuals were ill, they cannot contribute to the smooth running of
society. They would have to adopt the sick role meaning being exempt from their usual social
responsibilities. They also have a duty to comply with health professionals and take sensible steps to
get better.
The NHS and my GP practice is still currently run on a very traditional biomedical model.
Professionals in these settings are not fully meeting people’s needs, they believe that a patient can,
or even should be healthy if they don’t have the symptoms of an illness or disease that is
scientifically measured and identified. This means they have a good state of health and well-being
because they have nothing wrong with them. However, they provide immunisations and vaccines to
protect people from many serious and potentially deadly disease. The diagnosis of the biomedical
professional is likely to be acknowledged by the patient because they are often seen as right,
however they do make mistake. By professionals only dealing with the symptoms of illness, they
ignore the importance of feeling fit, energised, happy and optimistic as an aspect of good health.
Majority of individual seek help once an illness has emerged rather to preventing future illness. This
makes doctors only focus on the individual’s physical needs rather than their holistic needs.
The criticism of the biomedical model of health has been highlighted by many, since the 1950s. The
main criticism is that illness is a condition of the whole person and treating the patient’s physical
health might reduce some symptoms without solving the source of the problem. This became
apparent with the outbreak of chronic illnesses and metabolic disorders due to an unhealthy lifestyle
in Western society, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Medicalisation without a
detailed intervention that explores the patient’s social and psychological needs has not been
successful in solving these conditions. There may be different and varied reasons why illnesses occur,
but the biomedical model tends to focus on the individual whilst ignoring the environmental factors
that may be the main reason for the development of the disease. Overall patients’ wellbeing is being
ignored as health professionals are only focusing on the diagnosis and treatment.
Foucault (1973) is critical of the biomedical model and developed the concept of ‘the medical glaze’.
This term describes how doctors regard their patients as if they were a damaged machine in need of
repair. He believes that patients are not seen as themselves, but as an example of a specific
‘category of ill health’, for example leukaemia, pneumonia or a cardiovascular disease. This suggest
that individuals and their social context are constantly overlooked. Foucault believes that this is
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Learning aim B: Examine how sociological approaches support understanding of models and
concepts of health
The biomedical model and alternative model of health
The biomedical model of illness and healing also known as the negative model of health, focuses on
the biological factors, and eliminates psychological, environmental, and social influences. It focuses
on physical processes that influence health, such as the biochemistry, physiology and pathology of a
condition which can be cause by germs, diseases, or accidents. This is seen to be the dominant,
modern way for health care professionals to diagnose and treat disorders in majority of western
countries, especially after the industrial revolution of the mid-19 th century. When people seek help
from healthcare professionals, they do not ask for the psychological or social history of the patient.
They instead analyse and investigate biophysical or genetic malfunctions. The focus is on laboratory
tests rather than the subjective feelings. This model believes that good health is freedom from pain,
disease, or defect, and purely the absence of illness. It ignores the social or psychological factors that
may have played a role in the illness. The biomedical sees that each illness has one underlying cause,
and once that case is dismissed, or treated, the patient will be healthy again.
The biomedical model fits well with the functionalist perspective introduced and created by Talcott
Parsons. He believed that if individuals were ill, they cannot contribute to the smooth running of
society. They would have to adopt the sick role meaning being exempt from their usual social
responsibilities. They also have a duty to comply with health professionals and take sensible steps to
get better.
The NHS and my GP practice is still currently run on a very traditional biomedical model.
Professionals in these settings are not fully meeting people’s needs, they believe that a patient can,
or even should be healthy if they don’t have the symptoms of an illness or disease that is
scientifically measured and identified. This means they have a good state of health and well-being
because they have nothing wrong with them. However, they provide immunisations and vaccines to
protect people from many serious and potentially deadly disease. The diagnosis of the biomedical
professional is likely to be acknowledged by the patient because they are often seen as right,
however they do make mistake. By professionals only dealing with the symptoms of illness, they
ignore the importance of feeling fit, energised, happy and optimistic as an aspect of good health.
Majority of individual seek help once an illness has emerged rather to preventing future illness. This
makes doctors only focus on the individual’s physical needs rather than their holistic needs.
The criticism of the biomedical model of health has been highlighted by many, since the 1950s. The
main criticism is that illness is a condition of the whole person and treating the patient’s physical
health might reduce some symptoms without solving the source of the problem. This became
apparent with the outbreak of chronic illnesses and metabolic disorders due to an unhealthy lifestyle
in Western society, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Medicalisation without a
detailed intervention that explores the patient’s social and psychological needs has not been
successful in solving these conditions. There may be different and varied reasons why illnesses occur,
but the biomedical model tends to focus on the individual whilst ignoring the environmental factors
that may be the main reason for the development of the disease. Overall patients’ wellbeing is being
ignored as health professionals are only focusing on the diagnosis and treatment.
Foucault (1973) is critical of the biomedical model and developed the concept of ‘the medical glaze’.
This term describes how doctors regard their patients as if they were a damaged machine in need of
repair. He believes that patients are not seen as themselves, but as an example of a specific
‘category of ill health’, for example leukaemia, pneumonia or a cardiovascular disease. This suggest
that individuals and their social context are constantly overlooked. Foucault believes that this is
14
