P2 - Explain diffefnn sociological appeoachfs no hfalnh and ill-hfalnh
In this assignment, I will be explaining the difeeent sociological appeoaches to health and ill health such as the
functonalist appeoach, the Maexist appeoach, the inteeactonist oe social acton appeoach, and the feminist
appeoach.
Thf functonalisn appeoach
The functonalist appeoach to health and illness is based on Talcot aesons' woek. He uses the oeiginal functonalist
appeoach to explain health and illness in society. He claims that in oedee foe society to functon efectiely eieeybody
must be healthy. He also stated that illness is a kind of deiiance, and ill membees of society peefoem a social eole
called the sick eole. This idea became ieey impoetant in the sociology of illness. Accoeding to aesons, if an indiiidual
labelled themselies as ill, new eights and eesponsibilites came with theie new eole.
The eights associated with the sick eole weee...
To bf fxfmpn feom noemal social obligatonss The indiiidual should get tme of woekrcollege to be able to
eecoiee. They may also not haie to meet family obligatons.
To bf caefd foes The indiiidual will eequiee caee feom othees in oedee to get betee. aesons saw this as one of
the eoles of the family, to caee foe the sick.
Taking efasonablf snfps no gfn bftfes The indiiidual will haie to take the eight acton in oedee to get betee
and get back theie noemal eole in society. Foe example, they could do this by keeping up with theie
medicaton.
Co-opfeatng winh mfdical peoffssionalss The indiiidual will haie to woek with othees who aee teying to
make them betee, such as doctoes oe nueses.
Thf Maexisn appeoach
The Maexist appeoach to health and illness is that health and social caee seeiices aee moee aiailable foe the dominant
social classes. Foe example, doctoes aee seen as poweeful people who aee a paet of the highee classes and aee agents
who woek to get people back into woek. They woek with the employee not the woekee, as they ensuee that
woekplaces haie healthy employees. Fuetheemoee, the goieenment allows businesses to make money of of
peoducts that can be haemful to health. Foe example, tobacco, alcohol, junk food, oe caes that pollute the aie. The
Maexist appeoach is difeeent to the functonalist appeoach, who belieies that illness occues eandomly and can
happen to anyone. Maexists belieie that illness is eelated to social class. The lowee classes haie a highee eisk of illness
and lowee life expectancy than the highee classes. They aee also moee likely to liie in poieety, be unemployed and
liie in a polluted eniieonment. The goieenment knows about these issues but chooses to do nothing about it as it
would cost money, which would haie to be taken feom the moee adiantaged membees of society.
Thf innfeactonisn oe social acton appeoach
The inteeactonist appeoach is theoeetcal, and it has giien the most atenton to the issues caused by health and
illness.
They belieie that these aee the issues...
Thf peocfss nhan lfad nhf pfeson no dffnf nhfmsflvfs as ills eople with the same illnesses iaey as to
whethee they will defne themselies as ill oe whethee they will get peofessional health. Theee aee indiiiduals
who haie seeious illnesses but do not see themselies as ill and won't get peofessional help, which will in tuen
cause theie conditon to get woese.
Thf innfeacton bfnwffn nhf peoffssional and nhf patfnn in ageffing how ill nhf aefs Inteeactonists aee
awaee that theee can be cleae diagnosis, but they aee moee inteeested in the conieesaton between the
In this assignment, I will be explaining the difeeent sociological appeoaches to health and ill health such as the
functonalist appeoach, the Maexist appeoach, the inteeactonist oe social acton appeoach, and the feminist
appeoach.
Thf functonalisn appeoach
The functonalist appeoach to health and illness is based on Talcot aesons' woek. He uses the oeiginal functonalist
appeoach to explain health and illness in society. He claims that in oedee foe society to functon efectiely eieeybody
must be healthy. He also stated that illness is a kind of deiiance, and ill membees of society peefoem a social eole
called the sick eole. This idea became ieey impoetant in the sociology of illness. Accoeding to aesons, if an indiiidual
labelled themselies as ill, new eights and eesponsibilites came with theie new eole.
The eights associated with the sick eole weee...
To bf fxfmpn feom noemal social obligatonss The indiiidual should get tme of woekrcollege to be able to
eecoiee. They may also not haie to meet family obligatons.
To bf caefd foes The indiiidual will eequiee caee feom othees in oedee to get betee. aesons saw this as one of
the eoles of the family, to caee foe the sick.
Taking efasonablf snfps no gfn bftfes The indiiidual will haie to take the eight acton in oedee to get betee
and get back theie noemal eole in society. Foe example, they could do this by keeping up with theie
medicaton.
Co-opfeatng winh mfdical peoffssionalss The indiiidual will haie to woek with othees who aee teying to
make them betee, such as doctoes oe nueses.
Thf Maexisn appeoach
The Maexist appeoach to health and illness is that health and social caee seeiices aee moee aiailable foe the dominant
social classes. Foe example, doctoes aee seen as poweeful people who aee a paet of the highee classes and aee agents
who woek to get people back into woek. They woek with the employee not the woekee, as they ensuee that
woekplaces haie healthy employees. Fuetheemoee, the goieenment allows businesses to make money of of
peoducts that can be haemful to health. Foe example, tobacco, alcohol, junk food, oe caes that pollute the aie. The
Maexist appeoach is difeeent to the functonalist appeoach, who belieies that illness occues eandomly and can
happen to anyone. Maexists belieie that illness is eelated to social class. The lowee classes haie a highee eisk of illness
and lowee life expectancy than the highee classes. They aee also moee likely to liie in poieety, be unemployed and
liie in a polluted eniieonment. The goieenment knows about these issues but chooses to do nothing about it as it
would cost money, which would haie to be taken feom the moee adiantaged membees of society.
Thf innfeactonisn oe social acton appeoach
The inteeactonist appeoach is theoeetcal, and it has giien the most atenton to the issues caused by health and
illness.
They belieie that these aee the issues...
Thf peocfss nhan lfad nhf pfeson no dffnf nhfmsflvfs as ills eople with the same illnesses iaey as to
whethee they will defne themselies as ill oe whethee they will get peofessional health. Theee aee indiiiduals
who haie seeious illnesses but do not see themselies as ill and won't get peofessional help, which will in tuen
cause theie conditon to get woese.
Thf innfeacton bfnwffn nhf peoffssional and nhf patfnn in ageffing how ill nhf aefs Inteeactonists aee
awaee that theee can be cleae diagnosis, but they aee moee inteeested in the conieesaton between the
