Sociology of Health Introduction

Health When we think about health we tend to think about it in purely physical or biological terms. However, health is also a major social issue due to the fact that many of the causes of illness are directly affected by social factors.

What is ‘health’? Discuss with the person sitting next to you, what images does the word ‘health’ summon up for you? How would you define ‘health?

Biomedical model of health This model is based on the idea that people’s health, in affluent societies, reflects science’s understanding of disease, the human body, and, the development and availability of effective treatments. In this model: Diseases have specific causes Health is the absence of biological abnormality The mind and body can be treated separately

Biomedical Model of Health The human body is like a machine and can be restored to health by the use of personalised treatments that halt or reverse the process of disease. The health of a society mostly depends on the level of medical knowledge and, the availability of medical resources. Trained medical specialists are considered to be the only experts

Definition of Health Health is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing'.  The Definition has not been amended since 1948. This definition confirmed health as a social issue and this is borne out by evidence which demonstrates that standards of health have varied over time and also from one society, culture and country to another.

Reference for Definition The correct bibliographic citation for the definition is: Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

Critique of Biomedical Model Some theorists have criticised the bio-medical view that life expectancy in affluent societies is the result of hospital based, high technology medicine focused on diagnosing and treating abnormalities within the body. They suggest that the dramatic decline in death rate from the middle of the nineteenth century until the present day can be linked to public health reforms, better nutrition making people stronger and better able to fight off infection, greater use of contraception and improved personal hygiene.

Critique of Biomedical Model McKeown (1976) suggested that clinical medicine has an important but limited part to play in improving health. Other critics went further stating that the preoccupation of modern medicine with technology and drug based treatments is ‘iatrogenic’, that is, medically caused disease, for example, infections acquired in hospital, medical accidents, adverse reactions to drugs, etc.

Critique of Biomedical Model Illich (1990) extended this idea by arguing that the ‘medical establishment’ creates ‘social iatrogenisis’, that is, sponsoring sickness by creating unrealistic health demands that can only be met by more health care and more consumption of medical products.

Critique of Biomedical Model In this view: Medical interventions cause as many physical problems as they cure. As medicine invades more and more areas of human life the ability to cope with life is reduced as people seek a medical answer to fix their problems. The biomedical model gives enormous power to doctors and can be used to further political aims.

Social Model of Health Sociologists also show that society is an important influence on health and illness Learning about society tells us about health, and learning about health tells us about society (Wilkinson 1996) Health is ultimately determined by position within the social structure – society determines health in many ways