1. Explain different sociological approaches to health and ill-health
Lesson 2 P2

2. What is health?
What is ill-health?

3. Functionalists Society needs a healthy population to function well
Illness is a form of deviance
When ill, an individual performs a ‘sick role’
A sick role comes with it’s own rights and responsibilities

4. RIGHTS include being exempt from normal activities and obligations and the right to be cared for by others
RESPONSIBILITIES include taking steps to get better and re-join society asap and to cooperate with the medical profession

5. MARXISTS
The definition of health and illness serve the interests of the powerful
Doctors are agents working in the interests of employers
Their role is to provide the company with a healthy workforce
In a capitalist society, profit is made from products which are bad for our health
e.g. tobacco, alcohol, junk food

6. Levels of illness are closely related to a person’s social class
Higher levels of illness and lower life expectancy occur in areas of poverty, unemployment and environmental pollution

7. FEMINISTS
Focus on male domination in the medical profession and it’s impact on women
Argue that a natural process such as pregnancy and childbirth have been medicalised

8. High number of women suffer from anxiety, depression and mental illness which are defined as medical problems, rather than a consequence of women's’ exploited position in the family
‘double day’ - Doyal,
‘triple shift’ - Dunscombe and Marsden

9. INTERACTIONISTS
Focus on the process involved in becoming defined as ‘ill’
This definition will vary from person to person
Interested in the negotiation between the professional and the patient
Therefore, illness is a social construction
Focus on the self-image of a person when labelled as ‘ill’
BUT ignore the ‘real’ causes of ill- health such as poverty, environment

10. What is HEALTH? Health comes for the word ‘hael’ or WHOLE
There are 2 definitions of health
NEGATIVE – absence of illness/disease
linked to the medical profession.
When’s the last time you visited the Dr. and why?

11. POSITIVE – holistic approach to health
refers to a ‘state of wellbeing’.
WHO definition of health ‘ emphasises social/personal resources as well as physical capabilities’

12. What is ill-health? ILLNESS -
Illness is SUBJECTIVELY perceived (vary from one person to the other)
Age differences – what is ‘normal’ to a young adult and an elderly person?
Gender differences – men less likely to define themselves as ‘ill’
Class differences – working class more likely to accept higher levels of ‘illness’ than middle class

13. What is ill-health? DISEASE -
Diseases are clinical conditions defined by medical professionals
Eg.????

14. WHAT IS ILL-HEALTH? IMPAIRMENT and DISABILITY
Impairment refers to restrictions on day-to-day activity caused by a physical or mental dysfunction or abnormality
Eg. Loss of limb, a sensory impairment or a learning difficulty
A disability refers to the restrictions that arise for a person with an impairment because of the attitudes of others and a lack of appropriate services to meet their needs
Eg. Physical – no ramps into buildings, doorways too narrow

15. Assignment 7.1 P2 Tips Due
In order to achieve P2, you will need to create a PPT presentation which will provide insight into the concept of health and ill health which you will be presentation to fellow sociology students.
You will need to initially provide a definition of the following key terms with examples:
Health (negative),
Health (positive),
Ill health,
Disease,
Illness,
Impairment,
Disability.

16. Assignment 7.1 P2 Tips
You will then need to provides an explanation of the following perspective view of health and ill health using examples:
Functionalism,
Marxism,
Feminism,
Interactionism