Sociological Perspectives of Health, Public Health, and Health Care

Written Assignment Unit 1

Community and Public Health

HS 2712-01 Health Science 2: Preventive Medicine & Social Determinants of Health

Instructor Kristine Dekany

University of the People

January 2023
 According to the World Health Organization (1948), health is “the complete state of

physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This

emphasizes the idea that when someone is said to be healthy, their entire being is considered, not

just the absence of pathogens attacking their physical being. This idea is expanded upon in

Concepts of Health, Wellbeing and Illness, and the Aetiology of Illness by Crinson and Martino

(2017), which attempts to establish a link between people’s mental health and wellbeing and

their biomedical welfare. It can be explained from one of two fundamental perspectives,

according to one claim: the dual continuum model or the single continuum model. Disease had

also been defined by linking it to the experience of feeling ill within, as that the term “illness”

refers to a person’s subjective perception of it, such as discomfort, exhaustion, or general

malaise, rather than to any specific pathology (Kleinman, 1978). Illness is also considered to be a

synthesis of the patient’s sociocultural context and the biological model. Notably, a disease is a

medical condition that has distinct warning signs and symptoms.

According to Crinson and Martino (2017), sociology examines health and illness from

two distinct analytical perspectives. On one hand, it attempts to “make sense of illness” by

examining illness experience as well as the social organization of health and disease through

sociological perspectives. At this level, sociology contributes significantly to epidemiological

research, health policy development, and transdisciplinary studies on topics of interest to doctors

and other health professionals. Sociological research can help us understand how specific

individuals and social groups are affected by larger social processes at a deeper level as these

dynamics include social inequalities, commercial alliances, change and self-identity, knowledge

and power, and consumption and risk. To assist the sociological approach in looking beyond the
factors associated with a biomedical understanding of chronic illness, which typically focuses on

the mechanics of functional limitations and activity restriction, Section 6 of the study, expresses

the understanding of cure and healing as being distinct.

Despite the fact that the words “cure,” “healing,” “diseases,” and “illness” can all be used

interchangeably, their meanings vary depending on context. Individuals’ health-care habits are

influenced by their core beliefs about health, illness, and recovery, which also influence how

various care models are designed (Kleinman, 1978). Cure refers to the restoration of health, the

absence of symptoms, and the treatment of disease. Healing, on the other hand, is the restoration

of wholeness—a kind of completeness that is new, distinct, and sometimes even superior to what

existed prior to the onset of the illness. Healing is an integrated process that includes mental,

emotional, and spiritual wholeness in addition to the elimination or cessation of

symptoms (Mooney, 2020). In the concept presented by Conrad and Barker (2010), most

treatments are temporary or instant, whereas healing takes time. Furthermore, healing can occur

without curing someone, and the opposite is true in both cases. Healing refers to a course of

treatment for restoring someone’s health. When a pathology is treated, an organism that is out of

balance, sick, or injured recovers and resumes its normal, healthy function in society.

In the academic field of sociology, there are two main theoretical stances that use a social

structural or systems approach to analyze human societies. These perspectives—structural

functionalism and Marxism—are presented in terms of how society influences health outcomes,

as well as their very different organizing principles (Crinson & Martino, 2017). The application

of theories about human behavior, and research from fields of sociology, anthropology,
psychology, and history, can help to explain a wide range of behaviors, including those of

individuals, populations, and healthcare organizations. A social approach to chronic illness seeks

to go beyond the mechanics of functional restrictions and activity restriction, in contrast to a

biological perspective, which frequently focuses on these aspects. Despite having different

perspectives and methodologies, there is a lot of overlap between these techniques. They

collaborate rather than compete to advance our understanding of human behavior and a

multidisciplinary public health strategy (Crinson & Martino, 2017). This allows us to see how

different ideas about health, happiness, and illness changed as communities and cultures

changed. Understanding cures, illnesses, health, and diseases necessitates examining them from

both a biomedical and a sociological standpoint in order to comprehend how they affect our

interactions with our community.

Because sociology has significant implications for public health practice, it will be easier

to understand how much of its content directly relates to how people adapt to the changing

environment (Mechanic, 1972). Despite sociology’s limited experience with disease, the concept

of the “sick role,” which describes the rights and obligations of those who are ill, has largely

covered the social aspects of living with an illness. Rights include the freedom from regular

obligations such as work, housework, or caring responsibilities, as well as not being held

accountable for their illness; obligations include the duty to wish to heal and the duty to seek

medical assistance in doing so. These can be viewed from both the Functionalist and the

Symbolic Interactionist perspectives in a variety of situations as a sociological approach.

societies is analogous to the human body. This provides emphasis on how important stability and

collaboration are in modern societies. When body components collaborate for the good of the

whole, they are effectively carrying out the function of the body. The human body is made up of

various components that work together to ensure the proper operation of the whole, just as

society is made up of various social structures (Crinson & Martino, 2017). When one component

of the body fails, the entire organism suffers. Similarly, when one social structure in a society

fails, the entire system suffers, causing chaos and confusion and upsetting the usual social order.

Meanwhile, in the Symbolic Interactionist perspective, both good and bad health are social

constructs. People’s actions, according to interactionists, are a result of how they define

situations. According to the interactionist approach, how other people react to us shapes our

social identities (Crinson & Martino, 2017). If we engage in unusual or “deviant” behavior, it is

likely that the label currently associated with this behavior in a given culture will come to

identify us as a person as well. However, this applies to the person with the illness and the

viewpoint of those around them. Having a disease involves more than simply a physical ailment;

it also encompasses responsibilities and rights that are set forth by society. As a result, this

perspective may alter a person’s self-identity, just like when someone is stigmatized. One such is

the prejudice towards those who are HIV/AIDS positive, which persists as a social norm,

particularly in some nations. In Section 2 of the study by Crinson and Martino (2017), these

obligations and rights are thought to be transitory, all-encompassing, and serve the best interests

of both the patient and society as a whole. These various approaches call into question the

emergence of chronic disease, which is a result of labeling and stigma due to the perception that
the illness will change the individual's social status, and personal identity—living with a chronic

illness while attempting to maintain normalcy.

Beliefs also have a significant impact through interactions between the mind and the

body. Throughout history, every community has held some variation of these beliefs and their

therapeutic applications, which are frequently influenced by cultural factors. One’s health beliefs

can accurately predict one’s future health status and death. According to a thorough analysis of

the data on this variable, self-perceived health is a strong predictor of survival over five to ten

years, even after controlling for health issues, disabilities, objective medical assessments, and

internal-resources variables like depression, optimism, and religion (Idler & Kasl, 1991). Healing

was linked to the concepts of wholeness, story, and spirituality. Spiritual healing is one such

component that almost all members of society support as it promotes a healthy lifestyle for

spiritual people (Conrad & Barker, 2010).

In conclusion, factors other than a person’s physical aspects influence their health and

well-being. Promoting a healthy lifestyle for all members of society has a significant impact

because it is essential for the smooth operation of a civilization. The biomedical and

psychosocial approach must be used when addressing health and sickness outcomes because it is

critical to how we treat diseases and illness in order to cure and heal. Beyond physical health and

the absence of diseases, the individual’s overall well-being is critical. Furthermore, beliefs

influence health and aid in the recovery of members of society from both physical and

psychological distress. This fosters a sense of belonging, participation, and active engagement in

the community, which can aid in psychological resistance and provide meaning.
 REFERENCES

Conrad, P., & Barker, K. K. (2010). The Social Construction of Illness: Key Insights and Policy

Implications. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1), S67–S79.

[Link]

Crinson, I., & Martino, L. (2017). Section 1: The theoretical perspectives and methods of enquiry

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Wellbeing and Illness, and the Aetiology of Illness.

[Link]

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[Link]

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Idler, E. L., & Kasl, S. (1991). Health Perceptions and Survival: Do Global Evaluations of

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curing

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