Sociology of Health

Sociology of Health

Sociology of Health

Introduction

The Sociology of Health and Illness

The Sociology of Health and Illness makes it its business to examine the ongoing interactions between health and society and how these two affect each other. Its main focus is to identify and understand the effect social life and the social paradigms of society have on the mortality and morbidity rates of the said society and vice versa. By the dint of definition and classification, sociologists have defined two models of health.

Bio-Medical Model of Health

Socio-Medical Model of Health

The Socio-Medical differs from medical sociology because of that fact that it deals with the health and illness problems and their relationship with employment, family and schools. Medical Sociology draws its line on the patient-practitioners relationship, along with the role, the health professionals play in their respective societies. While Sociology of Health and Illness deals with sociological pathology or illness and disease causes, why some individuals seek or prefer a specific kind of medical aid as well as patient non-compliance and compliance to the medical regime.

Once upon a time, healthiness or lack of such was accredited to natural or biological conditions. Sociological studies have showed that the spreading of diseases is heavily dependant on the socio-economic status of the individuals, beliefs or ethnic traditions, and cultural factors of any society or country. The medical research might give statistics indicate the number of people who caught the disease and those who are healthy, however, its' the sociological perspective would furnish the details of the external factors, the demographics and other identification factors of the people who are more prone towards catching the disease and why.

Discussion

Bio-Medical Model of Health

According to the NHS or National Health Service practices and policy models, health is regarded as the absence of disease along with the timely intervention of medical professionals during times of distress. As mentioned above, the main purpose of this model is to treat illness, cure diseases the use of scientifically tested methods by health professionals in order to diagnose and treat illnesses.

However, according to the Sociologists, this approach has a gaping hole in it e.g. this approach for patients who need individual care and a research for cure. But this approach doesn't keep in mind the social and environmental factors which cause this illness. It only cares with the illness and the treatment of the individual, nothing aside from it.

Socio-Medical Model of Health

This model focuses on the social factors or the causing factors of the diseases and their effects on society at large. Studies conducted in this subject show that the death rates and rates as well as the mortality rates of infants fell while life expectancy grew when proper sanitation, clean water and new council houses were built, generally improving the quality of life the individuals during the last century. This research study lends credibility to the fact that social factors do have a part in the disease and it's spreading in a society and that the sick person ...