Social Problems – Week 2 Lecture 1

Sociological Theories of Illness and Health Care

Structural-Functionalist Perspective - According to the structural-functionalist perspective, healthcare is a social institution that functions to maintain the well-being of social members and, consequently, of the social system as a whole. It examines how changes in society affect health. It also draws attention to latent dysfunctions, or unintended and often unrecognized negative consequences of social patterns or behaviors.

Conflict Perspective - The conflict perspective focuses on how wealth, status, and power influence illness and health care. It points to ways in which powerful groups and wealthy corporations influence health-related policies and laws through lobbying and financial contributions to politicians and political candidates. The conflict perspective criticizes the pharmaceutical and health care industry for placing profits above people.

Symbolic interactionists focus on the following: How meanings, definitions, and labels influence health, illness, and health care. How such meanings are learned through interaction with others and through media messages and portrayals. Medicalization is defining or labeling behaviors and conditions as medical problems. This includes: a new phenomenon defined as a medical problem in need of medical intervention such as post-traumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This also includes normal conditions that are defined as medical problems such as childbirth, menopause, and death. Symbolic interactionists also focus on the stigmatization of individuals who are in poor health or who lack health insurance. A stigma refers to any personal characteristic associated with social disgrace, rejection, or discrediting. Symbolic interactionists focus on stigmatizing effects of being labeled “ill.” Individuals with mental illnesses, drug addictions, physical deformities and impairments, and HIV and AIDS are prone to being stigmatized.