Approaches to Health

has become the norm for them because of their living conditions. They may not be able to afford medical care, and it is possible that they are not well educated, so they do not understand the severity of leaving a medical condition untreated. For these reason they may never seek medical attention. In contrast, someone who is of a higher class will be better educated on what to do when they feel ill. They will most likely seek medical help right away, because to them illness is not the norm. They can also afford private medical care if needs be.

Overall, a lot of people leave there diseases undiagnosed and untreated for various reason such as financial/social status, culture, religion and sex. In some cultures it is left to the male to decide who is ill enough to seek medical help and who is not, and even then whether they are allowed to accept that help. Some religions do not believe in certain kind of treatment such as blood transfusions, and it is commonly known that women will tolerate illness a lot better than men.

4.1- SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Functionalists believe that society is a structure that functions via interrelating parts, each with its own role. If an individual is sick then they become a deviant to the structure that is society. Deviant means that it is not the norm and does not fit in with society. To get around this the functionalist perspective uses the sick role. An individual can take on the sick role in order to be excused from their usual duties until they are well-enough to resume them.

Marxism focuses on a conflicting view that emphasizes social differences and conflicting interests and values of different groups in society.

Marxism serves the interest of powerful and dominant classes in society. The ...

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