The term health is formally defined as “…a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being…,”(WHO 1948). This definition of the term accounts for the three most prominent elements that constitute an individual’s overall present wellness, and suggests that health is multi-dimensional and ever-changing. Therefore, in assessing one’s health and wellness, thought must be given to all aspects of an individual’s situation in order to properly draw conclusions on the status of his or her fitness. There are many theories and approaches to the ways in which health should be studied and understood, but the most prominent method is the biomedical model (Zaman 2018). The biomedical model focuses primarily on biological health. It emphasizes …show more content…
The sociological method imbibes social constructs and individual relativity in its approach to health and wellness. In contrast to the biomedical model’s view of the human body as a sum of individual parts, the sociological perspective views individuals as a whole. This holistic approach sees illness as the result of a multitude of minute causes that together, create dysfunction and do not attribute disease to just one agent. Therefore, the determinants of ill-health are much more varied and broad reaching when using the sociological model as many internal and external factors affecting an individual’s health must be considered in order to draw a proper diagnoses (Willis & Elmer …show more content…
In other words, the sociological model does not consider treatment to be universal. Instead, this model aims to locate specific biological processes within a patient’s social context. It is believed that social and environmental factors constitute an individual from the inside-out, and therefore, are the source of malfunction within the physical body (Biomedical and the socio-medical models of health). While the same bacteria may be present in several individuals, the manifestation, causation and treatment of illness may vary between them. In the case of an individual with Streptococcus present (How Do you Get Strep Throat?), antibiotics may be prescribed in order to rid the individual of the troublesome bacteria, but there would also be a heightened focus on the patient’s stress levels and living conditions which can weaken the immune system. For example, unsanitary environments and behaviors which put mental and physical wellness at risk can contribute to the emergence of disease. Patients living below the poverty line would, therefore, be more susceptible to contracting bacterial infections such as Strep
...an, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011). The social determinants of health: coming
Outlined within this essay are two sociological theories which have been investigated this will be in conjunction with a contemporary health issue. This then will be related to how the individual’s lifestyle and social class to give the reader a better understanding of this health issue.
Overtime, sociology has played an essential role in the aid of healthcare policies and procedures, along with playing a fundamental role in one’s understanding of health inequalities. This paper explores how sociology has played such a role in healthcare, whilst including discussions regarding the influence of social structures and inequalities in the health of an individual, their family and community, with the topic of health variations between social classes being the main focus of the discussion. A structured overview, review and evaluation of a specific health policy in the UK will also be provided within this paper. Sociology in healthcare. Sociology can be defined in a number of ways, due to its almost limitless scope (Denny, Earle,
The biomedical model of health has been criticised because it fails to include the psychological and social causes relating to an individual’s medical illness or health, looking only at the biological causes (Giddens and Sutton, 2013). Therefore, sociologists being aware of the impacts of social structure and lifestyle on health have put in various efforts to place the study of ‘the social’ at the core of health and healthcare examination.
Epub 2006 Jan. Pincus, T., Esther, R., DeWalt, D.A., & Callahan, L.F., (1998) Social conditions and self-management are more powerful determinants of health than access to care. Ann Intern Med., Inc. 1998 Sep 1;129(5):406-11. Vest, J.R., & Gamm, L.D., (2009)
Health is a personal feeling of wellness and function that is not the same for everyone.
As discussed, it is clear that when it comes to public health the lines are often quite blurred. The Biomedical Model and the Lifestyle Theory Model both have their advantages however a common theme throughout both models is that they are both too reductionist in their approach to health. They failed to consider other health models viewpoints, or incorporate external factors such as the social gradient into their reasoning behind the cause and effect of bad health. Therefore instead of trying to categorise health into definite ‘health models’, health needs to be accepted more for what it is - a forever changing and adapting concept.
Two types of illnesses related to this are chronic illness (lasting/terminal) and acute illness (minor e.g. the flu). Criticism of the mechanistic model is that it is slightly simplistic and may not always apply because the body cannot always be repaired. The second model is the 'Naturalistic Model', which refers to the notion of equilibrium. In order for the body to remain healthy, there must be a balance. Chinese medicine relies greatly on this notion i.e.
Health is described as physical and mental well-being and freedom from disease, pain or defect. However, such descriptions only superficially define the actual meaning of health. There may be many occasions when individuals are not necessarily ill or in pain but may be overweight, stressed or emotionally unstable. Health is a quality of life involving dynamic interaction and interdependence among the individual’s physical state, their mental and emotional reactions, and the social context in which the individual exists. There are many factors that influence your health, but three major components contribute to general well-being: Self-awareness, a balanced diet and, regular physical activity.
The different models to health all use different principles. The biomedical model concentrates on the physical and biological aspect of a disease. Doctors and health professionals practice this model. This model is associated with the diagnosis, treatment and cure of the disease. This model evolves as times goes
Puffjacket. ( 2010) Why Is Health Difficult To Define? [online] Available at: http://www.etudier.com/dissertations/Why-Is-Health-Difficult-To-Define/35259.html [Accessed:5 Jan 2014].
The notion of health is contextual and an interactive, dynamic process between person and environment (Schim et al, 2007). Both wellness and illness are conceptualized by the ‘person’, existing on a continuum across the lifespan (Arnold & Boggs, 2001).
The health of an individual and their communities is affected by several elements which combine together. Whether an individual is healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment.1 To a greater extent, factors such as where an individual lives, their relationships with family and friends, the state of their environment, income, genetics and level of education all have significant impacts on health, however the more frequently considered factors such as access and use of health care facilities regularly have less of an impact.6 Determinants of health is a term which was introduced in the 1970s as part of a broader analysis of research and policy on public health. Researchers argued that there was a lot of attention and too much expenditure on health being dedicated to individuals and their illnesses, and little or no investment in populations and their health. It was decided that public health should be more concerned with social policies and social determinants than with health facilities and the outcomes of diseases.7 The determinants of health include social and economic environment, physical environment and an individual’s behaviour and characteristics. The environment of an individual determines their health, holding responsible an individual for having poor health or acknowledging them for good health is inappropriate. Individuals are not likely to be able to control several of the determinants of health. These determinants that make individuals healthy or not include the factors above, and numerous others.6
Sociology of Health and Illness The sociological approaches focus on identifying the two sociological theories. We critically analysed the biomedical model and doctor-patient relationship. We also evaluated how the medical professionals exercise social control and the medical professional’s contribution to ill health. The difference between society and health is studied by sociologists in relation to health and illness.
healthy is a major component in ones’ overall wellbeing, more so mentally, but being healthy