Sociological Perspectives on Health & Medical Care

Sociological Perspectives on Health & Medical Care

Culture & Society

DeVry University

January 18, 2013

Health can be considered important for numerous reasons. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” and in order to stay in good health, medical care is available to help individuals with illnesses get better. There are many different perspectives on both health and medical care, and it is important to review these perspectives to understand how our society functions.

Functionalist Perspective

The functionalist theory views every aspect of society as interdependent and believes that everyone within a society has a role that helps maintain societal functionality. Functionalists view good health and effective medical care as an essential element that contributes to society’s ability to function. If an individual has poor health, then their ability to perform in society is impaired which then leads to an unstable society. Poor medical care can be considered dysfunctional for society because individuals that are ill will be less likely to become healthy and individuals that are healthy will be more likely to become ill.

Conflict Perspective

The quality of health and medical care greatly differs around the world. The conflict perspective emphasizes the inequality of both health and medical care. Conflict theorists view society’s inequalities through social class, race, ethnicity and gender. They believe that society “is characterized by continual struggle between competing groups.” According to this theory, individuals from lower classes or disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to become ill. Once ill, the individual’s inaccessibility to adequate medical care will make it difficult for them to become healthy.

Interactionist Perspective

The interactionist perspective views the individual within a world of objects, which may include...