Sociologists define health as being the ability of a person to function normally and to perform normal duties in a regular manner on a daily basis (Browne, 1998). The healthy individual feels well. Illness, also called sickness, is a term applied to a person who does not feel well. Disease is attributed to causing sickness in an individual. It is possible to have a disease and feel well and it is possible to feel ill and not have a disease. Disease is usually attributed to a biological factor that is normally medically diagnosed (Browne, 1998). The medical diagnosis relies on the biological medical (biomedical) approach to disease that consists of the germ theory, the medical gaze and the medical specialist (Giddens, 2001).
Germ theory is the explanation for the cause of disease that was developed by doctors, utilising scientific means of investigation. Germ theory is based on the existence of antigens and their effect on the human immune system.
A segment of a social network
Karl Marx 1882 (edited)
Health care systems and universal health careThe germ theory views all disease as having an identifiable biological cause that is believed by Doctor's to produce the effect of illness in the human body (Browne, 1998, Cook, 1997, Giddens, 2001, Short, Sharman & Speedy, 1998). The cause of disease under the germ theory model must first be identified by the doctor, then separated from other body parts or systems and then finally treated in its smallest form (Giddens, 2001).
The medical gaze is the process in which Doctors engaged in the treatment of an ill person become focused exclusively on that sick individuals body and ignore their mind (Giddens, 2001, McLennan, Ryan & Spoonley, 2000, Short et al, 1998). The medical gaze appears to give doctors a form of knowledge and power as they are perceived by people within society as being the only authorities allowed to treat...
Social aspect of health important!
Quite intereting in deed.Medical doctors are always in the opinion that they know the cause of sickness.Biomedical methodology in time past has had difficulties in understanding the rationale behind people not turning up for medication even when it is free.
The soial understanding osickness really do matters.Sickness may be culturally implied,thus what use will it be going to the clinic?My happiness is that the writer in this essay has been able to gather a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the social and biomedical variations in health and medicalisation,the bottom line is that a franctic synthesis of these two fields will yield a positive approach to medical therapy.I thank the writer for this good piece.
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