Sociology 2246A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Capital, Acculturation, Congenital Disorder

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2246A/B
• Professor: Lauren Barr

Document Summary

In relation to health & illness we need to understand: beliefs, values, education, needs, economics, available resources. In relation to the sociology of medicine we need to have a better sense of the various discourses & the reasons behind them. The 4 assumptions of the medical model approach show us that illness is a biological condition that happens within the sphere of the human body. The problem: is we direct all our attention to what is happening within individual bodies. & fail to see that illness is a social phenomenon. A medical model approach serves to both individualize (by focusing attention on the individual) & depoliticize (defining a situation in a way that hides or minimizes the social context) Sociological perspective: means focusing on social problems rather than on individual behaviours. Health & illness are related to a social context for example: illness is socially patterned: coming to terms with illness is a social experience.