L08 - POWER

Question 1

What are French and Raven’s 5 bases of power within organisations?

Answer 1

• Legitimate - formal authority in an organisation
• Referent - can persuade/ influence
• Expert - possessing needed skills and experience
• Reward - can give values benefits
• Coercive - punish/ withhold reward

Question 2

What are 3 definitions of medical power

Answer 2

• The ability to impose one’s will on others even if they resist in some way - demand compliance
• The real or perceived potential to be able to bring about significant change to peoples lives through actions such as curing them. However there are risks
• The power to define illness and manage people who are ill e.g sectioning people

Question 3

Give an institution of knowledge that power is able to operate through

Answer 3

• Royal Colleges
• Medical schools

Question 4

Give an institution of practise that power is able to operate through

Answer 4

• Hospitals
• NHS trusts

Question 5

What is a profession, give 3 characteristics of professions

Answer 5

• A profession is a body of knowledge of theories and skills

3 characteristics:
- Regulated training overseen by the profession
- Autonomy meaning it is self regulating
- Have a monopoly of practise through registration

Question 6

What are 5 key sociological fields about medical power?

Answer 6

• Professions as a social organisation
• Social effects of being diagnosed
• Learning to behave as a patient
• Power in the consultation
• Institutions

Question 7

What are two limits to the power of the medical profession?

Answer 7

• The government determines resources and contracts
• Interprofessional care and teamwork

Question 8

What are 3 social roles within the medical profession?

Answer 8

• Acting in self interest to dominate other professions e.g obstetrics taking over from midwives and to remain autonomous
• Upholding ethical values and ensuring that powers are not abused
• Having a sense of belonging

Question 9

What are 2 social roles of the medical profession as seen from people outside the profession

Answer 9

• To embody the role of the service
• They have a level of social status that means that people trust and respect them

Question 10

What is medical dominance according to Friedman ?

Answer 10

Medical dominance is the authority that the medical profession can exercise over other members of the healthcare system, patients and society

Question 11

With regard to the social effects of diagnosis, what are 4 advantages of being diagnosed by a medical professional?

Answer 11

• It comes with the expectation of treatment
• Offers a socially acceptable reason for a person’s behaviour
• Sick pay
• Access to prescriptions

Question 12

With regard to the social effects of diagnosis, what are 3 disadvantages of being diagnosed by a medical professional?

Answer 12

• Big change in status from ‘person’ to ‘patient’
• May not be able to get cheaper insurance, mortgage or employment
• Has to accept asymmetry of relationship with doctor

Question 13

What should a patient do in order to take on the patient ‘sick role’ outlined by Parsons? (4)

Answer 13

• Want to get better as soon as possible
• Should follow the Drs advice and seek professional help
• Should be seen as in need of help and care
• Should carry out some regular activities

Question 14

According to Parson’s what should a doctor be expected to do?

Answer 14

• Apply a high level of skill and knowledge
• Act in the patients best interest
• Be objective and be guided by professional rules

Question 15

What is the imbalance in the doctor patient relationship

Answer 15

• Patient submits to medical authority
• Patient doesn’t have access to the information that the Dr has
• Different social classes

Question 16

What is socialisation?

Answer 16

Mechanisms by which people learn the rules, regulations and acceptable ways of behaving in a society

Question 17

What is primary, secondary and anticipatory socialisation?

Answer 17

• Primary - occurs in the family e.g gender roles
• Secondary - continues throughout life - school, peer group
• Anticipatory - rehearsing for a future position e.g medical school

Question 18

What is patient socialisation and how does it occur?

Answer 18

Patient socialisation is learning what the ‘correct’ way for a patient to behave is and how to interact with the healthcare system. This is learnt through
- past experiences with the healthcare system
- family and freinds
- other patients
- resources like leaflets in hospitals of what to expect

Question 19

What is the patient career, what is the order of it and how does it differ from chromic illness?

Answer 19

The patient career is where you develop new roles as a patient through the course of the illness.

symptoms –> diagnosis –> treatment –> outcome –> death/ disabled/ recovered

This is usually for acute illnesses. With chronic illnesses, there is more continuity and closer relationships with the staff or practice as well as more dependancy on them.

Question 20

What is cultural health capital, who might be better or worse at this, what can it lead to ?

Answer 20

• Knowing how to interact with the healthcare system
• Migrants may be worse
• Affluent people may be better
• It could lead to the inverse health law where those in need of care the most, don’t receive it

Question 21

Name 3 characteristics outlined by Goffman of a total institution

Answer 21

• All aspects of life are conducted in the same place and under a single authority
• Sharp distinction and little communication between the manager and the managed
• Daily life carried out in a group with others - Batch living