lecture 1 (ch1/2) Flashcards
explain the medical model and STATE the 4 assumptions
identifies ways of thinking on how body gets diseased and how to cure it
- mind body dualism
- doctrine of specific etiology
- biological reductionism
- body as machine
mind body dualism
(mind separate from body)
- illness can exist independent of us being aware of it
implications;
- can treat body without engaging mind
- patient is passive recipient of medical intervention (can b unconscious)
- words of patient less important than doctors ability to detect signs of disease in body
- if doctor cant find sign of disease assume illness is in ur head
doctrine of specific eitology
for every disease there is a cause
implications;
- what patient reports is less important than diagnostic instruments for discovering illness
- assumes drugs can cure illness
- doctors have medical authority
biological reductionism
disease is located and confined in the body
implications;
- doctors look only at body when diagnosing and treating illness, and ignore social context in which illness occurs
body as machine
body is mechanically engineered with unique functioning parts that can be fixed when broken
implications;
- treat only diseased part of body
- responses to treatment assumed to be the same, so those who lag in recovery may be blamed
- leads to medical specialization (focus on smaller parts instead of whole)
what did talcott parsons do
described illness is form of deviance bc it prevents ppl from fulfilling their social roles (including sick role)
list 3 broad perspectives under the sociological perspective
structural functionalism
conflict theory
social constructionism
explain the sick role (regarding the patient)
expectations:
- individual must want to get well
- individual must seek and comply w treatment
privileges;
- individual is not held responsible for being sick
- individual is exempt from normal social obligations
the role of a physician
expectations
- must be competent (training)
- must be neutral (not profit driven)
privileges
- must have autonomy and be self regulating (they deicide what sickness is)
- allowed access to patients body
- relationship w patients asymmetrical; physician controls relationship
critical approach
focuses on sources, nature and consequences of power relationships
who has higher life expectancy in canada
women
mckeown thesis
argued efficacy of medicine in curing diseases and improving life expectancy has been overstated
so instead he provided an explanation for the improvement in health (listed in order of importance):
- advances in nutrition
- advantages in hygiene
- therapeutic intervention
Lalonde report
1974
first time gov recognized health and medical care are distinct entities
4 factors influencing human health;
biology
lifestyle
environment
medical care
what term did lalonde report introduce + define it
health promotion
process of enabling ppl to increase control over and improve their health
weaknesses of health promotion model
individualizing and depoliticizing
not giving them the means to make changes
fails to consider upstream causes of illness
fundamental cause theory
Bruce Link and Jo Phelan
words of patient are less important than doctors ability to detect signs of disease in body
what are fundamental causes under fundamental cause theory
any social characteristic associated w resources like money, power, knowledge, etc
