Social construction of health of illness Flashcards
reflect on social production of health + illness model
illness not randomly distributed, but socially patterned.
- social arrangements produce the social distribution of illness
=> socially produced, therefore can unproduce?
limitations of social production of health + illness model
places too much emphasis on social structure and not enough on agency (not enough abt individuals; and how meaning making alter relationships)
-> doesnt explain decision/meaning-making (how social change is possible, meaning abt health + illness shift over time)
2 pillars of social construction of health + illness model
reality is socially defined (created through interaction and interpretive practice)
illness is social experience (make meaning out of illness, body malfunction=/= illness. social aspect that makes malfunction=illness
two definitions of disability
- restriction or inability to perform normal activity mostly resulting from impairment. (personal problem; biological; need treatment/rehab/cure)
- loss of opportunity to take part in normal life due to physical + social barrier (community problem; inability to accept not “normal”; help integrate; change
is illness objective, scientifically determined or exists because defined it as existing?
-> risk, prevalence, scientific.
=> two definitions of disability.
two examples of how disabilities changed over time
left-handedness; deafness.
=> views on conditions shifted. social conditions influence.
discourses of medicine, health + illness construct realities that are taken for granted + invisible
explain ==
bipolar disorder + mood chart.
what is bipolar disorder.
-> treatment?
manic-depressive disorder.
= mood disorder causes radical emotional changes + mood swings.
treatment: stabilizing agents. mood charts recent tool to track moods over time.
how the 5 pillars of medical model approach relate to bipolar mood chart
biological reductionism: body over anything.
mid-body dualism: mood matters > how u feel about mood
doctrine of specific etiology: psychologist gives meds in response.
body is machine: assume chart works for everyone.
possible consequences of bipolar mood chart
determine whether “normal” or not. dampen highs + lows = dampen human experience.
social production of smoking
production: smoking pattern women smoking more, less likely than men to quit.
explanation: advertisers portrayed smoking as women’s independence + increase sexuality
social construction: why women smoke? ask..
values thought+feeling on the ground
-> working class mothers say: break from house (monotonous chores, take a break); personal space (knew it was bad, way to keep kids away and give space for self); luxury item (just for them)
comparing social production + social construction
different but complementary perspectives. sp: risk for health, quantitative, positivist - measure illness to know it’s real; sc: meaning for decision, qualitative, how ppl living experience feel. need both for complete picture.
