Sociological Approaches to Illness

Question 1

What is lay epidemiology?

Answer 1

Understanding why and how illness happens

Question 2

What are the 3 health behaviours and what are they?

Answer 2

Health Behaviour- extent to which they engage
Illness Behaviour - what they do about their symptoms
Sick Role Behaviour - way they engage

Question 3

Name 3 influences on illness behaviour

Answer 3

• Culture
• Visibility
• Understanding
• Tolerance

Question 4

What are the 3 types of treatment adherence approaches?

Answer 4

• Deniers/distancers
• Acceptors
• Pragmatists

Question 5

What are the 2 theories on the experience of illness?

Answer 5

• Functional

- Interpretive

Question 6

Define Parson’s sick role

Answer 6

• A temporary, medically sanction form of deviant behaviour

- Expected to seek and follow medical advice

Question 7

What are the 5 types of work relating to chronic illness?

Answer 7

Illness Work - symptom management
Everyday Life Work - managing daily living
Emotional Work - managing own and others emotions
Biographical Work - reconstruction of biography
Identity Work - work to maintain an acceptable identity

Question 8

What are the two identities of chronic illness?

Answer 8

Discreditable - invisible illness

Discredited - physically visible illness

Question 9

What are the two types of stigma experienced in chronic illness?

Answer 9

Enacted - experience of stigma

Felt - fear of stigma