14 Health, Health Care, And Disability

Health in Global PerspectiveHealth in the United States

Social EpidemiologyLifestyle Factors

Health Carein the United States

The Rise of Scientific Medicineand ProfessionalismMedicine TodayPaying for Medical Carein the United StatesPaying for Medical Care in Other NationsSocial Implications of Advanced MedicalTechnologyHolistic Medicine and AlternativeMedicine

SociologicalPerspectives on Health and Medicine

A Functionalist Perspective: The Sick RoleA Conflict Perspective:Inequalitiesin Health and Health CareA Symbolic Interactionist Perspective:The Social Construction of IllnessA Postmodernist Perspective:The Clinical Gaze

Disability

Sociological Perspectives on DisabilitySocial Inequalities Based on Disability

Health Care in the Future

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M

y

name is Heather Neumann and I'm an18year old freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. When Iwas nine, I wasdiagnosedwith Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and given all sorts of different medications. I learned that if I didn't go into a remission, my life wouldn't be too swell.Well, Iwas pretty upset about it all! I played piano, loved all sports, was good at art andwas beingtold that I might not be able to do these things whenI got older.That's when I decided to take chargeof my life. I took things one day at a time andpushed myself to give 110% at everything. I continued to take piano until I went to high school, eventhough it was not always possible to practice when my hands got really bad. And I played everysport offered at my school, however tough it wason my body. Every time someone said, "Youcan'tdo that, you're sick" I strived not only to do it, but todo it better than anyone else ....

It

was frustrating for me when my mind wanted to do more than my body would let it. Sometimes my hands wouldswell and I couldn't wear my class ring.... Sometimes I had to ask my boyfriend to carry mybooks because my shoulder hurt or because myknees decided not to work half-waydown thehall. I was often weak....

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Supplement your review of this chapter by goingto the companion website to take one of the tutorialquizzes, use the flash cards to master key terms,and check out the many other study aids you'll findthere. You'll also find special features such as GSSData and Census 2000 information that will putdata and resources at your fingertips to help you withthat special project or help you do someresearch onyour own.

I am still keeping myself busy incollege. I still have (juvenilerheumatoid arthritis] and I still taketwo million pills. There are still dayswhen I can't get out ofbed, but Iaccomplish so much in the meantime.I am playing Varsity Field Hockey, Iam the service chair for my sorority,a member of student government, aneditor ofthe literary arts journal andan honors student. On days when itfeels like I can't cope, I remind myself that there is nothing I cannot do if Iput my mind to it.

-Heather Neumann describing her experience withchronic illness

(Band-Aides

&

Blackboards, 1999)

L

ike many other young people, HeatherNeumann has learned how to live withchronic medical problems. She has chosento share her story, "Forever Heather," with otheryoung people, particularly those with chronic ill-nesses or disabilities, on

Band-Aides and Black -boards,

a website maintained by Joan Fleitas, anursing professor and pediatric clinician. Thiswebsite is only one of the many ways in whichhealth professionals and laypersons are transform-ing the Internet into a source of informationabout illness and disability, and helping thosewho seek moral and psychological support whencoping with such conditions.In this chapter, we will explore the dynamics of health, health care, and disability from a socio-logical perspective, as well as look at issuesthrough the eyes of those who

have

experienced

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Concern over chronic health problems is not Limited to older aduLts. Many young peopLe must aLso Learn how to Live with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

medical problems. Before reading on, test your knowledge about health, illness, and health care bytaking the quiz in Box 14.1. What does the concept of health mean to you?Atone time, health was considered to be simplytheabsence of disease. However, the World Health Organization (2003: 7) defines

health

as a