Chapter 1

The Sociology of
Health, Illness, and
Health Care
 Sociology of Health, Illness, and Healthcare

 Sociologists study how social forces impact both

health and illness.
➢ Different social groups experience health and illness
differently
 Social forces affect:
➢ Likelihood of health and illness.

➢ Patient's experiences of illness.

➢ Health care providers.

➢ The health care system as a whole.

 A Sociological Perspective Emphasizes:

 Social patterns over individual behavior.

 Public issues over personal troubles.
 Social groups and institutions over individuals.
 Prevention over treatment .
 Power: The ability to get others to do what one
wants.

The sociological perspective significantly differs from

the typical American perspective
 Sociologists Study:

 Who has power

 How groups get power
 The consequences of power differentials
➢ i.e., when some groups have more power than others
 Critical Sociologists:

 Emphasize sources and consequences of power

relationships.
 Explore how social institutions and beliefs support
existing power relationships.
 Question the basic structure of society.
 Discussion: The Sociological Perspective in
Health and Illness

 What is the sociological perspective?

 How do the questions sociologists ask differ from the
questions psychologists or health care providers ask?
➢ Use obesity as an example.
➢ Give an example of how power affects health care delivery in
the United States.
 Two Approaches

 Sociology in medicine
➢ Research questions focus on what doctors think is useful.

 Sociology of medicine
➢ Research questions focus on what sociologists think is useful.

Example: “patient noncompliance” vs. “health

consumer choices”
 A Brief History of Disease

 The European Background

➢ Epidemics ravage Europe (AD 800-1400)
o Growth of cities and long-distance trade/warfare
➢ Pandemics diminish
➢ Social factors and the decline in mortality (beginning in 1700s)

 Disease in the New World

➢ Colonists vs. Natives

• The Epidemiological Transition

➢ Acute diseases decline and chronic diseases become more
important
 Discussion: Epidemiological Transition

 Improvements in medicine play a minor role in the

epidemiological transition.
 What does lead to a reduction in acute diseases
within a population?
➢ Use the example of how changes in women’s lives led women’s
life expectancies to increase.
 Evaluating Sources

To avoid “scienciness,” ask whether the source:

 Is influential
 Is selective
 Is peer reviewed
 Is reputable and unbiased
 Uses random samples
 Controls for other possible causes