Unit 10 sociological perspectives: P1: Explain how sociological perspectives are applied to the understanding of health and social care? Introduction: Sociology can be defined as a study of the social patterning of health. Some examples of social factors can be race, religion, gender, region, disability. Which includes Socialization, socialization is the process through which people of society develop awareness of social norms and values to help them achieve an identity for themselves. This is known as primary socialization because it usually happens in early years and secondary socialization, continues throughout life. Interactionism: The interactionist approach suggests that health and illness are social constructions. This conveys that many physical and mental conditions have no objective reality but instead are considered healthy orill conditions. The interactionist approach has provided us with significant studies that proves the interaction between patient and health care professionals. A strength of this approach is that it sees humans are active, and as creative participants who can construct their own social world, not as passive, conforming objects of socialization. However, a weakness can be that overestimates the power of individuals to create their own realities, ignoring the extent to which humans inhabit a world not of their own making. An example of interactionist theory would be that the word ‘dog’ doesnot have any meaning inandof itself. However, everyone understands what ‘cat’ means through our social interactions with others and with real life cats. Types of social action: Instrumental rational action means whatever it takes to achieve a goal as long as it our desirable objective. For example, Value rational action isan action towards a goal that is desirable for its own profit. An example of value rational action would be that many individuals who are looking in professions such as doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants or even nursery manger are assumed to choose any goal and accomplish it. Traditional action is a routine action that isdone without a though or choice. An example of traditional rational action would be putting on dresses on Monday. Affection action is an action that reveals emotion. Weber stated that affection action is important in religion and politics movements with influential leaders who draw attention to followers based on emotional appeal. An example would be crying with grief. Conflict: Conflict theories are theories that see society as being made upof two or more groups with compatible and incompatible interests. The two main theories that we study in sociology are Marxism and feminism which see society divided by social class and gender, respectively. Marxist: Marxist feminism theory is made by Karl Marx which is a political and economic theory where society has no class. Marxist studies medical care believes that political power and economic dominance in capitalist society. He argues that the problem isnot about accessing the healthcare services but lOMoAR cPSD|3013804 states that the main goal of medicine is not health but profit. This implies that he thinks that healthcare services are open to everyone but the doctors and nurses there are only helping people to make a profit out of them. There are two feminisms called: liberal feminism is defined as a focus on achieving gender equality through politics. liberal feminism believes that the major causes of gender equality are ignorance and socialisation. This is because they do not believe that social foundations are patriarchal. This indicates that people are gradually becoming more equal over time. As a result, it shows that girls are outperforming boys in education, this means that there are now equal amounts of people in paid work. As evidence this shows that men are doing more domestic work such as housework and childcare in the household than women. people can make decisions between them; this shows that they are becoming more equal. Radical feminists see society as patriarchal because everything is dominated by men and in the social class, men are the ruling class and women are the subject class. Radical feminists argue that women have been given a dual burden of paid work, and unpaid housework and the men benefit from women's paid earnings. This suggests that many radical feminists argue that women endure a triple shift of paid work, domestic labour, and emotional work. Research shows that BCSDV (British crime survey domestic violence) states that 1 in 4 all women experience DVin their life. An advantage could be that this theory studies power and conflict in society. This shows how there isan uneven number of power and status (wealth) between social classes. Functionalism: Functionalism theory is made by five theorist called August Comte, Herbert Spencer, Talcott Parsons, Davis and Moore and Robert Merton. They stated that functionalism is a theory that views society as a complex but orderly and stable system with interconnected structures and functions or social pattern that operate to meet the needsof individuals in society. An example of functionalism would be ageing. As people age, they eventually withdraw themselves from society and are relieved from all their responsibilities which is providing an orderly transition between generations. An advantage would be that the functionalism approach suggests how social institution can work at two diverse levels, both fulling the needs of every individual and meeting the needsof everyone in the society. Another advantage can be that family is seen as key point in passing on the shared norms and values which are common in society. A weakness of this approach can be that the theorist does not consider functions to be performed by other institutions such as education system, then the family. Fletcher disagrees that Parsons was false to imply that the family had lost its values soon as industrialisation started. Postmodernism: Postmodernism is a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. In other words, postmodernism is a movement that emphasises on the truth of an individual and refuses statements that are true to other people. Jacques Derrida stated that many people believe to hold a holistic approach towards health and that believe that every individual’s responsibility isto achieve health, reject any medical authority towards them and prefer natural products such as herbs over prescribed drugs. An advantage of this approach can be that it challenges many assumptions everyone makes as a society. This makes every sociologist’s research differently. A weakness can be that itis difficult to argue about postmodernism because itisa fragmented movement which shows that is not presented as part of a method. Another weakness lOMoAR cPSD|3013804 can be that Marxist theorists such as Greg Philo and David Miller declare that postmodernism ignores the point that media is maintained by the bourgeoisie. P2: Explain how sociological perspectives contribute to the understanding of society. Interactionism: Social action and interactionism can be defined as micro level,’ bottom up’ approaches that focus on the actions and interactions of the individual. In other words, Interactionism is a social action theory, that suggests howour actions affect society. Itis a study to show how individuals interact within society. For example, at school they would be more worried abouthow students and teachers interact with each other than the role of education in society. Interactionism states that individuals learn about society by interacting with other people. Interactionism helps us understand society through the study on how individuals’ behaviour in a society and believes that it is produced through the interaction of individuals. Interactionists stated that gender stratification exists because certain people behaviour a certain way towards others. Interactionism theory suggests that society has addressed the subjective meaning based on how people impose on objects or even their behaviours. Subjective meanings are given priority because it is believed that people behave in a certain way due to what they believe and what is objectively true in their belief. Marxist: Marxist feminism theory is made by Karl Marx which is a political and economic theory where society has no class. Marxist feminism argues that the major cause of women's oppression is capitalism. A criticism of the Marxist theory is that women are seen tobe a consequence of the emergence of private property and their lack of ownership. However, from a Marxist's perspective he argues that the nuclear family performs functions for capitalism, this means that he sees the oppression of women in the family as the exploitation of the working class. So, he argues that the nuclear family should be destroyed before it replaces capitalism with a classless society. Marxist feminism argues that the major cause of women's oppression is capitalism. He believes that women are seen tobea consequence of the emergence of private property and their lack of ownership. However, from a Marxist's perspective he argues that the nuclear family performs functions for capitalism, this means that he sees the oppression of women in the family as the exploitation of the working class. So, he argues that the nuclear family should be destroyed before it replaces capitalism with a classless society. Marxist argues that inequalities in a society establishes on social differences. This is because he claims that to be able to improve society, things need to be fairer to others. And then he is criticised for ignoring significant factors such as gender and ethnicity then focusing more on social class. There are two types of feminism: liberal feminism is defined as a focus on achieving gender equality through politics. liberal feminism believes that the major causes of gender equality are ignorance and socialisation. This is because they do not believe that social foundations are patriarchal. This indicates that people are gradually becoming more equal over time. as a result, it shows that girls are outperforming boys in education, this means that there are now equal amounts of people in paid work. As evidence shows that men are doing more domestic work such as housework and childcare in the household than women. People can make decisions between them; this shows that they are becoming more equal. Radical feminists see society as patriarchal because everything is dominated by men and in the social class, men are the ruling class and women are the subject class. Radical feminists argue that women