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Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine definitions

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  • Functionalist Perspective
    A view that sees illness as a disruption to societal stability, emphasizing the role of health systems in maintaining social order.
  • Sick Role
    A temporary status granting unique rights and responsibilities, legitimized by society, for those experiencing acute illness.
  • Dysfunction
    A condition or event that prevents individuals from fulfilling expected social roles, threatening societal stability.
  • Conflict Perspective
    A framework focusing on how social structures, especially capitalism, create and perpetuate health inequalities.
  • Commodification
    The process of treating healthcare as a product for sale, rather than as a public good or basic human right.
  • Socioeconomic Status
    A measure of an individual's or group's economic and social position, influencing access to healthcare resources.
  • Profit Motive
    An incentive within healthcare systems to prioritize financial gain, often influencing medical decisions and practices.
  • Social Determinants of Health
    Non-medical factors like income, environment, and education that significantly impact health outcomes and disparities.
  • Racial Disparities
    Systematic differences in healthcare access, treatment, or outcomes based on race, often rooted in historical biases.
  • Gender Disparities
    Inequities in medical treatment or diagnosis based on gender, often perpetuated by historical and social biases.
  • Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
    An approach emphasizing how health and illness are shaped by social interactions and subjective meanings.
  • Social Construction of Illness
    The process by which society defines and interprets health conditions based on cultural beliefs and interactions.
  • Stigma
    A negative social label attached to certain illnesses, influencing how individuals are perceived and treated.
  • Dramaturgical Approach
    A concept viewing medical encounters as social performances, with roles, scripts, and settings shaping interactions.
  • Medicalization
    The process by which non-medical issues are defined and treated as medical problems, often influenced by social factors.