5.1.4

Models of Health & Illness

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The Biomedical Model

There are two main models of health and illness; the biomedical model and the social model. The biomedical model represents the foundation of Western medicine and views health as caused by biological factors with the body.

Assumptions of the biological model

Assumptions of the biological model

  • The biological model of health and illness is favoured by most health professionals and assumes the following:
    • Health is the absence of disease or disability.
    • Disease is mainly caused by biological factors.
Assumptions of the biological model 2

Assumptions of the biological model 2

  • The human body represents a machine that sometimes breaks down and requires the medical knowledge of doctors to diagnose and treat biological or chemical processes that have caused the illness.
  • The causes of ill health are either via moral failings of the individual (e.g. smoking or eating too much) or from random instances of disease.
Assumptions of the biological model 3

Assumptions of the biological model 3

  • Scientific medicine can identify and solve health problems; the more trained medical professionals there are, the better people’s health will be.
  • Diagnosis and treatment depends on the ‘medical gaze’ - searching for the cause of the disease through obtaining information from the body, rather than relying on the person’s account of their own symptoms.

Evaluation of the Biomedical Model

What counts as health can be viewed as socially constructed and varies over time and between cultures; it is therefore not a biological fact.

Ignores social contexts

Ignores social contexts

  • The biomedical model is concerned with the treatment of sick individuals, rather than the examination of the social contexts that influence health, such as poverty and hazardous working conditions.
Exaggeration of effectiveness

Exaggeration of effectiveness

  • It exaggerates the effectiveness of medicine, with McKeown pointing out that improvements in social conditions are far more important that the application of scientific medicine in improving health.
Harm caused by medicine

Harm caused by medicine

  • It underestimates the harmful effects of modern medicines, such as addiction and the over-prescribing of antibiotics that has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms.
Vested interests

Vested interests

  • It serves the interests of doctors and the medical establishment, who have a legal monopoly over treatment, giving them power as agents of social change.
Medicalization

Medicalization

  • It leads to the medicalization of society where things that were once not considered medical matters have now become so, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Monopoly

Monopoly

  • Postmodernists see the medical model as a metanarrative, claiming to provide the only universal truth and solution to ill-health and serving the interests of the medical establishment and the pharmaceutical industry.
  • It diverts resources away from health education and preventative medicine and towards new drugs and medical technology.

The Social Model

There are two main models of health and illness; the biomedical model and the social model. The social model is adopted by most sociologists and emphasises health and illness as a social construction.

Assumptions of the social model

Assumptions of the social model

  • The social model of health and illness is the approach adopted by sociologists and assumes the following:
    • Health and illness are not simply scientific facts, but are socially constructed.
    • Definitions of health will vary over time and between cultures; they will also differ between individuals in the same culture.
Assumptions of the social model 2

Assumptions of the social model 2

  • Medical science is influenced by social and economic considerations, such as the influence of drug companies and medical technology manufacturers.
  • Social causes of health and ill-health play a far greater role on how the social and economic environment influence health.
Assumptions of the social model 3

Assumptions of the social model 3

  • Epidemiology (the study of the patterns, distributions, causes and effects of disease) has shown the certain groups are more vulnerable to ill health than others.
Evaluation

Evaluation

  • It’s important to recognise that health as a social dimension and that conceptions of health and illness are socially constructed.
Evaluation 2

Evaluation 2

  • There is always the danger of overemphasising the social aspects at the expense of the biomedical approach and it must be emphasised that medicine has contributed to improvements in health through such things as childhood immunisation and antibiotics.
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on Models of Health & Illness

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  1. 1
    The biological model of health and illness assumes:Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Evaluation of the biomedical model:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    The social model of health and illness assumes the following:Fill in the list
  4. 4
    What is epidemiology?Multiple choice
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Disability

End of Topic Test - Social Constructions