What Are The Three Major Sociological Theories In Healthcare
Healthcare and Sociological Theories
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
December 16, 2013
Healthcare is a current hot button issue in America. While almost anyone would agree that changes are needed in the healthcare system, the opinions on how to go about it vary. This is due to the diverse opinions of healthcare’s proper role in this society. Even the three major sociological theories – Functionalism, Conflict, and Interactionism - have three distinct perspectives on this subject. By looking at the effect of each theory on healthcare, it is clear that healthcare issues are too complex to be explained by only one theory. According to functionalism, healthcare services are essential for society to function …show more content…
properly. Yvonne Vissing (2011), in her book An Introduction to Sociology, stated this “theoretical approach held that all social structures (institutions or stable units of society) exist because they fulfill some specific functions.” Healthcare does have a specific purpose in American society, including caring for sick and injured people. This purpose to serve a greater good for society is what often motivates people to enter healthcare professions. On the other hand, the public has high expectations for healthcare institutions to fulfill their purpose of providing proper care for each member of society. Thomas Aretz (2011) wrote an article about matching healthcare professionals with the needs of society. He emphasized that the “public expects that interactions with providers, institutions, and the healthcare system be appropriate and tailored to individual needs, and be done in a professional, coordinated, and effective and efficient manner, while keeping the needs of the local, regional, and global community in mind.” Functionalism has a basic approach to healthcare but it does not account for influences other than fulfilling a specific need. For example, other important influences on healthcare in American society are economic inequalities and the element of competition. These influences would fall in the category of Conflict theory. It focuses more on the negative aspects of society and how tension drives social change. According to this perspective of healthcare, many people are motivated to be doctors more for the large income than out of a sense of wanting to help people. Through the years, this has fostered competition among medical institutions to be the best and to attract the best physicians with high paying salaries and cutting-edge medical technology.
Ultimately, the patients pay for the health institutions’ drive to stay one step ahead of their competition. The upper classes in society can then look for the best health services to fit their needs. However, the lower classes are financially burdened by even basic healthcare costs. Jim Yong Kim, MD, PhD and Margaret Chan, MD (2013) wrote about the reality of the current costs of healthcare: “Finance systems for health, in many places, are emptying the pockets of patients and plunging them into poverty when they seek care, rather than protecting them from financial hardship at the time of their greatest health need.” While this is a reality for most people in developing countries, it is also a common occurrence in America. Since many people live from pay check to pay check or are underinsured, they are one medical emergency away from significant debt.
Although competition is beneficial in improving the quality of healthcare for each patient, this increases the amount of research and in turn increases the cost of healthcare. This produces a system of inequality where the upper classes are left with the best choices and the lower classes are left to fend for themselves. Therefore, the sense of competition in healthcare has been good overall for people from higher socioeconomic statuses. However, people with fewer resources do not receive the benefits of advanced healthcare without paying a high price.
The third sociological theory is Interactionism. In the book An Introduction to Sociology. Yvonne Vissing (2011) explains that this “approach focuses on how people make sense of interactions in specific situations.” Interactionism takes the focus from society level down to the personal interactions that shape people’s perception of social institutions. Healthcare is among these institutions. Healthcare professionals’ views of their work can be shaped by many things including the education they receive, their work culture, and how they are regarded by the general public. Those training to become healthcare professionals may receive more diverse experiences that show them different angles of healthcare. When they enter into their profession, their attitudes about healthcare, patients and such will be influenced by their co-workers and their bosses. The philosophy of a medical institution can motivate its employees to give high quality care or do just enough to get by. Interactionism shows that ultimately healthcare is made up of many people who have been shaped by their own experiences.
Interactionism also affects the views of society about healthcare. In his article titled “Social Problems” Darryl Halls states, “Symbolic interactionists focus on how meanings, definitions, and labels influence health, illness and healthcare and how such meanings are learned through interaction with others through media messages.” A good example of interactionism in healthcare is how eager some people are to get a certain diagnosis from their doctors. Sometimes they even go so far as to choose a doctor that has the reputation for giving the diagnosis they are hoping to receive.
In other cultures, if there were a child who was often misbehaving and not on task in school, a doctor might recommend a change in diet and a more disciplined environment. Yet in American culture the most common solution is to diagnose the child with ADHD and prescribe medication to adjust the child’s behavior. This is evidence that interactions and labels in a society can influence the way people think about illnesses and their treatments.
There are few similarities among the three Sociological theories and their approach to the social institution of healthcare. An online article on the three major perspectives in sociology from cliff notes states, “These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences people, and vice versa. Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society, social forces, and human behavior.” These three perspectives have one thing in common; they all try to figure out the best way to run healthcare in a society.
Otherwise, there are similarities between two of the theories. For instance, Functionalism and Conflict theory are similar in their macro-level focus on how healthcare should be run. They view healthcare as a whole system more than on the individual level. This perspective is often associated with staying with traditional ways of doing things, and the people working in healthcare institutions are reluctant to embrace social change.
An example of how healthcare stays with the status quo is evident in the power that pharmaceutical companies currently have over physicians in America. Physicians are influenced by these companies to prescribe certain medications, to the point that the negative side effects are glossed over or other treatments are not considered. For instance, there was a recent controversy associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. This already was a controversial vaccine, because its claims to prevent cervical cancer are not supported by the research. The well-known journalist Katie Couric presented a two-sided story on these vaccines, with a few first-person accounts of the negative side effects of these vaccines. She also interviewed a physician who worked on the development of the HPV vaccines to present her case. This physician openly admitted that around 70 girls have died as a result of receiving the vaccine. Obviously the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture this vaccine considered this to be a threat to their profits. In response, the media has attacked Katie Couric’s reputation. She has issued a public apology for the story, although she had practiced responsible reporting by presenting a two-sided report without sensationalism. This is the control that pharmaceutical companies have on the healthcare system in America.
Each perspective would interpret this situation in a different way.
Functionalism would support the use of drugs and vaccines, because that has become the expected method of treating and preventing illness. Conflict theory would show how the pharmaceutical companies are most concerned with their profits, and this is why a different perspective would be silenced. As for the Interactionist perspective, it could support either side of this controversy. On one hand, this theory is the most likely to question traditional methods and to embrace change. On the other hand, it is very focused on people’s perceptions. In the HPV vaccine scenario, the media is trying to control those perceptions about vaccines and the reputation of pharmaceutical companies. If people are mostly given a biased perspective that supports the status quo (i.e. vaccines are essential for good health), they will be less likely to seek …show more content…
change.
Each theory has a distinct approach to healthcare and society. Yvonne Vissing (2011), in her book An Introduction to Sociology, describes an ideal society according to Functionalism: “there was homeostasis or equilibrium, which sometimes meant that the people in power (status quo) remained unchallenged. Essentially, functionalists don 't want to rock the boat. They may see value in society 's inequalities.” As long as the healthcare institutions are fulfilling needs of the society in which they function, there is no need for change. The patients expect their interactions with healthcare professionals to be straightforward. The patients receive the care or health advice they are seeking so they can return to good health. This allows them to continue to fulfill their purpose and function in society. In exchange the doctors expect the patients to adhere to their advice and trust them as the health experts. Doctors are not to be questioned but taken at their word even if it may not actually benefit the patient.
This differs from the way the Conflict theory would work in our healthcare system today. Yvonne Vissing (2011) stated, “Conflict theory assumes that the institutions and interactions within society foster inequality and competition, and when they are challenged, then beneficial social change can result.” While Functionalism expects healthcare to fulfill its purpose in the society, Conflict theory considers healthcare to be an institution driven by competition. In this case doctors are not as concerned with the patient’s wellbeing as they are with the profit. They also cave to the pressures of pharmaceutical companies to prescribe certain drugs. Patients in return are expected to pay the high prices for this competition. The social change brought about through this theory is not necessarily motivated by a desire to benefit the patients’ health. Instead, the drive for health institutions is more about the profit they can make. Healthcare can be positively changed through outside forces. For example, patients can put pressure on their doctors to focus more on advice about disease prevention and how to have a healthy lifestyle as an alternative to dependence on prescription drugs.
Lastly, the Interactionist theory differs from the other two because it comes from a micro level approach.
Yvonee Vissing (2011) explains that Interactionism “focuses on how people make sense of interactions in specific situations. Essentially, we react to things on the basis of meanings or labels that we ascribe to those things.” From this perspective, doctors diagnose patients based off of social constructions. This means if a patient believes that he/she has a mental or physical illness, the reported symptoms would not matter much to the doctor. Instead the doctor would base his/her diagnosis off how the current society defines it. Some physicians use symbols that society defines instead of figuring out what is actually wrong with the patient. Another aspect of Interactionism is how the doctor interacts with the patient. It is common for the patient to feel intimidated by the formality of the interactions with his/her doctor. Also the doctor’s use of complex medical terminology may make the patient feel intellectually inferior and confused about his/her diagnosis. There is also a sense that the doctor is rushed and does not have enough time to really hear the patient’s concerns. All of these experiences with doctors cause people to believe that they will not be able to find a doctor who is truly concerned about them and their health problems. Therefore, Interactionism is the social theory that has the most open approach to change, because it is based on personal
experiences.
Only a few of the many aspects of healthcare have been addressed, but it is still clear that they must be examined through the lens of all three theories. Diversity is definitely a good thing. If healthcare ran solely by one of these perspectives then it would be unable to properly fulfill its role in society. Each perspective brings unique ideas. If the positive aspects of the three theories were brought together, American society could come closer to having a more complete, efficient healthcare system.
References:
Aretz, T. (2011). Some thoughts about creating healthcare professionals that match what societies need. Vol. 33 Issue 8, p. 608-613. 6p. 3 Diagrams, 2 Charts. retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=183cb424-2d8b-4244-bc13-d8daf46d268d%40sessionmgr198&vid=7&hid=4113
Barkan, S. (2012). Sociological Perspectives on Health and Healthcare retrieved from http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/a-primer-on-social-problems/s16-01-sociological-perspectives-on-h.html
Hall, D. (n.d.). Health and Medicine retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/nv/verbigerate/health_and_medicine.html
Kim, J., Chan, M. (2013). Poverty, Health, And Societies of the Future JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association [JAMA] 2013 Sep 4; Vol. 310 (9), pp. 901-2. retrieved from http://jama.jamanetwork.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/article.aspx?articleid=1734712
Vissing, Y. (2011). Introduction to Sociology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Benson, J. (2013, December 13). Katie Couric apologizes for allowing episode on HPV vaccines that tells the truth about deadly side effects retrieved from: http://www.naturalnews.com/043237_HPV_vaccines_Katie_Couric_deadly_side_effects.html#
Cliff notes. (n.d.). Three Major Perspectives in Sociology retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/the-sociological-perspective/three-major-perspectives-in-sociology
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
December 16, 2013
Healthcare is a current hot button issue in America. While almost anyone would agree that changes are needed in the healthcare system, the opinions on how to go about it vary. This is due to the diverse opinions of healthcare’s proper role in this society. Even the three major sociological theories – Functionalism, Conflict, and Interactionism - have three distinct perspectives on this subject. By looking at the effect of each theory on healthcare, it is clear that healthcare issues are too complex to be explained by only one theory. According to functionalism, healthcare services are essential for society to function …show more content…
properly. Yvonne Vissing (2011), in her book An Introduction to Sociology, stated this “theoretical approach held that all social structures (institutions or stable units of society) exist because they fulfill some specific functions.” Healthcare does have a specific purpose in American society, including caring for sick and injured people. This purpose to serve a greater good for society is what often motivates people to enter healthcare professions. On the other hand, the public has high expectations for healthcare institutions to fulfill their purpose of providing proper care for each member of society. Thomas Aretz (2011) wrote an article about matching healthcare professionals with the needs of society. He emphasized that the “public expects that interactions with providers, institutions, and the healthcare system be appropriate and tailored to individual needs, and be done in a professional, coordinated, and effective and efficient manner, while keeping the needs of the local, regional, and global community in mind.” Functionalism has a basic approach to healthcare but it does not account for influences other than fulfilling a specific need. For example, other important influences on healthcare in American society are economic inequalities and the element of competition. These influences would fall in the category of Conflict theory. It focuses more on the negative aspects of society and how tension drives social change. According to this perspective of healthcare, many people are motivated to be doctors more for the large income than out of a sense of wanting to help people. Through the years, this has fostered competition among medical institutions to be the best and to attract the best physicians with high paying salaries and cutting-edge medical technology.
Ultimately, the patients pay for the health institutions’ drive to stay one step ahead of their competition. The upper classes in society can then look for the best health services to fit their needs. However, the lower classes are financially burdened by even basic healthcare costs. Jim Yong Kim, MD, PhD and Margaret Chan, MD (2013) wrote about the reality of the current costs of healthcare: “Finance systems for health, in many places, are emptying the pockets of patients and plunging them into poverty when they seek care, rather than protecting them from financial hardship at the time of their greatest health need.” While this is a reality for most people in developing countries, it is also a common occurrence in America. Since many people live from pay check to pay check or are underinsured, they are one medical emergency away from significant debt.
Although competition is beneficial in improving the quality of healthcare for each patient, this increases the amount of research and in turn increases the cost of healthcare. This produces a system of inequality where the upper classes are left with the best choices and the lower classes are left to fend for themselves. Therefore, the sense of competition in healthcare has been good overall for people from higher socioeconomic statuses. However, people with fewer resources do not receive the benefits of advanced healthcare without paying a high price.
The third sociological theory is Interactionism. In the book An Introduction to Sociology. Yvonne Vissing (2011) explains that this “approach focuses on how people make sense of interactions in specific situations.” Interactionism takes the focus from society level down to the personal interactions that shape people’s perception of social institutions. Healthcare is among these institutions. Healthcare professionals’ views of their work can be shaped by many things including the education they receive, their work culture, and how they are regarded by the general public. Those training to become healthcare professionals may receive more diverse experiences that show them different angles of healthcare. When they enter into their profession, their attitudes about healthcare, patients and such will be influenced by their co-workers and their bosses. The philosophy of a medical institution can motivate its employees to give high quality care or do just enough to get by. Interactionism shows that ultimately healthcare is made up of many people who have been shaped by their own experiences.
Interactionism also affects the views of society about healthcare. In his article titled “Social Problems” Darryl Halls states, “Symbolic interactionists focus on how meanings, definitions, and labels influence health, illness and healthcare and how such meanings are learned through interaction with others through media messages.” A good example of interactionism in healthcare is how eager some people are to get a certain diagnosis from their doctors. Sometimes they even go so far as to choose a doctor that has the reputation for giving the diagnosis they are hoping to receive.
In other cultures, if there were a child who was often misbehaving and not on task in school, a doctor might recommend a change in diet and a more disciplined environment. Yet in American culture the most common solution is to diagnose the child with ADHD and prescribe medication to adjust the child’s behavior. This is evidence that interactions and labels in a society can influence the way people think about illnesses and their treatments.
There are few similarities among the three Sociological theories and their approach to the social institution of healthcare. An online article on the three major perspectives in sociology from cliff notes states, “These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences people, and vice versa. Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society, social forces, and human behavior.” These three perspectives have one thing in common; they all try to figure out the best way to run healthcare in a society.
Otherwise, there are similarities between two of the theories. For instance, Functionalism and Conflict theory are similar in their macro-level focus on how healthcare should be run. They view healthcare as a whole system more than on the individual level. This perspective is often associated with staying with traditional ways of doing things, and the people working in healthcare institutions are reluctant to embrace social change.
An example of how healthcare stays with the status quo is evident in the power that pharmaceutical companies currently have over physicians in America. Physicians are influenced by these companies to prescribe certain medications, to the point that the negative side effects are glossed over or other treatments are not considered. For instance, there was a recent controversy associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. This already was a controversial vaccine, because its claims to prevent cervical cancer are not supported by the research. The well-known journalist Katie Couric presented a two-sided story on these vaccines, with a few first-person accounts of the negative side effects of these vaccines. She also interviewed a physician who worked on the development of the HPV vaccines to present her case. This physician openly admitted that around 70 girls have died as a result of receiving the vaccine. Obviously the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture this vaccine considered this to be a threat to their profits. In response, the media has attacked Katie Couric’s reputation. She has issued a public apology for the story, although she had practiced responsible reporting by presenting a two-sided report without sensationalism. This is the control that pharmaceutical companies have on the healthcare system in America.
Each perspective would interpret this situation in a different way.
Functionalism would support the use of drugs and vaccines, because that has become the expected method of treating and preventing illness. Conflict theory would show how the pharmaceutical companies are most concerned with their profits, and this is why a different perspective would be silenced. As for the Interactionist perspective, it could support either side of this controversy. On one hand, this theory is the most likely to question traditional methods and to embrace change. On the other hand, it is very focused on people’s perceptions. In the HPV vaccine scenario, the media is trying to control those perceptions about vaccines and the reputation of pharmaceutical companies. If people are mostly given a biased perspective that supports the status quo (i.e. vaccines are essential for good health), they will be less likely to seek …show more content…
change.
Each theory has a distinct approach to healthcare and society. Yvonne Vissing (2011), in her book An Introduction to Sociology, describes an ideal society according to Functionalism: “there was homeostasis or equilibrium, which sometimes meant that the people in power (status quo) remained unchallenged. Essentially, functionalists don 't want to rock the boat. They may see value in society 's inequalities.” As long as the healthcare institutions are fulfilling needs of the society in which they function, there is no need for change. The patients expect their interactions with healthcare professionals to be straightforward. The patients receive the care or health advice they are seeking so they can return to good health. This allows them to continue to fulfill their purpose and function in society. In exchange the doctors expect the patients to adhere to their advice and trust them as the health experts. Doctors are not to be questioned but taken at their word even if it may not actually benefit the patient.
This differs from the way the Conflict theory would work in our healthcare system today. Yvonne Vissing (2011) stated, “Conflict theory assumes that the institutions and interactions within society foster inequality and competition, and when they are challenged, then beneficial social change can result.” While Functionalism expects healthcare to fulfill its purpose in the society, Conflict theory considers healthcare to be an institution driven by competition. In this case doctors are not as concerned with the patient’s wellbeing as they are with the profit. They also cave to the pressures of pharmaceutical companies to prescribe certain drugs. Patients in return are expected to pay the high prices for this competition. The social change brought about through this theory is not necessarily motivated by a desire to benefit the patients’ health. Instead, the drive for health institutions is more about the profit they can make. Healthcare can be positively changed through outside forces. For example, patients can put pressure on their doctors to focus more on advice about disease prevention and how to have a healthy lifestyle as an alternative to dependence on prescription drugs.
Lastly, the Interactionist theory differs from the other two because it comes from a micro level approach.
Yvonee Vissing (2011) explains that Interactionism “focuses on how people make sense of interactions in specific situations. Essentially, we react to things on the basis of meanings or labels that we ascribe to those things.” From this perspective, doctors diagnose patients based off of social constructions. This means if a patient believes that he/she has a mental or physical illness, the reported symptoms would not matter much to the doctor. Instead the doctor would base his/her diagnosis off how the current society defines it. Some physicians use symbols that society defines instead of figuring out what is actually wrong with the patient. Another aspect of Interactionism is how the doctor interacts with the patient. It is common for the patient to feel intimidated by the formality of the interactions with his/her doctor. Also the doctor’s use of complex medical terminology may make the patient feel intellectually inferior and confused about his/her diagnosis. There is also a sense that the doctor is rushed and does not have enough time to really hear the patient’s concerns. All of these experiences with doctors cause people to believe that they will not be able to find a doctor who is truly concerned about them and their health problems. Therefore, Interactionism is the social theory that has the most open approach to change, because it is based on personal
experiences.
Only a few of the many aspects of healthcare have been addressed, but it is still clear that they must be examined through the lens of all three theories. Diversity is definitely a good thing. If healthcare ran solely by one of these perspectives then it would be unable to properly fulfill its role in society. Each perspective brings unique ideas. If the positive aspects of the three theories were brought together, American society could come closer to having a more complete, efficient healthcare system.
References:
Aretz, T. (2011). Some thoughts about creating healthcare professionals that match what societies need. Vol. 33 Issue 8, p. 608-613. 6p. 3 Diagrams, 2 Charts. retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=183cb424-2d8b-4244-bc13-d8daf46d268d%40sessionmgr198&vid=7&hid=4113
Barkan, S. (2012). Sociological Perspectives on Health and Healthcare retrieved from http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/a-primer-on-social-problems/s16-01-sociological-perspectives-on-h.html
Hall, D. (n.d.). Health and Medicine retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/nv/verbigerate/health_and_medicine.html
Kim, J., Chan, M. (2013). Poverty, Health, And Societies of the Future JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association [JAMA] 2013 Sep 4; Vol. 310 (9), pp. 901-2. retrieved from http://jama.jamanetwork.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/article.aspx?articleid=1734712
Vissing, Y. (2011). Introduction to Sociology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Benson, J. (2013, December 13). Katie Couric apologizes for allowing episode on HPV vaccines that tells the truth about deadly side effects retrieved from: http://www.naturalnews.com/043237_HPV_vaccines_Katie_Couric_deadly_side_effects.html#
Cliff notes. (n.d.). Three Major Perspectives in Sociology retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/the-sociological-perspective/three-major-perspectives-in-sociology