I really need help with an essay i have no idea how to do.?

Question

Title: Explore the ways in which health and illness may be socially constructed.

Define and evaluate explanations of health and illness as

social constructions

Explain the relativity of definitions

Discuss the concept of social product

Identify how cultural beliefs may influence definitions of health and illness

Describe social processed involved in the social construction of health and illness.

Any pointer would be great as the course i'm currently studying has just introduced socialogy and its thrown me

Answer 1

what happend ? did you sleep at college ? get the books out and start studying thats the only way out. if you pay attention first place you would not be in a s..t now

Answer 2

Look at figures relating to morbidity and mortality across the social classes. Why do the poor suffer from specific diseases rarely found amongst the upper classes. Look at lifestyles and diet, do the wealthier eat healthier for example? Are poorer people more likely to smoke, drink, take drugs? Look at the cost of health care, eg prescriptions, taking time off work. Access to private health care and screening. Cultural beliefs.... Tricky one I have to admit, you could look at maybe dietary differences, eg non meat eaters, methods of childrearing, gender issues. In some cultures issues such as vaccination and health screening are not considered, past generations may be innured to living with disease and death, so may not have the same attitude western culture has. Look at the history of medical interventions as they affected the different classes within society. Check out the reasoning behind  the establishment of the NHS. Browse the "Office for National Statistics", this will give you some pointers as to the nations health. Hope this has helped, good luck.

Answer 3

Check out Talcott Parson's  sick role - this explains how a person's role  changes due to illness i.e our social roles are a social construction

it basically means that a persons social role changes when we become ill.



symptoms that can be interpreted as illness;

Influence of personal experience; personal or observation of others

Influence of media: the construction of illness stories and the scientific basis of ‘truth’

Influence of family:may collude with symptoms

Influence of culture:social meaning of pain

Influence of gender: interpretations of social role

Answer 4

e.g what represents ill health in this country does not in others like places where women are preferred to be overweight and is seen as a sign of health, compared to hear- a sign of ill health..make comparisons..get researching on internet...sociology books wont help that much..you need to think..

Answer 5

You won't learn anything by getting other people to do your work for you....