Essay
UNIT 6 - P1
- Institution
- OCR
health and social care complete essay
[Show more]
Content preview
Shona ThomasP1 – explain the principal sociological perspectives
Sociological perspectives are when the human behaviour and its connection to
society is observed and analysed. So therefore it is a study of human interactions and
socialisations. There are several sociological perspectives such as “functionalism,
Marxism, Feminism, Collectivism, interactionism, New Right and Postmodernism.” 1
Structuralist theories
Functionalism is a theory which was developed through the ideas and observations
made by Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons during the 20 th
century. It suggests that society is a system of interconnected parts that work
together in harmony to maintain balance in the world that we live in. This would
mean that each and every person has their part in society and groups also have a
role to play as it makes us improve as a whole, so there is always a purpose in what
we do. For example, the “family is a context for reproducing, nurturing and
socialising children whereas, education gives a chance to transmit a society’s skill,
knowledge and culture to its youth”2 so each generation can become wiser than the
one before. The sociologists believed that when everyone did their part in society
that it would prevent problems and result in us becoming happier.
The sick role theory is described by researcher Talcott Parsons in 1951 as a “way of
explaining the particular rights and responsibilities of those who are ill” 3. So the
individuals who are diagnosed with a medical condition cannot always fulfil the same
duties that a person in good health can, society has to be able to adapt to this
situation and has to allow a reasonable amount of deviation from behaviour that
would be viewed as typical of a well person. Even though the individual is off work,
they still have the responsibility to get better through seeking professional help as
well as trying to improve their condition personally e.g. through having a healthy
diet. They have the responsibility to get back to work because the sick role is not
permanent, it was introduced to help people improve their condition.
1 OCR health and social care textbook
2https://laulima.hawaii.edu/access/content/user/kfrench/sociology/the%20three%20main
%20sociological%20perspectives.pdf
3 http://study.com/academy/lesson/sick-role-theory-in-sociology-definition-lesson-quiz.html
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller sheonathomas. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £6.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
77973 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now