Health in the Social Context
1. Thinking Sociologically
Introduction
Streetlight effect: someone who lost their car keys on a dark street; however, they move from where they lost their
keys towards to end of the street, thinking the little bit of light would help them.
We search for answers in areas we are best vested in, like biophysical processes and individual risk factors, and
GENERALLY fail to look for underlying social factors and determinants that shape health and disease.
Shifting to thinking about health, disease, and disability to including the social nature of health determinants. The
rise of chronic and lifestyle-related conditions and the multiple factors that cause their onset, accompanied by a
demographic transition affecting their age structure of populations.
Biomedical Model (understands health, disease, and disability with solely biological context)
SA’s increase in Psycho-socio-environmental model (emphasises the role of people’s behaviour on social context in
diseases like
determining their health status and disease outcome: additional dimension of understanding disease
HIV/AIDS and TB
warranted us to etc)
deliver
comprehensive More chronic diseases
service delivery. Intro of various medical technologies to prevent and treat infections.
Into of public health measures led to increase in life expectancy
Aging population- considerable number of people suffer specifically from chronic illnesses.
Changing causes of diseases:
More complex and multifaceted
Shift from monocausal model of disease to multicausal model as diseases are caused by various
interrelated factors.
Understanding this allows health care workers to gain skills needed to address the social, physical, and
psychological needs of patients.
Understanding the physio, social and psycho factors on diff stages of disease- risk, development, treatment,
and outcome
Social factors help explain differential distribution of a disease in a particular population and why some groups have
a greater risk for a specific disease.
Psycho-social-environmental model
Biomedical Model
, Biomedical Model Psycho-socio-environmental Model
Nature and Biological factors (germ theory) Psycho-social, environmental factors (including behaviours
cause of and context)
diseases
Main Patients body (passive, Multi-pronged approach (physical, social, environmental,
Response receptive to expert scientific cultural, economic factors)
treatment)
Nature of Depends on medical Health promotion and well-being maintenance
intervention knowledge and skills to heal
diseased body. Rehabilitation
Curative
Role of Medical technologies Recognises need for socio-environmental, behavioural
medicine contribution to eradicating changes.
medical conditions
People’s active participation in lifestyle changes, health
maintenance
Microscopic perspective Macroscopic perspective
Medical scientists Social Scientists
-two models are two ways of analysing and understanding health, disease, and illness
-complementary models
- PSE expands understanding of health and disease, highlight’s role of health professionals and social
scientists in the medical field
-BM reflects comprehensive approach to health and disease – commonly informs HP training
- broader understanding will contribute to health promotion, enhanced treatment modalities, improved
rehabilitation processes and health statuses
Comprehensive care, multidisciplinary approach, and teamwork:
Comprehensive care includes patient’s physical, psychological, and social well-being.
Interacting with different disciplines requires insight into and understanding SOCIAL CONTEXT
Psychological and sociological factors in the aetiology, development, and treatment of disease
Growing awareness of the importance of psychological and sociological factors and role they play in diff
stages of disease process (from aetiology, development, and treatment to outcome)
Introduction to sociological thinking
Sociology is…
The study of societies- social institutions, groups, relations changes over place and time
Social interaction- individuals and groups or amongst groups
Not focused on individuals but interaction w social environment
Society refers to…
