Comparing and Contrasting Sociological Perspectives of Health and Illness

1. Understand different sociological perspectives 'health' and 'illness'

1.1. Compare and contrast differing sociological perspectives of health and illness

Perspective

Similarities  

Differences  

Marxist approach to health and illness

The main similarity which lies between the Marxist and the functionalist approach is the structural way in which both forms their understanding of society. Society is considered as the basic tenet on which mechanism is built and hence are above any form of individuality. It implies the social organization and institutional norms matter more than any individuals and needs to be maintained without any deviations ( Moncrieff 2018, pp. 54). The deviation, in this case, comes in the form of responsibility on each member of the society to maintain their health and to ensure that they understand their role and function within. Hence, sickness is considered as an entity that plays against the stability of the society and shows the emergence of other social elements such as capital loss as well social loss.   

The main difference observed between the Marxist and the functionalist approach is the way in which health and ill-health are assumed to impact the way in which it influences an indivdiuals' role and function in society. In the functionalist approach, it is the role of the sick individual to access medical facility and to help themselves gain stable health so as to be able to perform their social function ( Varul 2010, pp. 78). In contrast, the Marxist approach shows that the sick person invokes the role of other class in the society whose operation lies in helping them regain their health so that they are sent back to the workforce. The role of the workforce and the way in which they are controlled by the bourgeoisie class through their control over doctors and medicine sector through which they decide how and what falls in the category of illness. It is considered as the basis on which they are differentiated.

Functionalist approach to health and illness

The second similarity which is found between the functionalist and the Marxist approach is the consideration of sickness as deviation, which exempts the sick from the social role and leaves a gap that creates a gap. Hence, the emerging social entities such as the role of medicine, doctor, healthcare workers are evoked. Hence, falling sick becomes an important component through which one stays in the mechanism. The functionalist approach reveals the way in which the sick plays the role of connecting other social entities, while the Marxist approach allows the connection between the social and the economic component ( Varul 2010, pp. 75). The similarity lies in the way sickness and illness is viewed in the form of abnormality, which is brought back with the help of social elements.

The second difference can be seen in the way the societal structure is considered and how their mechanism is directed through social entities ( Moncrieff 2018, pp. 52). The control which is proposed by the Marxist theory addresses how living condition impacts mortality rate and general health, but it also addresses the way in which chronic illness brings instability in individual's life irrespective of their class. But the functionalist approach fails to address long-term illness and the sick role, where the individual's status of being a deviant does not imply.