A Brief History of Institutions The Sick Role Concept

1. A Brief History of InstitutionsThe Sick Role Concept

2. What is a Social Institution? • Definition: group of persons banded together for common purposes and having rights, privileges, responsibilities, etc., that are independent from those of individual members. • Community Service Organizations • Educational Institutions • Health Care Institutions JCD/REC

3. Why Do They Exist? • Historically, to help maintain the status quo. • Public Schools • Prisons • Hospitals/clinics • Today? • Some maintain society; some challenge society JCD/REC

4. What Purpose Do They Serve • What do you think? What purpose do the following organizations serve? What are they supposed to do? • Public education • Prisons • Health care facilities JCD/REC

5. Structural-Functionalist Theory • A group of researchers, many of whom were sociologists, whose understanding of American society focused on how society maintains the status quo of the society. JCD/REC

6. Talcott Parsons (1950s) • Looked at illness as a social phenomenon • Illness is a deviation from expected behavior and prevents individuals from fulfilling their normal role responsibilities • What are role responsibilities? • Therefore, illness is a different role that we play. JCD/REC

7. The Sick Role • The Sick Role is a temporary role we take on when we are ill. • We are not held responsible for the fact that we are ill and/or unable to do what we normally do. • Characterized by Rights and Responsibilities: • Rights: things you are allowed to do because you are ill and can’t do what you normally do. • Responsibilities: things you must do because you are ill and, therefore, deviant. (Obligations) JCD/REC

8. Rights • Exempt from “normal” social roles • Depends on the nature and the severity of the illness. • TEMPORARY • Not held responsible for his or her condition • Illness is beyond your control. • Malfunction that needs to be fixed JCD/REC

9. Obligations/Responsibilities • Must try to get well. • Must view being sick as undesirable • Must seek competent medical help and cooperate with treatment regimen. • To Parsons, this meant going to a physician, and only a physician. JCD/REC

10. Problems with the Sick Role • Are all illnesses temporary? • Doesn’t apply very well to chronic illnesses or emotional health issues. • Are all illnesses completely not the individual’s fault? • What about addictions? • What about exercise, alcohol, smoking, diet, etc. choices? • Grounded in middle class values • Does everyone have the same values? • Bottom line: patient is passive and just follows the physician’s instructions. No accountability. JCD/REC

11. Freidson’s Sociological Types of Illness • Adds labeling theory to the mix • 3 key variables: • Responsibility of the person for their illness • Seriousness of the illness • How much does it interfere with your life? • Legitimacy • How does society view your illness? • Do you deserve a break today? JCD/REC

12. Perceived Legitimacy • Conditional legitimacy: Yes, you deserve a break, but it is time-limited. • Unconditional legitimacy: Yes, you get a permanent break, because your condition isn’t going away. • Illegitimate: No breaks. Your condition doesn’t merit any breaks • STIGMA: treated badly by society. Not a full citizen? JCD/REC

13. Exemptions, Privileges & Obligations • Exemptions: things you don’t have to do because you are sick • Privileges: Things you get to do because you are sick that you wouldn’t normally be allowed to do. • Obligations: responsibilities you have because you are sick JCD/REC

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