Introduction
I used to think that getting and maintaining health and wellness is just a personal matter. I did not totally recognize that it is a structural goal in any society. It makes sense to me while I grasped the topic in Chapter 2 of the Sociological Perspectives on Health and Health Care by Ivy Lynn Bourgeault (Raphael, Bryant & Rioux, 2006). It made me realize why the state is concerned with the health and well being of the people and why it promotes good health. Good health is actually linked with not just the sociological and political aspects of society. It is very well linked with the economic performance of a country. Hence, the topic of structural functionalism, as described in Chapter 2, really enlightened me on the said topic.
Medical or health sociology is a very interesting topic because I am well aware of the concept in its totality (Raphael, Bryant & Rioux, 2006). Health and wellness is a social thing; it is not just rooted in the physical bodies of an individual. Thus, when one is ill, society frowns at the situation. Medical help is given urgently and people wish and expect people to get well sooner than later. This topic includes varied issues like the health care of the government, the doctor-patient relationship, behavior of a sick person, stress and coping mechanisms, the social distribution of health, medical professionalism, health care policy, and public health (Phellas, 2010).
The social views on sickness are very diverse topic. It is also well rooted in the cultural beliefs of the people. Hence, one disease such as cancer may be conceived as a deadly disease in one social group while it may be a natural disease in another cultural community (or they may a totally different idea of what cancer is about). Another concept which is rooted on sociological belief is the concept of euthanasia. While it may be accepted in advances, western societies, it may still be considered as a sin in another society.
Reflections
Structural functionalism suggests that the collective norms and values are important to society in order for it to function effectively as a whole. It treats medicine as a social institution that has an integral part in ensuring the stability of society. Structuralism also organizes the way that people’s behavior is arranged according to social rules and norms. On the other hand, functionalism holds the positive functionality of each parts of the social system like health or medicine. In modern perspective, structural functionalism is useful in understanding the issues related to welfare states and how medical systems and health care policies hold the society together.
The issue of health and wellness is very well explained by the leadership which the state and its institutions are providing. Structural functionalism, as defined and discussed in the second chapter, depicted the issue with its various linkages to several social aspects that cannot be denied. For instance, it is linked with how the government arranges the health care system in the society and how it sees to it that the ill and the invalid are treated and made back to normalcy. It is also very important to explain the structure and the functions of medicine in society because medicine is not a sole scientific matter. In fact, it is interesting to note that many diseases in traditional societies find its cure in non-scientific ways. I really find it very fascinating. I believe that if mankind can only unlock the crucial balance between the health and wellness, incorporating both sociological, medical and anthropological methods and practices in medicine, the world may be relieved on even the most terminal diseases.
Because men view medicine and health in different perspective, there are many ways by which the structural functionalism helps in understanding the function of social beliefs and norms in healing and treatment. The structural functionalism theory allows us to comprehend the richness and diversity of health. This theory also helps us appreciate the field of medical/health sociology. By knowing how society and its agencies are related to our health and our protection, we may begin to understand how various medical institutions and agencies work. We may appreciate it better or point out its flaws. We may also determine the most possible solutions for our present health and wellness problems.
As explained in the book, the structural functional theory approaches medicine with how different societies create or develop their own collective belief systems and practices in health care and well being. It also explains how its members are socially bound by norms and values which guide the way they treat and consider ill people. This makes sense in governing societal practices of health problems such as drug addiction or AIDS problems. The way society reacts, in turn, regulate society and develop a sense of oneness in tackling the problems and concerns at a given time frame.
With these insights and learning, I now conceive the health as a function of an advanced society. I now believe that the more advanced the social structures in one society, especially in health care practices, the more sophisticated is its perception of wellness and health.
Recommendations
Given that the sociological perspective aims to promote stability in health and the general society, the policy changes which I deem necessary to the improvement of the Canadian health policy is primarily on its resources. Just like the problems in the American health system, the allocation of resources is a crucial point in medicine. This includes expanding the abundant supply of resources such as financial, human, scientific and/or technological, educational, and managerial. The Canadian health sector must be reinforced in all these areas.
According to medical practitioners Dr. Schippers, Dr. Pai and Dr. Swain (2008), the health system in Canada is not “well designed for patients and they have little voice.” For instance, it is usually difficult to find a doctor or receive new medicines for critical illnesses. The health system is also very centralized. Hence, it is bureaucratic. The main interest is to maximize and utilize resources but with a systemic perspective (Schippers, Pai & Swain, 2008).
If state and its agencies want to maintain good health for all, it should maintain a comprehensive, patient focused health care. Its health features and provisions should be carefully positioned so as to be consistent with the Canada Health Act. However, the serious illnesses should have a different system altogether. This will ensure that whether the patient has a regular check up or a terminal treatment, the health care extended is satisfying and excellent. There is no service gap in the health care system.
References:
Dr. Schipper, H., Dr. Pai, M. & Dr. Swain, H. (July, 2008). Putting people first: Critical reforms for Canada’s health care system. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from, https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:6vX3HdzM7_IJ:www.globalcentres.org/publicationfiles/Schipper%2520Pai%2520Swain%25200708.pdf+&hl=en&gl=ph&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjReuoZrn5aIIdVqFUnXY1yNPodwsnd74J9zt1GAj9wqI0dNra00xW1qKHCtLlVcAEiJzQmCpePkEd75OD4yIpOVdzAE-xgKC6QglE7VB1MXRsmYDVH4Du0tYFVmIe1Xz5z3AZn&sig=AHIEtbSSIAWPc2JSjIFwpNuEqq-jjEDgGg.
Phellas, C. (2010). Sociological Perspectives of Health and Illness. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Raphael, D., Toba, B. & Rioux, M. ed. (2006). Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Health Care. Canadian Scholar’s Press: Toronto.
