Mental Illness: A Sociological Analysis

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The World Health Organisation (1948) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.", and underlined the importance of having a high standard of health, regardless of socioeconomic background (World Health Organization, 2017). This is regarded as the most popular interpretation but has been rejected for its outdated content due to the growing understandings of diseases and health (Nordqvist, 2015). Despite this, recent interpretations have a similar structure to the WHO’s definition. For example, Merriam-Webster describes health as “the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit - freedom from any physical disease or pain” (Merriam-webster.com, n.d.). …show more content…
Talcott Parsons, an american sociologist born in 1902, is one of the most influential functionalists concerned with the elements that society needs to function well (Study.com, 2014). He argued that illness is a form of deviance that disturbs the flow of society (Boundless.com, 2016). This argument agrees with functionalism in general, which considers effective medical care and good health necessary for the smooth functioning of society (2012books.lardbucket.org, 2014). n order to define and categorise illness, he created “The Sick Role” in 1951, which, from a functionalist perspective, asserts that sick individuals are not productive members of society and therefore have to be monitored by their doctors and physicians (Lawson and Garrod, 2000). Parsons argued that, in this theory, sick individuals not only need to adhere to physical boundaries, but also need to conform to the set, patterned sick role. This theory involves three conditions that need to be met in order to be able to follow the sick role. Firstly, it is important that the individual is willing to get better in order to prove that their illness is real (2012books.lardbucket.org, 2014). Secondly, they need to be able to prove that they were not responsible for their condition. For example, if the individual’s condition was caused by the consumption of unhealthy foods or exposure to dangerous situations, they will not be considered legitimately ill (Boundless.com, 2016). Thirdly, sick individuals are required to have their illness confirmed by a physician and doctor, and are expected to follow their instructions, while disobeying them will cause them to lose the right to perform the sick role (2012books.lardbucket.org, 2014). According
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