2. Unit 6: Sociological Perspectives for Health and Social Care
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technicals in Health and Social Care
Introduction to
Unit 6:
Sociological Perspectives for Health and Social Care

3. There are a number of factors that can influence your health:
Introduction
Genetics
There are a number of factors that can influence your health:
Physical Environment
Social Environment

4. Social Factors
The social factors that influence a person’s health could include:
Home
Are some groups more likely to be homeless?
Lifestyle
Are some groups in society more likely to smoke and drink?
Income
Does the amount you earn affect your life expectancy?
Race
Is there a correlation between ethnic groups, income equality and health?
Nutrition
Is there a correlation between nutrition and income equality?

5. Social Factors
Social factors can impact on an individual’s health in two main ways:
The role of the individual and their peers, eg:
Through the wider society in which the person lives and works, eg:
Individuals choose to behave in ways that are detrimental to their health.
Inequalities in access to healthcare across the country.
An individual’s peer group influencing them to smoke or take drugs.
A culture of drug and alcohol abuse.

6. Measuring the Data
How do we know that these factors are influencing an individual’s health?
We need to conduct social research to find out people’s attitudes about the impact of society on health.

7. Stigma in society may result in events not being reported at all.
Measuring the Data
But we need to be aware that:
Attitudes across different cultures may result in differences in diagnoses and results.
Stigma in society may result in events not being reported at all.
Social factors may have more or less of an impact on different groups depending on their religion, class or gender.

8. What will you learn? After completing this unit you will:
Understand sociological approaches to
health and social care
Understand key sociological perspectives

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