Foundation degree in care studies week one. Sociological Perspectives

To understand the key views of ill health Sociological Perspectives Learning Objective: To understand the key views of ill health

Sociological Perspectives Illness is experienced by an individual. You are not able to feel what another person is feeling. It is their own experience.

Sociological Perspectives Therefore, illness is a subjective feeling. It is associated with changes in the body, expressed as pain or discomfort.

Sociological Perspectives If you decide to see a doctor, you will describe these feelings, then the doctor will check the areas for signs of abnormality, eg: swelling, raised temperature.

Sociological Perspectives If these abnormalities are found, a diagnosis is made. On which sociological model you have studied for Task 1 is this diagnosis made?

Sociological Perspectives Have you heard of the term “Man Flu?” This is an example of perceived differences in the experience of illness.

Sociological Perspectives Models of disability provide a framework for understanding the way in which people with impairments experience disability.

Sociological Perspectives They also provide a reference for society as laws, regulations and structures are developed that impact on the lives of disabled people.

Sociological Perspectives There are two main models that have influenced modern thinking about disability: the medical model and the social model.

Sociological Perspectives In the medical model, disabled people are seen as the problem.

Sociological Perspectives They need to change and adapt to circumstances (if they can), and there is no suggestion that society needs to change.

Sociological Perspectives This model reflects the World Health Organization definition of disability.

Sociological Perspectives The social model has been developed by disabled people.

Sociological Perspectives In their view disability is caused by the barriers that exist within society and the way society is organised, which discriminates against people with impairments and excludes them from involvement and participation.

Sociological Perspectives This model reflects the UPIAS definition of disability.

Sociological Perspectives Our society often considers disability to be a tragedy for the individual and a burden for the family and society.

Sociological Perspectives This is based on an individual or medical approach to disability. This model focuses on the lack of physical, sensory or mental functioning, and uses a clinical way of describing an individual's disability.

Sociological Perspectives There are certain 'norms' in development and in functioning against which the person is judged. This model leads to a dehumanising view, where only the nature and severity of the impairment is important, together with the extent to which the difference can be put right or minimised. Which sociological model does this remind you of?

Sociological Perspectives It defines and categorises disabled people by their impairment, and it casts the individual as the victim or problem.

Sociological Perspectives

Sociological Perspectives Many disabled people have rejected this model. They say it has led to low self-esteem, undeveloped life skills, poor education and consequent high unemployment levels.

Sociological Perspectives It has also resulted in the segregation of disabled people, thus breaking natural relationships with their families, communities and society as a whole.

Sociological Perspectives Disabled people have arrived at a different model to help understand the situation. They are challenging people to give up the idea that disability is a medical problem requiring "treatment", but to understand instead that disability is a problem of exclusion from ordinary life.

Sociological Perspectives

Sociological Perspectives The social model locates the "problem" outside the disabled person and therefore offers a more positive approach because:

Sociological Perspectives It doesn't "blame" the individual or turn them into the problem

Sociological Perspectives It doesn't "blame" the individual or turn them into the problem It involves everyone in identifying solutions

Sociological Perspectives It doesn't "blame" the individual or turn them into the problem It involves everyone in identifying solutions It encourages co-operative problem solving

Sociological Perspectives It doesn't "blame" the individual or turn them into the problem It involves everyone in identifying solutions It encourages co-operative problem solving It removes barriers for others as well as disabled people, that is, it is an equal opportunities model

Sociological Perspectives It doesn't "blame" the individual or turn them into the problem It involves everyone in identifying solutions It encourages co-operative problem solving It removes barriers for others as well as disabled people, that is, it is an equal opportunities model It acknowledges disabled people's rights to full participation as citizens

Sociological Perspectives Consider the two questions below that could appear in application forms. 1- What is your impairment? Please tick one of the boxes below. 2- Do you consider yourself to be a disabled person? Which question is motivated by the medical model and which by the social model?

Sociological Perspectives The first question is medical based, as it asks about impairment and seeks to label the student by that impairment. The second question is social model based, as it is asking about identity and self-classification. Watch the following film, see how labelling can impair peoples’ functioning. Part 1 Part 2