Updated november 14, 2018 the sick role is a theory in medical sociology that was developed by talcott parsons. Sick role is a term used in medical sociology regarding sickness and the rights and obligations of the affected. Being sick is not a state of fact or condition it is a specifically patterned social role. Parsons is known in the field of sociology mostly for his theory of social action. The functionalist perspective social sci libretexts. Briefly, parsons model suggests that at the onset of illness sick people should adopt the sick role. The parsons sick role is influential in medical sociology and it was a good idea for many researches. In parsons definition, the sick person had two rights and two. The sick role concept was introduced by the us sociologist, talcott parsons, in a book and an article in 1951, when he made it part of his general sociological theory of structural functionalism.
Here, insights from social networks theory are offered as explanation for these discrepa. Talcott parsons, different theories of social action. Individual may not comply with expectations of the sick role, may not give up social obligations, may resist dependency, may avoid public sick role if their illness is stigmatised. In parsons definition, the sick person had two rights and two duties to fulfill. The sick role is widely accepted as an historically adequate account of normative expectations around. Sociologists are very interested in the structure and function of society, and people who are sick or disabled play an interesting social role. The social construction of health introduction to sociology. Parsons was a functionalist sociologist, who argued that being sick means that the sufferer enters a role of sanctioned deviance.
Both developments delimit the medical system so that it extends into the world of health, fundamentally changing the doctorpatient relationship. Keywords chronic illness, health promotion, medicalization, medical sociology, parsons, sick role, social theory the sick role still is one of the most frequently invoked of parsons concepts. Psychiatric sick role in his original conceptualization, par. Parsons sociology of health focused on the manifest functions of the sick role in contributing to the social stability and health of society. Pdf parsons sick role concept has become problematic in the face of the increased significance of chronic illnesses and the growing. The fourth paper in the sociology series examines the work of the american talcott parsons. Background of the sick role concept the sick role, one of the most fundamental concepts in medical sociology, was first introduced by talcott parsons in a 1948 journal article but elaborated in his 1951 book, the social system. Varul 2010 states that parsons notion of the sick role was widely accepted as a historically adequate account of normative expectations around illness in the middle of the 20th century p. Parsons was not interested in illness as a bodily state, but focused rather on the regulation of the social roles involved, and there is an implicit assumption that dd 24 10122011 2.
The chapter then discusses three classical and substantive theories of functionalism in medical sociology, including the sick role by talcott parsons. In 1951, talcott parsons introduced his own concepts of the sick role in his book the social system. Jul 05, 2010 parsons sick role concept has become problematic in the face of the increased significance of chronic illnesses and the growing emphasis on lifestylecentred health promotion. The sick role and perceptions of disability this aint livin. His work is concerned with a general theoretical system for the analysis of society rather than with narrower empirical studies. Sociological perspectives on health and illness boundless. Parsons argued that sickness is a special form of deviant behaviour separate from other forms such as crime. The sick role developed by talcott parsons parsons, 1951 is an early but pervading sociological approach aiming to explain on how society deals with sick. The concept of the sick role was first introduced in 1951 by talcott parsons. The term was coined by researcher talcott parsons in the early 1950s. This is to build a theoretical model of how an institution should ideally be run. It is, however, mainly used as a negative referent shilling, 2002. The life of talcott parsons and his influence on sociology.
Parsons 1951 sick role concept has had a profound impact on the study of sickness as a social phenomenon. Nov 14, 2018 updated november 14, 2018 the sick role is a theory in medical sociology that was developed by talcott parsons. An american sociologist named talcott parsons worked in the field of social action theories. The sick role and the role of the physician reconsidered.
He argues that being sick means that the sufferer enters a role of sanctioned deviance. Talcott parsons, the sick role and chronic illness open research. The concept of the sick role was originally formulated over half a century ago in the work of american sociologist talcott parsons 1951. He was one of the most influential sociologists during his time. While parsons recognized that health and illness have a biological basis, his account contributed to the early development of medical sociology by underscoring the sociological implications of illness. Oct 18, 20 as late as 2005, british sociologist simon j. Furthermore, parsons believed that the cause illnesses is due to the exposure of infection or injury. In response to these the paper first discusses the relation of the sick role to deviant. Donielle lovell department of sociology western kentucky university although talcott parsons s sick role theory, as described in 1951 in the social. Jan 19, 2014 parsons argued that the best way to understand illness sociologically is to view it as a form of deviance which disturbs the social function of society general idea is that the individual who has fallen ill is not physically sick but now adheres to the specifically patterned social role of being sick. Apr 11, 2021 a concept popularized by talcott parsons. Although research supports the stigma and labeling perspective, empirical evidence also indicates that a social safety net remains intact for those with mental illness, recalling the classic sick role concept. February 16, 2021 the term sick role, refers to the behaviors of ill people as well as the people around them.
Parsons sick role mechanism model was devised on this basis, in. Illness, according to parsons, disrupts normal life function and relationships and is. Jul 30, 2019 this study revisited the sick role theory and proposed that the doctorpatient dyadic system be expanded to include state as a major actor to extend the applicability of the theory to other political systems. Jan 17, 2016 parson sick role sociology bibliographies in harvard style. Pdf talcott parsons, the sick role and chronic illness. Feb 02, 2010 i was recently introduced to the concept of the sick role, something which has been rattling around in sociology since 1951, when it was discussed by talcott parsons. Parsons argued that the best way to understand illness sociologically is to view it as a form of deviance that disturbs the social. Talcott parsons, an american sociologist, introduced max weber to american sociology and became himself the leading theorist of american sociology after world war ii. The sick role the sick role relates to structural constraints that define the expected behavior of a sick person, transcending personalities and attitudes. Parsons therefore devised the sick role mechanism of how ideally a doctor and patient should interrelate. May 06, 2019 talcott parsons played a major role in developing several important sociological theories. He argued in the social system, 1951 that whilst disease involves bodily dysfunction, being sick that is, being identified and accepted as illis a role governed by social expectations, of which he listed four. His legacy and the sociology of health and illness.
In the 1950s, a founding father of medical sociology, talcott parsons, described illness as deviance as health is generally necessary for a. Parsons sick role concept has become problematic in the face of the increased. There have been a number of criticisms of the sick role. Another important criticism of parsons idealized sick role is the presumption of its universality. The sick role still is one of the most frequently invoked of parsons concepts. Talcott parsons developed this concept further and described the sick role in his 1951 work, the social system. Parsons analysis of illness as social deviance, and the sick role as a socially prescribed mechanism for channelling and controlling this deviance, is a key point of reference in the history of medical sociology, and a staple part of the diet that students of medical. Four turning points since parsons are then discussed. The first major theory within sociology that analysed the role of health and illness in social life was devised by the functionalist theorist talcott parsons 1951 in. Death of the sick role social history of medicine oxford.
Talcott parsons s concept of the sick role is a pivotal event in medical sociology, helping to transform the field in the 1950s from an applied focus toward an embrace of theory that helped solidify its academic orientation. Up until this time, medical sociology was largely atheoretical and loosely organized as a sociological subdiscipline. In sociology, the sick role is a term used to describe the social behaviors exhibited both by people who are sick and the people around them. Therefore this deviance needs to be policed, which is the role of the medical profession. Parsons was also influenced by a method of analysis used by weber, that of the ideal type model. Pdf the sick role and the role of the physician reconsidered. Paper presented at world congress of sociology, toronto. Lines of reconstruction and extension in the parsonian sociology of illness. The sickrole model of parsons, with its professionalist bias, and with its underlying notion of illness as deviance, has been vulnerable to sustained. It is a concept created by american sociologist talcott parsons in 1951.
The sick role is a concept that concerns the social aspects of becoming ill and the privileges and obligations that come with it. Rehabilitating the sick role the university of sydney. This is because, from a functionalist perspective, a sick individual is not a productive member of society. He was welcomed into this world on th december 1902 and passed away on 8th may 1979. There is little doubt that talcott parsons is amajor figure in the development of. His theory of the sick role was developed in association with psychoanalysis. Action is a process in the actorsituation system which has motivational significance to the individual actor or in the case of collectively, its component individuals. Talcott parsonss 190278 concept of the sick role is a pivotal event in medical sociology. Talcott parsons, american sociologist and scholar whose theory of social action influenced the intellectual bases of several disciplines of modern sociology. Within this mechanism, ill people and doctors had to abide by a number of rights and obligations attached to their respective roles in order to keep entry into the sick role tightly monitored.
There are it sociology should contribute to if not play the many theoretical approaches and as a result key role in a rational reconstruction of society many theories functionalism, marxism, sym for the benefit of all humanity now seems further bolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, post away than ever. The concept of the sick role as a means of understanding the effects of ill health, which he proposed, is critically examined here. Parson sick role sociology bibliographies cite this for me. Parsons offers one of the earliest formulations of the socio. His structure of social action 1937 is a detailed comparison of alfred marshall, emile durkheim, max weber, and vilfredo pareto. His work has particular relevance to the sociology of health and illness. Parsons saw the sick role as a form of deviance, or going against societal expectations, because an ill person has different patterns of behavior than the norm. Talcott parsons and the theory of the sick role kent. Role expectations are at the heart of what was once the most influential schema in the sociology of medicine, that of talcott parsons. Rooted in the assumption that illness and disease impede both physiological and psychological abilities, sick individuals are automatically relieved of all normal expectations and responsibilities. Parsons, professions and the sociology of health care.
Parsons sick role concept has become problematic in the face of the increased significance of chronic illnesses and the growing emphasis on lifestylecentred health promotion. A look at illness behavior using parsons sick role angela byrd december 20 64 pages directed by. It is, however, mainly used as a negative referent shilling,2002. Although talcott parsonss sick role theory, as described in 1951 in the social. Talcot parsons and the sick role parsons was a functionalist sociologist who introduced the sick role.
His explanations of the demands and function of the sick role and its implications for the doctorpatient relationship and discussion of the social aspects of the institution of medicine as a profession were influential in the sociologyof health and illness in the 1950s and 1960s. Why sociologists abandoned the sick role concept john c. First, his theory of the sick role in medical sociology was developed in association with psychoanalysis. Jan 10th thinking sociologically about health illness and. Merton and his colleagues 1957 extended the structural functionalist mode of analysis to the socialization of medical students, with renee foxs paper on training for uncertainty ranking as a major contribution. Analysis of the sick role by talcott parsons 1207 words. From sick role to practices of health and illness pendidikan. Parsons was a functionalist sociologist who argued that being sick means that the sufferer enters a role of sanctioned deviance. He viewed the state a sickness as a disturbance in the normal, both biologically and sociologically in the condition of human being.
This analytical approach is the basis for parsons s theory of the sick role a central concept in medical sociology. However, at the time, in the 1950s, when parsons formulated his concept, func tionalism was the leading theoretical perspective in all of sociology, including medi cal sociology. Talcott parsons, the sick role and chronic illness matthias. I argue that state not only exercises coercive power in the social control mechanism, but also practices persuasion in the socialisation mechanism. The sick role, one of the most fundamental concepts in medical sociology, was first introduced by talcott parsons in a 1948 journal article but elaborated in his 1951 book, the social system.
Cockerham chapter 8 and 9 chapter 8 the sick role 187. Mar 23, 2016 however, a patient has the responsibility to make getting well a priority and responsibility to seek appropriate treatment and cooperating with medical experts. The next major area of research after parsons developed his sick role concept was medical education. The sick role might be better conceived as a set of illness attitudes and careseeking. One of the most widelyaccepted sociological attempts to define the place of the patient in modern health care was that of talcott parsons, the prominent american. It is a concept created by the american sociologist talcott parsons in 1951.
Yet, w hil e healt h is vital for the economic system, the anomie of illness is c. The sick role was first suggested as a concept of a patients behavior by talcott parsons in 1951. Illness behavior and the sick role aamu medical sociology. This model assumes that the individual voluntarily accepts the sick role.
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