Podcast Beta
Questions and Answers
What is the focus of health and medicine according to the introduction?
What is health defined as?
Why is categorizing mental health as a disease difficult?
What is the implication of the subjective view of health?
Signup and view all the answers
What is normal according to the text?
Signup and view all the answers
What is abnormal?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the assumption in the concept of 'Disease as Deviance'?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the core idea behind the concept of 'Health as Balance or Homeostasis'?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the definition of health according to the 'Health as Function' concept?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the central idea behind the 'Biomedical Model'?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the 'Doctrine of Specific Etiology' in the 'Biomedical Model'?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the limitation of the 'Biomedical Model'?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the main difference between the 'Health as Balance or Homeostasis' and 'Health as Function' concepts?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the common thread among the concepts of 'Health as Balance or Homeostasis', 'Health as Function', and 'Health as State or Status'?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Health and Medicine in Social Organization
- Health and medicine are integral parts of social organization, requiring significant resources and manpower to manage and promote health systems.
- There is an emphasis on Western scientific medicine, but non-Western systems of belief need to be incorporated.
Defining Health
- Health is often defined as a normality, with illness as deviance, but normality differs for everyone, and there is no single test to prove a body is "normal".
- There is a range of normal variability, and whatever falls outside of that can be considered ill health, but the range is difficult to determine.
Health as Absence of Illness
- Historically, those who are healthy are seen as not being biologically disadvantaged, with a focus on length of life and fertility.
- Categorizing mental health as a disease has been challenging, as it doesn't fit into the reduced lifespan or fertility framework.
Normal Illness
- Health can be viewed as a subjective experience, defined by personal perception of symptoms and feelings of illness.
- Experiencing no symptoms of ill health ever is abnormal, as there is always some symptom of illness present.
- The perception of health and illness varies between individuals and depends on the circumstances.
Health as Balance or Homeostasis
- The concept of health relies on the idea of homeostasis, where the body is actively involved in developing ill health.
- Restoring normality requires internal equilibrium, which when disturbed, causes illness.
- Disease is seen as a state of discord and disturbance of function.
Health as Function
- Health can be defined as the ability to function freely, with incapacity seen as ill health.
- This definition is tricky, as it depends on individual and situational requirements, and can lead to categorizing people into fit and unfit categories.
Health as State or Status
- Health can be seen as a temporary or permanent longer-term state, but all ill health cannot be forced into dichotomous categories.
- Health is not a stock or capital that can increase or decrease.
The Biomedical Model
- The biomedical model views health as opposed to disease or illness, with an emphasis on individual habits, diet, etc.
- This model is institutionalized and embodied through law and administration.
- The biomedical model prioritizes scientific observation over subjective symptoms and relies on principles like the doctrine of specific etiology.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Exploring the role of health and medicine in social organization, including the importance of incorporating non-Western beliefs. Defining health and normality in a diverse context.
