Provide a basic insight into the main features of sociology and health, socialization and different institutions of society. ~ Dr Manju Antil (Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist)

Sociology and Health

The sociology of health, also called the sociology of health and illness, wellness, or medicine, studies the relationship between society and health. It applies sociological theories and methods to analyze how social factors influence health issues, medical institutions, and health policies. It also examines how health and illness affect social life, such as family, work, religion, and consumption. It challenges the idea that health and illness are only biological or individual phenomena, and instead shows that they are social constructs and experiences¹.

Some of the key concepts and perspectives in the sociology of health are:

Health: Health is a state of complete well‐being: physical, mental, and emotional. This definition emphasizes the importance of being more than disease free and recognizes that a healthy body depends upon a healthy environment and a stable mind².

Medicine: Medicine is the social institution that diagnoses, treats, and prevents disease. To accomplish these tasks, medicine depends upon most other sciences—including life and earth sciences, chemistry, physics, and engineering².

Preventive medicine: Preventive medicine is a more recent approach to medicine, which emphasizes health habits that prevent disease, including eating a healthier diet, getting adequate exercise, and ensuring a safe environment².

The sick role: The sick role is the social definition of, the behaviour of, and the behaviour toward those whom society defines as ill. Parsons identified four components to the sick role: (1) The sick person is not held responsible for being sick; (2) The sick person is not responsible for normal duties; (3) The sick person is not supposed to like the role; (4) The sick person is supposed to seek help to get out of the role².

Social inequalities in health: Social inequalities in health refer to the systematic differences in health status or access to health care among different social groups, such as class, gender, ethnicity, race, age, disability, etc. Sociologists explore the causes and consequences of these inequalities, as well as the possible ways to reduce them³.

Social construction of health and illness: Social construction of health and illness refers to the idea that health and illness are not objective or natural phenomena, but rather products of social definitions and meanings. For example, what counts as a disease or a disorder may vary across cultures and historical periods. Similarly, how people experience and cope with their health conditions may depend on their social identities and contexts⁴.

Socialization and Different Institutions of Society

Socialization is the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, beliefs, skills, roles, and behaviours that are expected of them in a given society or group. Socialization occurs throughout one's lifespan and involves various agents or sources of influence. Some of the major agents of socialization are:

Family: The family is the primary agent of socialization for most people. It teaches children how to behave and interact with others. It also provides emotional support, material resources, cultural heritage, and social identity⁵.

Education: Education is another important agent of socialization. It exposes children to different knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and perspectives. It also prepares them for their future roles in society as workers, citizens, consumers, etc⁵.

Religion: Religion is another agent of socialization that plays a significant role in many societies. It influences people's moral values, worldviews, rituals, practices, and sense of belonging. It also provides guidance on how to cope with life's challenges and uncertainties⁵.

Government: The government is another agent of socialization that plays a vital role in society. It regulates people's behavior through laws, rules, policies, and sanctions. It also shapes people's political attitudes, opinions, participation, and identity⁵.

Media: The media contributes to socialization by inundating us with messages about norms and expectations. It also informs us about current events, issues, trends, and cultures. It can influence our attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors⁵.

In addition to these agents of socialization, there are also various social institutions that organize important aspects of societal life. Some of the major social institutions are:

A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption | To provide emotional, material, and social support; to reproduce and socialize children; to regulate sexual behavior | Education | A system of formal learning that transmits knowledge, skills, values, and norms | To prepare individuals for their future roles in society; to promote social mobility; to foster social integration | Religion | A system of beliefs, practices, and rituals that involves the sacred or supernatural | To provide meaning and purpose to life; to regulate moral behavior; to offer comfort and hope; to foster social cohesion || Government | A system of political authority that makes and enforces rules and decisions for a society | To maintain order and security; to provide public goods and services; to protect rights and interests; to resolve conflicts | | Economy | A system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services | To allocate resources and satisfy human needs and wants; to create wealth and income; to regulate markets and trade |

¹: [Health: Sociology, Perspective & Importance | StudySmarter](https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/social-studies/health/)

²: [Sociological Perspective on Health - CliffsNotes](https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/health-and-medicine/sociological-perspective-on-health)

³: [Sociology and Health | SpringerLink](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-2149-9_7)

⁴: [Sociology of Health and Illness - ThoughtCo](https://www.thoughtco.com/sociology-of-health-and-illness-3026283)

⁵: [5.3 Agents of Socialization - Introduction to Sociology 3e | OpenStax](https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/5-3-agents-of-socialization)

Source:

(1) Health: Sociology, Perspective & Importance | StudySmarter. https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/social-studies/health/.

(2) Sociology and Health | SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-2149-9_7.

(3) Sociological Perspective on Health - CliffsNotes. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/health-and-medicine/sociological-perspective-on-health.

(4) Sociology of health and illness - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_health_and_illness.

(5) Sociology of Health and Illness - ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/sociology-of-health-and-illness-3026283.

(6) 5.3 Agents of Socialization - Introduction to Sociology 3e - OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/5-3-agents-of-socialization.

(7) Social institutions: Definition, Characteristics, Types, Examples. https://www.sociologygroup.com/social-institutions/.

(8) Social Institutions in Sociology: Definition & Examples. https://simplysociology.com/social-institution.html.

(9) What Are Social Institutions: 5 Most Important Institutions. https://icytales.com/what-are-social-institutions/.