Throughout society there are many different sociological approaches to health and ill health. Within society there are many different perspectives towards whom the responsibility for health falls upon and also what defines people as ill? Your health is defined by the general condition of your body and mind. An illness is defined by an impairment of normal physical or mental function. To help explain the different sociological approaches to health and ill health I will be referring to the case study of Aziz and Tamsela. Aziz and Tamsela have four young children; Tamsela’s elderly parents also live with them in their three bedroomed houses in a deprived and depressing area of London. Their house is in desperate need of repair; it is damp and …show more content…

They believe that these relationships have as much influence as medical diagnosis on whether a person declares themselves as ill. In relation the Aziz and Tamsela, it is possible that they declare themselves as ill and declare their children as ill as their parents both suffer from serious illnesses.

Lastly the feminist approach focuses on the male domination in society and medical professions and how this affects the health and social care system. They are particularly concerned with the way in which pregnancy and child birth are perceived as medical issues rather than a natural process. Another issue they have been trying to combat is the issue that the medical profession and the related pharmaceutical industries have given low priority to developing a male contraceptive pill, leaving most contraceptive methods only available to women. Their main focus is the fact that many women suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Feminists see this as a result of their exploited position in society and family unit. They argue that because women now also have the pressure and expectation of working however they also still have the responsibility of running a family, this causes them great stress due to a lot of pressure from society and their families. Feminists believe that any