Please explore what is meant by the terms social model and medical model. Describe an aspect of sociological theory and explore how it impacts and influences the delivery of Health and Social Care.

In this essay, the terms social model and medical model will be explored. Then, aspects of sociological theory and how it influences the delivery of health and social care will be explored

Health is difficult to define but fairly easy to spot when we actually see it. According to the World Health Organisation:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)

There are two main models of health which reflect very different …show more content…

It is a structural theory and is the most influential and widely known version of conflict theory, focusing on the conflicts of social groups within society
The social model of health looks at how society and our environment affect our everyday health and well-being, and includes factors such as social class, occupation, education, income and poverty, poor housing, poor diet, and pollution. For example, the affects that poverty and wealth have on illness and health, can be seen when we look at the crude life expectancy figures that indicate population health and actually mask significant health inequalities among social groups within a country (Germov 2005). The gap between rich and poor, or the connections between social

In opposition to functionalism, when society exists in a state of balance and stability, conflict theory says that society is better described as existing in a state of constant struggle and conflict between two groups. Conflict theory has been growing it popularity since the late 1960s. Many social and economical problems such as, civil rights movements, and political battles, have given prime examples of the conflict between the two groups, reinforcing conflict theory.
Carl Marx was a very important contributor to conflict theory. Marx says there is a constant struggle between the haves, and the have-nots. In a capitalistic society, groups interact in a destructive way. They do this by the more