Impact of Sociological Theories, Essay Example

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), “Sociologists study society and social behavior by examining the groups, cultures, organizations, social institutions, and processes that people develop.” Additionally, Sociologists derive fundamental concepts from these studies which enable them to develop a sociological framework, based on theoretical perspectives, for answering specific questions about society (Calhoun, Gerteis, Moody, Pfaff, Schmidt, & Virk, 2002).

These perspectives make up three primary sociological theories: 1) Functionalism, 2) Conflict, and 3) Interactionism. These theories give understanding and insight into human behavior and how it is shaped by social influences, particularly when it relates to shared social issues such as healthcare. This essay evaluates the impact of functionalism, conflict, and interactionism on healthcare and their influence on society and social human behavior.

Functionalism and Healthcare

Functionalism, as it relates to sociology, deals with how relational parts of society adapt. Princeton.edu (n.d.) states societal functionalism is a structural system with interrelated parts such as social norms, customs, traditions and institutions like healthcare. Each part of society contributes to how cohesively society functions. Sociologist, Herbert Spencer, equates parts of society to parts of the human body and uses the analogy that each part of society is integral in the proper functioning of society, just like each part of the human body works to keep the body functioning (Princeton.edu, n.d.).

In terms of its impact on healthcare, functionalism serves as a means by which the people who make up a society can reach a consensus on controlling healthcare so that healthcare issues do not threaten how society functions.

Conflict and Healthcare

As suggested by Plunkett & Williams (n.d.), the conflict theory deals with how certain connected groups of people disagree with other groups of people. Competition and power issues associated with wealth and the upper class are an example of how specific groups cause conflict in society.

According to Liu (2010), conflict impacts healthcare according to social status. Lower class individuals and families often have an unfair apportionment of healthcare opportunities because they lack the resources to pay the high costs of healthcare. Many wealthy and upper class groups consider healthcare to be a privilege of having a high level of income. This creates a conflict in society because lower class groups feel that healthcare should be a right for everyone instead of just for the financially privileged.

Interactionism and Healthcare

Interactionism is a perspective that takes into consideration how people interact with each other via the use of symbols. People interpret the world based on what is meaningful to them. This can be interpreted as people’s value perceptions influencing social reality and is manifested through experiences that people create as they interact with each other and the world around them (Tower, Rowe, & Wallis, 2012).

As it relates to healthcare, interactionism is interpretive, and Tower, Rowe, & Wallis (2012) states in order to understand how patients interact with the healthcare system, it is important for healthcare providers to put themselves in the patients’ shoes and try to understand the patients’ healthcare experiences.

Conclusion

It is evident that healthcare issues arising from society directly relates to social human behavior within the frameworks of the primary sociological theories of functionalism, conflict and interactionism. These theories encompass how people interact within various social institutions and relationships. Sociology is the study of these behaviors, and the science behind the impact of how the collective behavior of organized groups of human beings develops and interacts in a structured society (Sociology, 2012).

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Sociologists. Occupational Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/sociologists.htm

Calhoun, C., Gerteis, J., Moody, J., Pfaff, S., Schmidt, K., & Virk, I. (2002). Classical Sociological Theory. John Wiley & Sons.

Liu, William Ming (2010). Social Class and Classism in the Helping Professions: Research, Theory, and Practice. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=4IbVbxXisUgC&pg=PA29

Plunkett, S. & Williams, S. (n.d.). “CONFLICT THEORY.” Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~whw2380/542/Conflict%20theory.htm

Princeton.edu. (2012). Functionalism (sociology). Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Functionalism_(sociology).html

Sociology (2012). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sociology

Tower, M., Rowe, J., & Wallis, M. (2012). Investigating patients’ experiences: methodological usefulness of interpretive interactionism. Nurse Researcher. 20(1), pp. 39-44.