In this section of my assignment I will be explain different sociological approaches to health and ill-health. Some sociological perspectives I will be looking at are:
Marxism
Interactionist
Feminist
Functionalist
Conflict
There are many ways which you may view health, positive health many may see that as feeling fit and being fit physically and mentally, on the other hand many view negative health is where people see a person’s health isn’t well, so they may some kind of diseases for example cancer once something like this takes up on one’s body it then affect the physical, mental, emotional and intellectual health of an individual. When we look at the holistic view, we will find that their approach is once which deals with the physical, social and spiritual health of the individual in question. The holistic tries to approach the whole needs of the person conclusively. Some may define one to be healthy if their physical, mental and social well-being is intact and their body is not infected with any sort of disease.
Marxist approach to health and ill-health
Marxist believes that the definition of health and ill-health is strong-minded by the upper class (Bourgeois). They also believe that doctors only give out there services to the upper class. The reason they believe this is because the upper classes have more power and money and can enjoy a higher standard of health. The doctors that wok are instrument who work in order to allow people get better in a timely fashion. They believe that the doctors will be working in the advantage of the employers instead of the actual patient who needs the medical care. Also they say the government allows employers and companies to make much money of the products which are the cases of the ill health of the patients such as tobacco, tobacco companies cause cancer by selling cigarettes and this could also lead to other health conditions also alcohol that could cause someone to become an alcoholic and could cause other health conditions or chemical companies because some companies causes air and water pollution. Company’s work in order to give these products life which people buy and then fall sick as a result of like cars which enforce pollution.
The government doesn’t spend enough money on trying to tackle main causes of ill-health for example poor housing, poverty. Health and ill-health has to be viewed as a social class problem that is related to social inequality.

Interactionist approach to health and ill-health Interactionist approach to health and ill-health focuses on what happens in individual’s life. They are anxious about why individuals that are ill don’t see themselves as ill for example some people who are paralyzed from the waist down would still go out and do things, while others may choose to stay at home. Another example some people who have cancer may decide to run a marathon to raise money, whereas others may prefer to be hospitalized.
Professionals and patients discuss how ill the person is and if they should be signed off from work for example the government is trying to get disabled people back to work.
Feminist approach to health and ill-health Feminist have based their approach on how men dominate the medical professions and the impact it has on women, they have also focused on how female issues are known as a medical problem for instance childbirth and pregnancy is considered as a medical problem or can sometimes be known as an illness instead of it being natural process.
Feminist also believe that the use of women by society have shown that women suffer from stress, anxiety and depression more than men.
Feminist also believes that the medical profession and pharmaceutical industries have given a low priority to developing male contraceptive pills which have fewer harmful side effects compared to