Social construction of health, illness, and disability

👤 Parsons (1951): the “sick role” defines rights and obligations of the sick. People are exempt from normal roles but must seek treatment and try to recover.
- 👤 Freidson (1961) argues this model ignores patient choice and is less applicable to chronic illnesses.
👤 Illich (1975): identifies iatrogenesis, where medicine causes harm: clinical (harm from treatment), social (medicalisation of everyday life), and cultural (loss of traditional coping).
- Critics note modern medicine has greatly reduced mortality.
👤 Oliver (1996): distinguishes between impairment (physical/mental limitation) and disability (socially created disadvantage), arguing that society disables people through barriers.
- The medical model focuses on the individual, ignoring discrimination.
👤 Zola (1973): sees medicalisation as expanding medicine’s control over life areas once handled by religion or law.
- Some medicalisation has improved health outcomes and reduced stigma.

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