Social Institutions: Health Care

Social Institutions: Health Care Heather Richardson SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology Dr. Christine Nortz Social Institutions: Health Care America has a highly developed health care system, which is available to all people. Although it can be a very complex and trying subject, it has come a long way from the health care systems of yesterday. Most health care facilities of yesterday, the sick were housed and cared for until death. Doctors rarely practiced in the hospital setting and only those that were fortunate could afford health care in the home setting. Today, the level of health care has excelled tremendously. Sociologists have been a key to the ongoing research in the health care system. In researching the scientific and social aspect of human behavior, sociologists can research different aspects and place them in various theories. The Symbolic Interactionist Perspetve takes a different look at the health care system. They are apt to take a more “micro” look. They are more insterested on how people experience health care as a whole. They look at the relationships that people have with their physicnas. They research outcomes like how a physian interacts with their patients, the discussions and who talks more, if the physician addresses all the patients needs, and what the outcome is of the interaction. They are more interested in the reality aspect. “Symbolic interactionism is a social constructionist approach to understanding social life that focuses on how reality is constructed by active and creative actors through their interactions with others” (Stolley, 2005, ¶7). In the view if Interactionists, both the physicna and the patient play an active role. With the these theories all examining the health care system, they all have similarities and differences to be noted. All three of the throeies are similar in a way hwre they look for a solution to any problem and/or outcome of a situation. A functionalist views all people as a part of a

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