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Social construction of health and illness
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Health is more than biology

Health is more than biology

Comparison figure showing biomedical model focus on body malfunction, doctor, diagnosis, treatment, and cure versus social model focus on housing, work, poverty, discrimination, and prevention

Sociologists argue that health and illness are socially constructed. Biology matters, but the meaning of being "healthy", the people most likely to become ill, and the way society responds are shaped by culture and power.

Social construction of health and illness Lesson

  1. A Level
  2. /Sociology
  3. /Social construction of health and illness

Step-by-step lessons on AQA A Level Sociology Social construction of health and illness. Each one builds up to exam-style questions. Build a strong grasp of the core sociological perspectives (functionalism, Marxism, feminism, interactionism) early, since they underpin evaluation across every topic and exam question.