Hierarchy and Power in Australian Health Care System: A Sociological Perspective

Running head: HEALTH SOCIOLOGY 1
Health Sociology
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

HEALTH SOCIOLOGY 2
Introduction
The health care system is considered as the primary concerns of the government of
Australia. This is because health care is very crucial need of an individual. The Australian Health
care system is characterized by different tiers and division based on their professional
responsibility, boundaries, and authority for health care provision (Germov, 2014). This essay
will examine the dominance of power and hierarchy in Australian health care and its impact on
nurses through the Marxism and feminism sociological theory of perspective. Initially, the essay
will explore the existing hierarchy and power about the Australian health care system.
Subsequently, it will discuss the relationship between hierarchy and power in regards to two
sociological theories Marxism and feminism perspective with its implication on health care
system (Annandale, 2012). Finally, the essay will conclude with how two theories differ from the
biomedical model of health. The consequences of the theory to the health care systems will also
be evaluated.
The study will give a comprehensive report on the various researches done on the
current situation of the health services and operations and try to give opinions on how to improve
them. From the findings on the sociological theories and from other suggestions the paper
provides an outline of how the medical specialists ought to apply the teachings into the health
systems of Australia. Health care is not an equal commodity to all Australian (Russell, 2007).
Hierarchy
There are less unfortunate individuals who are not able to acquire proper medication
due to cost, and from the past, the government or the arms of power are not willing to offer any
form of assistance. Are these people not part of the country? How does the government expect
them to survive without proper health care services? However, the number of men and women

HEALTH SOCIOLOGY 3
participating in a number of healthcare workforce varies sharply in distinct roles. Accordingly,
the higher number of women who participate represents the positive side, but it’s not satisfied
with their profession clarification (Kelly & Field, 2017). In that case, the number of men and
women participation in the health care workforce varies sharply in different roles
The primary and secondary health care are the two healthcare which is in Australia.
The Primary health care involves when an individual first get contact with a health specialist. An
individual does not need a referral for this level of care, which comprises of services which are
provided by general medical specialists, dental practitioners, Indigenous health workers, nurses,
pharmacists (Annandale, 2012). They are delivered in Community Health Services, Health
centers with a community and in organized public health promotion services. Secondary health
care is not an independent body (Kelly & Field, 2017). It is a gateway to broader health systems
where individuals are referred from primary centers to seek specialized medication. Finally, that
is the basic hierarchy of healthcare in Australia.
The arrangement of services differs from State to State; common elements comprise
of strong funding mechanisms, qualified workforce, reliable information from where you base
decisions and policies together with well-maintained facilities and the possibilities to deliver
quality medicines and technologies (Kelly & Field, 2017). These professionals are from both the
public and private sectors who work together to ensure good health to all Australians ( Germov,
2014). The private sector is self-sponsored where they can cater to all their activities while the
public sector is funded by the state.
The historical functions of gender within the healthcare system was to eliminate
women from medicine based on perceptions that men are dominant (Kelly & Field, 2017).
However, these perception were derived from beliefs that women are in second-class status.

HEALTH SOCIOLOGY 4
Power
The study of power can help understand the institution’s system which applies in
health care systems. However, medical doctors have been dominating the health care system for
a long time now. Medicine is considered as the epitome of a profession that slowly introduced
the term Professional Dominance in healthcare service (Kelly & Field, 2017). There are other
programs that are set by the government like the Health Insurance Fund which help an individual
to acquire treatment free of charge in both the public and private health centers. Others include
development funds that assist individuals in remote areas like the Aborigines and the less
unfortunate people like refugees to acquire health care services (Germov, 2014).
Power and hierarchy of Australian health care system are also discussed in Marxism
and Feminism theories below. The medical dominance in the healthcare systems of Australian
started with the formation of a medical association to unify the doctors against the competitors
(Ryan & Deci, 2011). However, later on, the Victorian Government came up with legislation
that gave doctors the total power to use medical titles to sign death certificates which helped
them acquire the monopoly of their profession to control the scope of nursing.
The dominance can also be discussed through subordination which ensures that
nurses work under the authority of doctors and limitation which is control over the practice of
nurses. On the contrary, the medical dominance should not be achieved through the natural
process but via scientific knowledge and unequal public status of the profession
Sociological Theories in Health Care Systems
Sociological theories generally explain the interactions of people, relationships and
behavior are integrated to ensure social being of individuals. Health is a state of good condition