The Role of Power and Hierarchy in Healthcare: A Sociological Perspective

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
SOCIOLOGY
Health is defined as the degree of visceral, cognitive and social welfare of the people.
So health can be stated as a model with multiple dimensions. According to the perception of
sociological theories, combining the three dimensions stated, the physical and mental well-
being of a person is to be determined. The other definition of healthcare states the level of
convenience that a person achieves by means of medical facilities in order to diagnose the
disease and provide relief from the nursing. The explanation of health and healthcare by
means of sociological theories comprehends understanding better than any other definition.
(Straus, 2009 ).
The approach regarding the function
Good medical conditions and effective healthcare measures form the basis of a society
and helps in proper functioning of the same. For instance, Australian society will have to be
well advanced in their medical services towards the citizens of the country so that they can
participate in the activities related to the growth and development of the country. Considering
the industry related to nursing, better and improved health conditions and facilities should be
made available for the people involved. It also advocates the fact that substandard health
conditions and facilities are provocative factor for the nurses as poor health conditions of the
society are directly related to the grievances of the society. Young people do not get the
motivation to live and work which is also related to the birth of the child of the natives.
Another approach that attributes to the inability of the nurses to perform to their best is the
one related to premature deaths. Poor medical facility is another reason that marks the flawed
structure of the society (McEwan, 2010). There is a reverse of roles among the people, which
make the healthy turn ill and vice versa.
There is a hierarchical order that needs to be complied for the people in order to get
declared as sick. In order to be declared sick, the patient must meet a number of expectations.

2
SOCIOLOGY
The nurses should not tell a patient directly the reason of their illness but should consider the
causes and address the issues in an indirect manner like telling the patient that high-fat food
leads to obesity. Instead of being sympathetic, the nurses should be more focussed on the
health and nutritional value of their patients. Secondly, the sick people should have the urge
to get well very soon and for that, they should continuously appeal to the nurses for their
well-being (Armstrong, 2011). This view is to uphold the fact that if patients are not
continuously asking the medical experts for their help, then the patients would not be treated
as genuinely sick. Thirdly, the illness of the patients should be confirmed by any healthcare
professional like nurse or doctor and should follow and obey the instructions given otherwise
they go against the prescribed functions allocated for the sick people. If all these points are
not confirmed by the patient, then that person is exempted from total social functions and has
to be taken away by their family and friends ( Hirsch, 2011).
The nurses have various duties according to the hierarchical orders and performances.
The nurses should be fully held answerable for the overall health of the patients including
diagnosis and treatment. For performing the work diligently, the nurses should be corporative
to the patients and clearly study their case and interview given by them. According to
Sociology, the relationship between patients and nurses is based on a hierarchy which implies
that the nurses give instructions to the patients and the patients follow them (Swazey, 2012).
Overall, it has been implemented by several researches that individual health affects
the overall health of the society, though the concept has been criticized a number of times.
The very concept of Sick Function is applicable to short-term diseases and not to crucial and
chronic ones that has been there in the long term. Inspite of this, the long-term patients have
been well incorporated into the sick function. The functionalist approach totally overlooks the
fact that social background has a role to play in the process of becoming ill and receiving
therapeutic care. However, the hierarchical relationship between nurses and patients is