Sociological Analysis: Cultural Beliefs and Health in the UK Context

This essay examines the profound influence of cultural beliefs and values on health and social care within a sociological context. It explores how cultural factors shape individual behaviors, perceptions, and health outcomes, emphasizing the importance of respecting diverse beliefs. The essay delves into the implications of societal changes, using Brexit as a case study to illustrate the impact on healthcare staffing, treatment access, regulations, and cross-border cooperation. It highlights the interconnectedness of cultural beliefs, social determinants of health, and the challenges faced by the UK's health and social care systems. The analysis underscores the need to understand and address the sociological dimensions of health to improve well-being and promote effective healthcare practices. The essay concludes by summarizing the key arguments, reinforcing the significant role of cultural beliefs in shaping health and social care outcomes.

RUNNING HEAD: CULTURAL BELIEFS AND IMPACT ON HEALTH 0
Sociological context health and social care
Cultural beliefs and impact on health
7/21/2018

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Influence of Cultural Values and Beliefs in Society
It is very well known that the culture and its beliefs has its all over impact on the society and directly
affects the behaviour of the people around. People are entitled to their own beliefs, values and
attitude, which need to be respected by the people in the society. Beliefs people hold play an
important part in the lives of the people, they may be cultural, moral or religious. Beliefs are the
medium of reflection of the nature, perception and behaviour of the people. Sometimes in order to
satisfy the needs of other people or support them one has to compromise the attitude, beliefs and
values. Contradicting the similar fact, it is not always possible to avoid the communication with
personal beliefs, values of the people; therefore it is something one should be aware about
(Helmreich and Merritt, 2017). If this needs to be considered from organisational point of view, then
one has to take care of the gestures, body language, tone, and so on while communicating with the
client. The distinction between surrounding, environment and nature are the simplest way to think
about the culture and identity of the people. People also possess some abilities due to their biology
and genetics, but it is not enough to determine the actual nature of the person, for that culture is
required. The culture and beliefs play an important role for physical, mental and emotional health of
the person. It can increase it or heal as well. In this case the nature of it does not matter, be it
personal or cultural it will influence the person in both the ways. It stimulates the physiological
changes and, modifies the behaviour of the person. The learning associated with the social aspect of
human lives and non-biological culture, is known as part of culture (Triandis, 2017).
Implications of Societal Change for the Health and social care
The change in the behaviour, attitude, and perceptions of the society leads to change in mental and
emotional health of the people in the society, the change may be positive or negative. There are
several factors which help in determining the health such as personal behaviour, health care access,
genetic inheritance and general external environment. In order to this, a research was documented

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between cultural and social factors. For the variables of other kind such as job stress support and
social network- the evidence for their links has accumulated the health over the past 30 years. The
social determinants of health can be determined on the outset, and can be conceptualized as a
health influential at the multiple levels of the life (Drummond et al, 2015). For example, the concept
of poverty can be conceptualized as an influencer of health at different levels of the individuals. This
may vary from families to neighbourhoods where the individuals reside. In recent years, the
attention of social epidemiologists and social scientist has shifted to variables of growing range of
cultural and social antecedents of health. The variables included in this are sex roles, gender, SES,
race/ethnicity, immigration, poverty and so on. In order to justify the implication on health in the
society Brexit can be taken as an example. The decision of UK to leave EU could have resulted in
major implications for social and health care (Harper, 2014).
Explanation on social and health issues and their social construction
Keeping the issue of UK voted out five issues has been taken into consideration, which have been
constructed and needs to be resolved. They are staffing, assessment of treatment in domestic
territory and abroad, regulation, cross-border cooperation, and finance and funding. Starting with
staffing, many of the social and health care professional s currently working in UK has come from EU
countries. It includes 55000 of NHS’s workforce of 1.3 million and 80000 of 1.3 million of adult social
care workers. While assessing the treatment of immigration, it leaves a great impact on the NHS
(Croft, Currie and Lockett, 2015). Around 1.2 million British migrants living in other countries of EU,
in comparison with 3 million EU migrants living in the United Kingdom was an estimation made by
using different sources available. It was a point of concern that there was a referendum as a result of
which pensioners of UK currently living elsewhere in the EU may return, by increasing the pressure
on social and health care services. Post Brexit regulations needs to be clarified by the government
that do they need to be replaced with some other alternatives or to continue with the same (Loseke,
2017). Regulation of competition law and procurement and medicines and clinical trials are the

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examples in which changes needs to be made. In order to study cross border cooperation,
collaboration across the European nations enabled the agenda of scientific research and source of
funding. For example, a contribution was made by UK of €5.4 billion to research and development of
EU between 2007 and 2013 but also received €8.8 billion for research, innovation and development
activities. A serious concern by the members of academic and communities of medical have already
been explained regarding the impact of leaving EU on future of research and science in the UK.
While Vote Leave campaign created an argument regarding the membership of EU the concern was
raised regarding the use of that fund which was about to use for membership could be spent for
some other priority work such as NHS (Mckenna, 2016).
Conclusion
Summing up all the above studies in the context of sociological health and care its influence,
implications and how it is structured in United Kingdom shows that the beliefs and values in the life
of the people play a very important role. They are not easy to change until and unless, change in the
behaviour and beliefs of the people results into some positive change into someone else’s life. The
sociological changes may charge up the person in a positive or negative sense if used favourably or
not respectively. Similarly, the issues constructed showed various aspects of health changes Post or
during Brexit and its reflective changes.

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References
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Drummond, M.F., Sculpher, M.J., Claxton, K., Stoddart, G.L. and Torrance, G.W., 2015. Methods for
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Harper, S., 2014. Economic and social implications of aging societies. Science, 346(6209), pp.587-
591.
Helmreich, R.L. and Merritt, A.C., 2017. Culture at work in aviation and medicine: National,
organizational and professional influences. United Kingdom: Routledge.
Loseke, D., 2017. Social problems: Constructionist readings. United Kingdom: Routledge.
Mckenna, H. 2016. Five big issues for health and social care after the Brexit vote [online]. Available
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Triandis, H.C., 2018. Individualism and collectivism. United Kingdom: Routledge.