Analysis of Contemporary Issues in Health and Social Care LSME607

This essay delves into contemporary issues within health and social care, analyzing the influence of global, cultural, economic, and political contexts. It examines two key issues: food safety and alcohol-related harms, highlighting their impact on public health. The essay then explores key sociological theories, including functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism, interpreting their relationship between health, healthcare professionals, and the public. It further analyzes how different states of illness and circumstances affect an individual's sense of self and way of life, offering insights into the complexities of healthcare policy and practice. The essay also discusses the importance of food safety, alcohol consumption, and their effects on health outcomes. The role of healthcare professionals, and the impact of various sociological perspectives on health and illness, is also evaluated.

Sociological Theories

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Two contemporary issues in the health and social care..............................................................3
The sociological theories that influences the relationship between health, professionals of
health and the impact on public..................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Contemporary issues in health and the social care is one of the essay which helps in
exploring the onto genesis evidence based health policy and set of institutions, organisations,
services, funding arrangements of the health system. The concept of the current policy making is
well known fundamental rationale for the establishment of the health policy that includes the
change in various policies. The public health policy refers to the proper improvement in terms of
social, physical and biological surroundings (Lehnert and et. al., 2019).
At recent years, the policies which have been established are simply based on some some
effective financial and administrative changes. The discussion includes two contemporary issues
in health and social care that are influenced by the international, economic, political and the
cultural contexts. In addition to this, the discussion also includes some effective sociological
theories, a effective relationship between health, the healthcare professionals and the particular
impact of several stages of illness and circumstances based on the perspective of individuals and
ways of life.
Evaluate the key sociological theories, interpreting the relationship between health, healthcare
professionals and the public and the impact of the different states of illness and/or
circumstances on an individual’s sense of self and way of life
Two contemporary issues in the health and social care.
On the basis of effective role and specification, health issues are very important in terms
of modern advance world and people are seems out to be more conscious in terms of current and
specific health situation. Public health is specifically carried out with the effective hospital care
and funding. The most important analysis is suggest out to be the media effective information
which are quiet valid and reliable in terms of greater impact on the human behaviour. The
analysis based on the local attitude are carried out which have been found that on the national
level people have a great influence and it simply reflects in the health care issues. The
contemporary issues related to the health and the social care plays a vital role in the effective and
specific development of a strong mind and body. The most important element that is being figure
out is care towards the people in order to prevent from diseases. The two most substantial
contemporary issues based on health and social care have been listed below:

Food safety and physical activity: In today's world, having the most concern and impact on
health of human beings are very important. The current pandemic is one of the forced example to
have an effective change in terms of food safety at every age of the human being. The food
safety is simply reflected out to be a great concern and there is a need to have more effective
policies by the government in order to promote growth and productivity.
A researcher claims that various practices such as raw milk and the animal blood was
fairly common within certain pockets of the territory. The raw milk and the animal blood simply
identified as the food safety risk by the majority and certain ethnical groups to associate staple
with a risk. Having a proper safety leads human beings to work more effective. Also, it is one of
the great concern for every human being to have an effective and proper implementation of the
human beings. Food safety and the physical activity refers to the handling, preparing and storing
of the food in a best way to reduce the risk of individuals and become sick for the food borne
illnesses. Also, it has been been figured out that due to large affection of pollution, there has
been a genuine problems in attaining the food allergies that gives a negative impact on the
society(Olivera and et. al., 2019).
The international, economic, political and cultural context using epidemiological and
demographic information suggest that food safety is must. On the basis of economic component,
food safety leads the economic growth of the society. In other words it can be suggest that if
there is food safety then there must be better growth in the economy. The political factor suggest
that proper segmentation and elections helps the society in leading the vulnerable concept of
food safety. A recent study of Uganda suggest that cultural norms impact on the food security
and highlight several practices as well.
Alcohol related harms: It refers to the another contemporary issue because nowadays people
including adults consume alcohol in a most extensive way but it simply impact on the major
health issue of people. The excessive alcohol can simply leads to the development of chronic
disease and other some major and effective problems including the high blood pressure, heart
disease, stroke, liver disease, digestive problem and many others. Drinking too much alcohol
simply leads to the health risk in short term and long term problem. Short term health risk
including the excessive control of harmful health conditions (D VAİPHEİ, 2019).
Several injuries, violence, sexual behaviour, miscarriage can be a serious health chances
that can simply happened in short term. Apart from it, the long term health risk from alcohol

includes high blood pressure, cancer, social problems, depression, disorders and many others.
The consumption of the alcohol significantly varies from gender, race and ethnicity. Men
consume alcohol majorly then women which is one of the cultural components which suggest
that it significantly affect the community norms and attitude on the basis of cultural as well as
the gender norms.
The sociological theories that influences the relationship between health, professionals of
health and the impact on public
Functionalism: The good health and the effective medical healthcare helps in the smooth
functioning of the society. Patients should effectively perform the “sick role” in order to have
legitimate illness and normal obligations. A researcher including Talcott Parsons claimed that the
functional perspective suggest the ability to perform roles in the society, its functioning and the
suffering stability. Parson said that there is a need to prevent the individuals from the social roles
and have a possible chances to reflect as poor return to the society in terms of child care,
socialization and many others. The poor medical care seems to have a functional care for the
society, a great difficulty and inputs (Bass III and et. al., 2019).
Functionalism is one of the major theory that can easily influences the relationship
between health and the heath professionalism. The authors or professionals research on health
factor that can impact on the society, and then the sociological theory gives a dynamic
perspective in understanding of the functional issue. One of the health professional Missaf Zerien
from England provide several examples including sick people simply expected to have a health
care professional and the professional instructions which claim that if a sick person fails, then
there must be chance to again loses the performance of sick role. The functionalism theory states
that there is a need to promote solidarity and stability on the basis of promoting the effective
growth. So the health care professionals needs to examine several theories in context with the
sociological norms, customs and traditions (Parmet and Sinha, 2020).
Functionalism is the theory or perspective that arose out of revolutions of 18th and 19th
century. The first was French revolution and the second was industrial revolution. These
revolutions led to many changes includes increase and growth of cities as individuals left their
farms in order to live near to their factories. The people in the cities lived in increasingly
crowded, poor and decrypt condition when cities grew. Adopting the view of conservative

intellectual of need for society, it is felt that human beings have desires that outcomes in chaos
unless the society limits them. Social integration and socialization are the two related social
mechanisms. Socialisation helps the people to learn the rules of society and the requirement to
corporate, as individuals end up generally agreeing on significant values and norms.
Whereas, social integration helps to socialize the people and integrate them into society
as well as reinforce respect for its rules. The functionalist perspective uses human body as model
for understanding the society. There are various organs and other parts present in human body
that serves significant function for stability and ongoing health of body. The ear helps to hear,
eyes help to see, heart circulates blood, nose helps in smell etc. All the parts of the body
contribute in maintaining stability and health by performing important functions. Similarly,
society can also be understanding through describing and understanding its functions or its
functional institutions. Thus, the theory emphasizes on significance of social institutions like
religion, education and family for developing a stable society.
The conflict approach: The approach simply based on the inequality of health and the
healthcare delivery. One of the critical approach noted that the sociological class, race and the
ethnicity simply impact the ill behaviour and health care inadequacy that simply gives more
difficulty in the evidence based health and the health care. This type of sociological theory by
physicians gives a major critique to control the practical aspect in defining some major social
problems and the medical ones.
The financial status of the society helps in improving of the social problems in which
there is a huge possibility of the social roots and potential solutions. Critics suggest that the
conflict theory simply provide an approach of the health and medicine which gives a great
improvement in the health of the people. Although the major economic consideration include
some effective and the honest belief that helps in improving of the healthy efforts and lives. A
health professional Marks Elien from United Kingdom states that there is a need to have some
criticism of the conflict approach but the evidence based study gives a major impact towards the
inequality in the medicine and health and claimed some negative aspect (Anmarkrud and et. al.,
2019).
The conflict theory emphasizes that distinct groups in society have distinct interest which
are stemming from various social positions. Those different interest leads to distinct views on
significant social problems. Some of the versions of theory root conflicts in divisions on the basis

of gender, ethnicity, race and some other differences, whereas The other versions follow Engels
and Marks in seeing that conflict arises out of distinct positions in the structure of economy.
However, the theory focuses that different parts of society contribute to continuous inequality.
On the other hand, functionalist theory emphasize that they contribute to continuous stability of
society. Therefore, when functionalist theory focuses the benefits of different parts of society for
continuous social stability, the conflict theory emphasizes on social change in order to reduce
inequality. In terms of health, if inequalities are reduced in the society, then all the individuals
have proper access to the health care services and they are also able to live healthy and happy
life.
The symbolic interactionist theory: Social constructions are all included in this type of theory.
It simply means that the symbolic interactionist effectively provide various physcial and the
mental health conditions which has a little or no objective reality. The human organisations
illustrate some major and effective development of the societal measures. One of the current
example based on the symbolic interactionist theory is the obesity problem (Nunez, 2019).
It provides a major and an important study of the interaction between health care
professionals and the patients. The professionals always seems out to be in a position of
“managing the situation” in which there is a need to have medical knowledge and authority
display. Patients usually have to wait for the longer period and the professionals manage the
situations. It gives a major and important situation which indicates symbolic interactionist reduce
the potential uneasiness in some instances situations. A critical reflection based on the symbolic
interactionist approach suggest that there is no illness that includes the reality of objective. Some
of the serious health conditions can simply happened in the society and put people in the risk.
This theory also effects majorly on the social inequality of illness and health (Shannon and et.
al., 2019).
A researcher claims that various practices such as raw milk and the animal blood was fairly
common within certain pockets of the territory. The raw milk and the animal blood simply
identified as the food safety risk by the majority and certain ethnical groups to associate staple
with a risk. Having a proper safety leads human beings to work more effective. Also, it is one of
the great concern for every human being to have an effective and proper implementation of the
human beings.

CONCLUSION
The contemporary health issues plays a significant role in analysing the society and
provide some and and effective medical healthcare services. Most of the time, there is a need to
have disseminate information related to the contemporary health and social care, media always
plays a significant role for analysing the link between health professionals and the impact in
different arenas in the society. The discussion includes two health issues including food safety
and physical activity and the second health issue which have been mentioned above is alcohol
based harm. These are such type of health issues that have been influenced by the global,
economic, political and the cultural context. In addition to this, the report also includes several
sociological theories including functionalism, conflict approach and the symbolic interactionist
theory in relation with health, professionals based on health and the impact on society.
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