HSC210: Examining Power and Hierarchy in Australian Healthcare

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the Australian healthcare system, focusing on the intrinsic roles of power and hierarchy through the lens of various sociological theories, including feminism, Marxism, functionalism, social constructivism and Weberianism. It examines the biomedical model and contrasts it with sociological perspectives that highlight the impact of social factors on health. The essay explores how hierarchy and power dynamics influence the provision of healthcare services, potentially leading to inequalities based on social class and gender. It also addresses the government's role in managing the healthcare system and the ethical considerations for health practitioners, emphasizing the importance of providing quality care to all members of society regardless of their background or location. The paper concludes by advocating for a healthcare system driven by commitment to patient well-being rather than financial gain.

Running head: Health Sociology 1
Sociological Health Theories
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date

Health Sociology 2
Introduction
The term sociology can be as the scientific study of human interactions, culture, beliefs,
and values. Sociology entails most of the activities we carry out in life. Various sociologists have
developed several theories to help in understanding various aspects of life. Sociology is essential
in understanding the functioning of a society and how people's lives are influenced by social
institutions as well as understanding how culture and structure of a community influence
individual lives. By understanding how society works and the existing situation, Sociology, helps
individuals to take charge of their lives. Many theories have been developed by sociologists to
make people understand how the society functions it's essential for any health practitioner to
acquire sociological knowledge to help them in their health practice. This essay will analyze
sociological theories, for instance, feminist and conflict theories, the healthcare system of
Australia, power, and hierarchy. From these theories, we examine the social relationships of the
people of Australia. This paper also outlines suggestions that should be put in place by the
government of Australia to improve the health care system of the country. This essay will also
look at the biomedical model of Australia
This essay will assess the consequences of the sociological theories to the health care
system of Australia, report on health care situation and suggestions on how to improve the health
systems and services and application of sociological ideas and theories by health practitioners.
The essay will also evaluate hierarchy and power, its merits and demerits and how they influence
the health care system of Australia.
Finally, it will highlight any issue that should be addressed in the health system of the
country.

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Australia healthcare system and biomedical model.
It's crucial to ensure that its health system is running efficiently. Australia has the best
health systems in the world because it provides quality health care services to all citizens of the
country as well as visitors. It is possible through Medicare which is an insurance scheme that
offers universal health for all Australians. Also, depending on the attention needed by the patient
the health centers offer a variety of health services. For example, there are primary and
secondary health centers where the former deals with minor infections while the latter deals with
advanced infections. Biomedical model of medicine is a predominant model that has been in
existence since the 19th century. It is used by health practitioners to diagnose diseases (Pulker,
Trapp, Scott & Pollard, 2018). The model emphases on physical and biological factors and
ignores social, psychological and environmental influences. The model defines health as being
free from infection, grievance or suffering that is, the normal condition of a human being is
healthy. This model is considered very important because it deals with the diagnosis and
treatment of a disease. However, the model neglects other determinants of health like
environmental factors. This model does not also consider prevention and therefore places a
heavy burden on the health care system (Slade et al, 2014).
Hierarchy and Australia health care system
Functionalism theory was put forward by Emile Durkheim whose much concern was the
application of social ranks. It is concerned with the hierarchy that exists in society and how they
can aid in the establishment of a stable society. Emile pointed out that if all levels of society
work correctly in their hierarchy and stick to roles which they were assigned, the society will be
very stable and productive (Green, 2018). It emphasizes the importance of better organization in
the society. Functionalist views the interaction between a patient and a person providing health

Health Sociology 4
care as hierarchical because the patient has to follow instructions given to them by a medical
practitioner (Adunlin, Diaby & Xiao, 2015). This means that health practitioners must be aware
of their value in the society because the society views them as the backbone in the health care
system. There is, therefore, the importance of competence of all medical care providers.
Functionalist argues that good health and well-established health care are very important for the
proper functioning of any society. Hierarchy is thus a vital aspect in health care to help in
sustaining a well-designed society (Hignett et al, 2018).
Social constructive theory, according to the constructive perspective society works
together in unity and a person's development is determined in a social setting. It argues that a
person's wellness is defined by social structure in the society and that mental and bodily parts can
ill or well depending on what the community perceives to be ill or health. In Australia, it's
essential for professionals in the health system to know and comprehend the societal beliefs in
the environment they work. The health sector should be concerned more about the societal needs.
According to this theory, hierarchy governs decision making in society just like health care
professionals are guided by rules that regulate their actions in their health practice (Hoffrage et
al, 2018).
Conflict theory which was developed by Karl Marx claims that inequality exists in
societies and the society evolves through several stages which are socialism, feudalism, and
capitalism. Conflict theory explains that those at the top of the hierarchy and those at the bottom
depend on one another and goes ahead to say that there could be no power if the top were
independent (Thompson, 2018). On the issue of health, this theory argues that social classes are
the determinant of quality of service given to a patient. Individuals from impoverished
backgrounds may lack sufficient treatment while those from backgrounds that are well are

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availed the best services. Healthcare system of Australia should be provided to all without
considering a person's social class. This theory postulates that health providers are likely to offer
quality services to the privileged individuals who are well off and neglect the deprived ones. It is
essential that health providers observe equality in their service provision.
Feminism theory is more concerned with the issue of gender, the share of responsibilities
and inequalities that exists between male and female societies. Gender inequality lowers
productivity in the society. In the health care system, feminists argue that administrators in the
health care are put in a hierarchy whereby doctors who are mostly men are placed in senior
positions while women serve as nurses despite their level of education. Healthcare system,
therefore, is very unfair since it divides its workforce on the basis of sex, men are placed in high
ranks while their female counterparts are placed in lower positions. This can result in poor
quality services due to negative attitudes in the health practice. It is essential that in the
positioning of health practitioners in the hierarchy, skills and experience and specialization
should be followed and no gender issue should be factored in, in determining the position that an
individual acquires (Garg, Eastwood, Harvey, Woolfenden, Murphy & Einfeld, 2018).
Marxism theory, Marxism has made several contributions in the healthcare system.
Marxist argues that health providers are more willing to offer their services in the private sector
compared to the public sector because they can earn more. This has led to increased medical
centers which are very costly compared to public hospitals. The health system has turned out to
be an institute for making money since the health experts open their own hospitals where they
direct patients and provide services expensively at the same time the government is paying them.
According to Marxist sickness is caused by social factors but not biological factors. Marxist
explains that the health sector does not help anybody in the community instead it is platform

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organized for the richer to get richer. The health sector in Australia needs to be carefully
inspected to ensure that individuals do not take advantage of the situation for self-gain. The
government should set new rules to govern operations in the health system (Nicholson,
Hepworth, Burridge, Marley & Jackson, 2018).
Power in Australia healthcare system
Government controls and manages all sectors of health care in the nation because it has
authority and power in planning every activity especially on how funds should be utilized in the
health system. Government spending on health care system, however, has reduced due to a high
cost of medical services in the private sector because in cases where the public sector has failed
to meet the needs of the patients, the government directs them to get the intended service in the
private sector (Buse, Martin & Nettleton, 2018).
Weberianism theory, suggests that power can be observed in several ways; a person's
power can be noted in their rank in a social setting or through observing the economic level of an
individual. Weber argued that at any situation, individuals are likely to exercise power to those
below them. In Australia healthcare system different powers are conferred to health professionals
according to education level, responsibility, and area of specialization (Fox, 2016). In the health
system of Australia senior medical practitioners have more power than their juniors, the seniors,
therefore, exercise power over the juniors called visiting officers. The visiting officers have
power over health clerks who exercise power over chief captains, and the chief captains use
power over resident health captains, and the lowest category in the rank is the intern who is
composed of medical practitioners taking masters and are in the first year of study. This
demonstrates that leadership power is there to ensure a smooth running of the health department
(Hayes, Chevalier, D'Souza, Baur, Wen & Simpson, 2016).

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Marxism theory, according to Marxist power is given to a person depending on their level
in the society, that is how wealthy one is. Furthermore, this theory argues that those in power get
more benefits than others. Members of the society adhere to the commands given by those in
power because of the respect they have for them. Also, rules are made by those in power. In
Australia, the health sector controls the provision of services and regulates all activities of the
healthcare system by collaborating with the regulation of the world health organization (WHO).
Marxist theory is vital to health professionals in Australia because it makes them understand that
the society looks at them as people in power and follow whatever instructions they give the
patients. In this regard, health professionals should be competent enough and observe seriousness
in their practice (Banwell, Rutherford, Mackey, Street & Chu, 2018).
Government is also key in controlling the health scheme of Australia. The government
provides financial support to the medical care thus individuals get subsidized medication. The
government taxes various activities that are carried out in the nation and use the collected funds
to offer health services to the citizens among other provisions. The Australian government has
several divisions that are allocated various roles to play in the health system of the country
(Robertson & Muellerleile, 2018).
Impact of hierarchy and power to a health practitioner
All health practitioners in Australia should understand that it is essential to provide
quality health services to all in the society (Azzopardi et al, 2018). Most importantly they should
know that they have to give medical services to all regardless of where they are located. The
health professionals should be driven by the desire to provide quality medical care to all but not
for financial gain. Medical practitioners need to need to have the patience for them to move from
one level to another as they learn relevant skills from others who are experienced in various

Health Sociology 8
fields. Health practitioners are encouraged to show a high level of commitment to their
profession and follow orders as instructed to have a better healthcare system (Hawthorne, 2015).
Conclusion
This paper has critically analyzed the healthcare system of Australia, power and
hierarchy in the system and various sociological theories such as feminism, Marxism and
functionalism among others. The understanding of power and hierarchy by different perspectives
has also been clearly discussed. The paper has also described their implications also these
theories to the health system of Australia. The paper has also analyzed the impact of hierarchy
and power on the health care system of Australia. Biomedical model and health care schemes
have also been discussed in the essay. Though the model focusses much on the diagnosis, its
weaknesses for instance the fact that it neglects social and environmental factors should not be
overlooked. The health sector of Australia should consider using a more efficient method.
Though the healthcare system of Australia is the best in the world, the sector is still faced by
challenge like private health sector, insufficient funds in the health sector among others. Which
should be addressed to ensure the citizens of the country are provided with the best and quality
medical care services. This essay recommends that the health sector of Australia should come up
with strategies aimed at regulating the activities of healthcare providers in the senior position to
reduce the establishment of the private sector which can make the county to neglect public’s
health sector. Medical practitioners also should learn the importance of hierarchy and power in
the healthcare sector to ensure efficient delivery of healthcare services to all.

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