The Interpretive Perspective in Medical Sociology: Part II

Abstract

This chapter explains some interpretive substantive theories in medical sociology including social construction of illness, trajectory of chronic illness, labelling theory, theory of social stigma, the total institution theory, and a note on postmodernism. All of the substantive theories are based on microanalysis, subjectivity, and the idiographic approach. The social construction of illness focuses on how social forces or context shape human understanding of illness. It focuses on the social origin of disease and how individuals also construct responses within a sociocultural context. The social construction of illness indicates that illness does not mean the same across cultures and that it depends on the perception of the individuals. The key references here include Kleinmann’s explanatory model of health and illness, focusing on perceived aetiology, symptoms, pathophysiology, course of illness, and treatment. The peculiarities of chronic illness are explored with a model developed by Corbin and Strauss. Then, two social reaction theories, namely labelling theory and the theory of social stigma, are presented. Reference is made to the works of Howard S. Becker and other classical proponents of labelling theory. After the discussion of the features of labelling theory with the aid of a framework, reference is made to the works Thomas Scheff and Walter Gove, who are leading proponents in the application of labelling theory to mental illness. The later part of the discussion relates to the application of the labelling theory to mental illness. Two important theoretical stances from Erving Goffman (1922–1982) are presented—the theories of stigma and total institution. Some emerging trends of the classical ideas of Goffman are examined.