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Sociology / Unit 9   Soc 1608 short lesson, about 20 seconds

Functionalism on Health

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The idea

Functionalists hold that health is vital to stability, treating sickness as a sanctioned form of deviance managed through the sick role.

In practice

A society's medical system, from Soc 1591's sick role, works to return the sick to normal roles rather than leave the exemption open-ended.

Where people slip

Naming health's stabilizing function is not a claim every person receives equal access to care that restores it.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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