The Social Construction of Illness Essay

The social construction of illness touches on the relationship between society, culture, and health. Sociologist Conrad and Barker have taken a look at how this social construct is developed. They have divided it into three categories. Those are the cultural meaning of illness, the social construction of illness, and the social construction of medical knowledge. The Social Construction of Illness Essay

The cultural meaning of illness is the view or meaning the culture or society gives to an illness different from its biological meaning. Each cultural meaning has in itself grouped illnesses according to their stigma. Thus, the professionals define illnesses like the ones that would be contested and the ones that would be considered disabilities (Conrad & Barker, 69). Patients who fall into the category of the stigmatized illnesses more often than not fail to seek treatment as they fear they might be mistreated by the health-care providers (Conrad & Barker 70). Contested illnesses according to Conrad and Barker (70) are illnesses physicians do not recognize but are claimed as being the sufferers. The Social Construction of Illness Essay