The functionalists approach recognizes the interconnective elements of society. It believes that there are social structures and tasks are given to individuals to perform, and it is on the basis of the smooth functioning of these tasks that society exists and progresses. Under this school of thinking, “the individual is viewed as an actor with larger social processes.” (Sociology, 2007). Should there be any transgressions, then through a process of seeking balance, corrective, and if necessary punitive steps are taken to rectify the situation and restore the status quo. Thus there is a smooth process without the need for radical changes in the system. What happens in the context of functionalism is that individuals conform themselves to the dictates of society and internalize good behavior into their personalities so as to conform to the needs of society. “A thing or phenomenon becomes an object of activity as it meets a human need.” (Center for Activity Theory & Development Work Research, 2004). Coming to the medical aspects, it is seen that this process believes that all substructures, including the part of the human body, are part of the total body. All parts of the body have to function normally and adequately in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the total body system. If there is a dysfunction in any organ, it reflects upon the entire system, and corrective action has to be initiated to cure the disease and bring the person back to normal. Therefore, diagnosis of the disease and its cure are important aspects that need to be addressed. It did not consider that the workforce would feign illness to claim Medical benefits nor the Marxist belief that the medical system was designed so that the workers would be in a state of total good health, in order to be able to their full potential always and to enrich the bourgeoisie by added surplus profits to them.
“A recognized ‘paradigm war’ exists between the two distinct approaches of health education and health promotion practice.” (Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2003 Vol 12, Issue 6. p. 796).
The Traditional biomedical model concentrated more on the causes of the disease rather than the disease itself. This school of socialistic thinking believed that diseases arrive due to the abnormal functioning of the body and are always followed by symptoms, if not initially, then later on. They believed that there could be no disease without some kind of physical symptoms and maintained that health was a condition devoid of any illness. They believed that mental health was different from physical health and needed to be treated separately, although the possibility of interconnection between diseases of the body and the mind could not be discarded. In the traditional biomedical model, the patient happens to be a victim of circumstances who has no choice but to accept the treatment and is a passive receiver of medical treatment, along with his consent and active co-operation. Therefore it could be said that the essential difference between the two systems was that while functional theory tries to delve into the causes and treatment of various diseases, the traditional biomedical school of sociological thought could not always explain many forms of illnesses since it assumed that disease stems from a primary cause and only the cure of the disease could resolve the problem.
Coming to the second part, where immediate medical attention is required, the traditional biomedical model may not be useful, and it would become necessary to resort to modern bio-medical prognosis and treatment in order to nurse the patient to good health. This is because the traditional method deals more with dealing with the causes and sources of the disease than the actual illness itself. The pathological elements in the symptoms of the disease get a higher prominence than the actual treatment and cure of the disease and, the curative aspects of illness and its therapeutic aspects are not with the scope and jurisdiction of the medical sciences under this system. In the example mentioned, it would be necessary to take the assistance of specialized medical health care professionals to offer their services for the disease management of the patient. “Such relationship-centered-caring activities move health professionals beyond competing to collaborating partnerships among themselves and with their patients and communities.” (Original center for Human Care, 2006).
Works Cited
- Sociology. (2007). Answers.com. Web.
- Journal of Clinical Nursing. (2003). Vol12, Issue 6. P. 796. Blackwell Synergy.
- Center for Activity Theory & Development Work Research. (2004). University of Helsinki.
- Original center for Human Care. (2006). University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center.