Reference no: EM132174165

Dr. Ed Mitchell (2013) discussed the sick role, “In the 1950s, a founding father of medical sociology, Talcott Parsons, described illness as deviance -as health is generally necessary for a functional society-which thrust the ill person into the sick role.

This role afforded the afflicted certain rights, but also certain obligations, which were described by Parsons in his four famous postulates” (p1).

This sick role affords two rights:

The person is not responsible for assuming the sick role.

The sick person is exempted from carrying out some or all of normal social duties (e.g. work, family).

The sick role affords two obligations:

The sick person must try and get well – the sick role is only a temporary phase.

In order to get well, the sick person needs to seek and submit to appropriate medical care.

Describe how each of these postulates is useful when considering an older woman. Give examples and do not be too brief.

THEN describe how each of these four is not useful when considering an older woman. Give examples and do not be too brief.

1. Illness for older adults is based both in the social construction of age and in the biology & physiology of the human body. Explain these two factors, giving examples of each?