Sociology of Health and Social Care

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A person has to remember to evaluate their experiences every once in a while to ensure that they are moving in the right direction and make necessary alterations along the way. A great reflective model in accordance with which it can be done is Kolbs (1984) learning cycle model. It proposes a four-stage process: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. When it comes to the concrete experiences I want to reflect upon, these are the ones connected to working with and learning from other students as well as using my studies to help progress my career. With both of these, I recall expecting to see significant positive outcomes by this time of the year, and as much is said in my study planning template. In addition to that, I aspired to continue getting better at organizing and planning my study time.

I cannot say that I am a hundred percent happy with my current results; however, it cannot be denied that I have made significant progress in the afore-mentioned areas as compared to the beginning of the year. I am actively learning to collaborate with other students and not compete with them but rather learn from them when they succeed at something while I do not. In addition to that, I believe that information and skills that I am acquiring now will all be of use for me when the time to build my career comes, though it has not yet. I feel that I am a specialist in the making, and it makes me very happy. Moreover, I am satisfied with how I handle the organization and planning of my study time and balancing it with my personal life.

When it comes to what I have learned from these experiences is the power of discipline. I see with my own eyes where setting a goal and making small steps towards achieving it every day can lead a person. However, I would do something differently going forward: I need to learn to go easier on myself sometimes and not be as upset at the visible lack of progress. This has caused me a great amount of frustration, which is never a good thing and only takes away ones energy.

One of the most fascinating concepts a person can imagine is that of ones being who they are, or, alternatively, identity. It is a complex idea that has been at the center of exploration in many areas of research. This essay focuses on studying identity in the context of health and the significance of recognizing it in the provision of care. For one, various facets of identity can serve as a basis for peoples treatment of members of specific groups differently, and that potentially leads to discrimination, one remedy for which is mutual support. It is important for health and social care workers to understand how both mutual support and discrimination work to be able to provide to patients care of the highest quality.

Identity is a fundamental part of a so-called sense of self; yet it is a certainty that at times some events will disturb it. One example of an event that can threaten a persons sense of self is an illness. However, it is important to note that this does not concern short-term diseases such as a cold or an infection, but rather more serious illnesses and conditions that can have an effect on how an individual functions, what people expect of them, and their future plans. When one is diagnosed with such a condition, it might become difficult for them to maintain or manage a sense of self and they might even have to accept a new identity.

What comes to a person with an illness is not only the illness itself but also the understanding that they have to learn how to be ill in a recognizable way. Recognizable way in that regard means the way by which one can be recognized as being ill and affected by it, and therefore, be able to either receive help or help oneself. According to Talcott Parsons (1951), an American sociologist, this is called taking on the sick role, in which the sick role becomes the part of an individuals identity. A way for someone to discover how a person deals with their condition and identity of someone with a condition is to listen to them talk about it. Greenhalgh and Hurwitz (1999) note that one might touch upon such things as the effect of the illness on their life, what they have had to face when fighting it, how other people have reacted to the illness, and how it continues to impact them. Some practitioners suppose that hearing a patient telling their story may provide an opportunity to develop an understanding that cannot be achieved in any other way.

In general, when a person shares aspects of their identity with others, it can make them feel accepted and appreciated. People with identities that can be called problematic happen to often seek to join in groups that provide information and support. In health and social care, group membership can serve as a source of support for an ill person that no other source can match. There are numerous reasons why one might want to be a part of a social or support group. For instance, it can be ones desire to get help in managing or overcoming an addiction, receive encouragement while losing weight, or share experiences between people with a particular health condition. However, joining a group is not always an easy process, and sometimes attitudes towards the group or within it change as time passes. Moreover, mutual support is not a one-box solution, and some support groups might be established for commercial or ideological purposes. It is important for a social and health worker to realize that and be yet be advised that when care is put into selecting the right group, they can be an extremely beneficial source of support.

Another important experience to describe when talking about the concept of identity is that of discrimination. As per Dovidio et al. (2010), discrimination starts with prejudices, which are attitudes towards people based on stereotypes, mostly negative and inaccurate. Where prejudicial attitudes and beliefs are put into practice, discrimination is created. The effect of discrimination can be extremely detrimental and depends on the context in which it occurs. For one, negative stereotyping and prejudice can have a profound impact on how one sees themselves and behaves, which is well illustrated by the a so-called labelling theory. In line with this theory, labels attached to people can be the foundation for shaping their self-perception, and, in fact, tend to serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is, if people see someone in a certain light and talk about them accordingly, a person will likely see themselves in the same way, think correspondingly, and act in ways for the label to become true.

This is why, in social and health care work, labelling is an important concept. People who are deemed to be unable to care for themselves by service providers can internalize this attitude even if is not true. This might lead to service users not only beginning to feel dependent, but to them losing the actual ability to take care of themselves. A way for social and health care practitioners to avoid discrimination founded on stereotyping is to learn to understand the needs of people from different backgrounds. Granted, it is not an easy task to classify and describe peoples differences as everyone is someone with a unique set of needs and their own identity. However, it is important that health and social care workers at least understand such concepts as stereotypes and attitudes. This understanding will influence not only their quality of care for specific groups, but also the likelihood of people wanting to work with these groups.

In conclusion, ones identity is a complicated concept that can be altered by an event such as a long-term condition. Some of a persons identity is affected by groups with whom they share common characteristics, and this experience can be ones source of support in difficult times. However, these same characteristics are often the reason for someone stereotyping and, potentially, judging and discriminating against other people. For practitioners, it is essential to know about the concept of identity, the possibility of discrimination, and the experience of mutual support so that the care they provide is of the highest quality.

Reference List

Dovidio, J., Hewstone, M., Glick, P. and Esses, V.M. (2010) The SAGE handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. London: SAGE Publications.

Greenhalgh, P. and Hurwitz, B. (1999) Narrative based medicine: Why study narrative?, The BMJ, 318, pp. 4850.

Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press.

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Sociology of Health and Social Care

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