Talcott Parsons Sick Role

"The Sick Role and the Role of the Physician Reconsidered" by Talcott Parsons discusses about sick role can be consider social deviance and the relation of physicians. Parsons constructs a theoretical view on the individuals who are sick and the theory outlines consisted of two rights and two obligations of individuals who become sick in our society. The author stated that the sick person is not to be held accountable for being sick, but it is the person responsibility to seek help in order to get out of the role. The sick person is obligated to seek help and expected to cooperate with the physician in order to get better. This article focuses on the aspects of the sick role, the first two aspects of the sick role are conditional and the third

The definitions are identified as those of sickness related to being undesirable and being sick is considering a social role. The role of the patients and the physicians becomes a social control through medical authority. The social roles play a vast role in treating a patient. The patient is not a helpless victim and the only hope is to processed by medical authorities. The role of a sick patient should not be labelled in any way as being undesirable and should not be exploited in relation to social control. Parsons regards medical institutionalization as structured. Both the patient and physician have rules to follow between them. The structure is a medical structure that prevents any kind of misunderstanding or malpractice. The patient has a responsibility to follow through the doctor orders, in order for the treatment to provide by the doctor to patient can be efficient. Medical structures to maintain in order the function of medical practice between both the doctor and patient. Both doctors and patients have their responsibilities in medical treatment. The doctor job is to recommends the best treatment for their patient. As for the patient their duties may either take their advice or seek other