The Meaning of Health and Illness: Perceptions of Different Socio- Economic Status Groups

Öz

Conceptualisation and definition of health and illness have been major discussion topics in the social sciences. Drawing on the data of a field study conducted in 2009-2010 in Eskisehir, this study aims to examine how different socio-economic groups perceive and define health, illness, and disease. The sample of the study consists of 355 people from three different socio-economic status groups, and the study is an attempt to sociologically examine their health and illness perceptions. The findings indicate that different socio-economic groups’ perceptions and definitions show determinable differences from each other and are not independent from the social structure and material conditions that surround people

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Health, illness, sociology of health, socio-economic status groups, Eskişehir

SAĞLIĞIN VE HASTALIĞIN ANLAMI: FARKLI SOSYO-EKONOMIK STATÜ GRUPLARININ ALGILARI

Öz

Sağlık ve hastalığın tanımlanma ve kavramsallaştırılma biçimi sosyal bilimler literatüründe süregiden tartışmalardan birini oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışma, 2009-10 yıllarında Eskişehir’de üç farklı sosyo-ekonomik statü grubundan toplam 355 kişilik bir örneklem üzerinde yürütülmüş olan bir alan araştırmasının bulgularına dayanmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı farklı sosyoekonomik statü gruplarının sağlık ve hastalık kavramlarını algılama ve tanımlama biçimleri açısından gösterdikleri benzerlik ve farklılıkları sosyolojik olarak irdelemektir. Bulgular farklı sosyal ve ekonomik statülere sahip olan toplumsal grupların sağlık ve hastalık kavramlarını algılayışlarının ve tanımlayışlarının birbirinden belirlenebilir şekilde farklılık gösterdiğini, bireylerin algılarının kendilerini çevreleyen, sınırlandıran ve biçimlendiren maddi koşullardan ve toplumsal yapıdan bağımsız olmadığını ortaya koymuştur

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sağlık, hastalık, sağlık sosyolojisi, sosyo-ekonomik statü grupları, Eskişehir

Kaynakça

1. BLAXTER, M., 1983, “The Causes of Disease: Women Talking” Social Science and Medicine, 17 (2): 59-69.
2. BLAXTER, M., 2004, Health. London: Polity Press.
3. BORUCHOVITCH, E. and MEDNICK, B.R., 2002, “The Meaning of Health and Illness: Some Considerations for Health Psychology” Psico-USF 7 (2): 175
4. CALNAN, M., 1987, Health and illness: The Lay Perspective. New York:
5. Tavistock Publications. CHEN, Y., 2003, “The Meaning of Health and Health Promotion Practices of
6. Taiwanese Elders With Chronic Illness” Home Health Care Management & Practice. 15(6): 505-510. CİRHİNLİOĞLU, Z., 2003, "Post-Modern Çözülüş ve Sağlık", Kocatepe
7. Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 5: 131-148. CORNWELL, J., 1984, Hard-Earned Lives: Accounts of Health and Illness from
8. East London. London: Tavistock. CRAWFORD, R., 1977 “You are Dangerous to Your Health: The Ideology and Politics of Victim Blaming” International Journal of Health Services. 7(4): 80.

9. DINÇER, B. And OZASLAN, M., 2004, İlçelerin Sosyo-Ekonomik Gelismislik
10. Sıralaması Arastırması. DPT Bolgesel Gelisme ve Yapısal Uyum Genel Mudurlugu.http://ekutup.dpt.gov.tr/bolgesel/gosterge/2004/ilce.pdf (Access:02/05/2010).
11. DIXIT, S., MISHRA, M. and SHARMA, A.K., 2008 “Conceptualisation of Health and Illness: A Study of Social Representations among Bondos of Orissa”
12. Psychology and Developing Societies, 20(1): 1-26. DUBOS, R., 1965, Man Adapting, New Haven: Yale University Press.
13. FOUCAULT, M., 1976, The History of Sexuality. Volume 1: An Introduction.
14. Harmondsworth: Penguin. FOUCAULT, M., 2007, Cinselliğin Tarihi, İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları
15. GAMBETTI, Z., 2008, “Foucault’da Disiplin Toplumu-Güvenlik Toplumu Ayrımı” Mesele, 20: 43-46.
16. GIDDENS, A., 1984, The Constitution of Society, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17. GROSSMAN, M., 1972, “On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for
18. Health”, The Journal of Political Economy, 80(2): 223-255. HABERMAS, J., 1971, Knowledge and Human Interests, Boston: Beacon Press.
19. HERZLİCH, C., 1973, Health and Illness. London: Academic Press.
20. HELMAN, C.G., 1991, Limits of Biomedical Explanation. Lancet. 337 (8749): 1083.
21. HUGHNER, R.S., KLEINE, S.S., 2004, “Views of Health in the Lay Sector: A
22. Compilation and Review of How Individuals Think about Health” Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, 8(4): 395-422. HWU, Y.J., COATES, V.E. and BOORE JR., 2001, “The Evolving Concept of
23. Health in Nursing Research: 1988-1998” Patient Education and Counseling, 42(2): 105-114.
24. KASAPOĞLU, A., (ed.) 2008, Madalyonun İki Yüzü: Hastalık ve Sağlık. Phoenix Yayınevi.
25. LAW, I. and WIDDOWS, H., 2008, “Conceptualising Health: Insights From The Capability Approach” Health Care Analysis, 16(4): 303-14.
26. LEWENS, T. and MCMILLAN, J., 2004, “Defining Disease” Lancet, 363(9409):
27. MOYNIHAN, R. and CASSELS, A., 2006, Selling Sickness, New York: Nation Books.
28. NAZLI, A., 2007, “Hastalığın Sosyal İnşası ve Hastalık Anlatıları: Meme Kanseri
29. Örneği” Ege Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi, 18: 149-224. NAZLI, A., 2012, “’I'm Healthy’: Construction of Health in Disability” Disability and Health Journal 5(4): 233-40.
30. OSKAY, Ü., 1993, “Medikal Sosyolojide Bazı Kavramsal Açıklamalar” Ege
31. Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi. 4: 89-140. ÖZEN GÜÇLÜ, S. and ADAK, N., 2002, “The Impact of Education, Income and the Living Area on the Health and Sickness Behaviour of Women” Kadın/Woman 2000, 3 (1).
32. SCHALL, V. T. et al., 1987, “Health Education for Children: Developing A New
33. Strategy”, Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Misconceptions and Educational Strategies in Science and Mathematics, New York: Cornell University Publications. 390-403. SCHILLING, C., 2002, “Culture, the ‘Sick Role’ and the Consumption of
34. Health”, British Journal of Sociology, 53 (4): 621-638. SONTAG, S., 1983, Illness as Metaphor, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books
35. SZASZ, T., 1974, Ideology and Insanity. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books
36. WHO, 1948, Preamble of the Constitution of the World Health Organisation as
37. Adopted by the International Health Conference. Official Records of the WHO, No.2. p.100. WILLIAMS, G. and POPAY, J., 2001, “Lay Health Knowledge and the Concept of the Lifeworld” . (in) Habermas, Critical Theory and Health, SCAMBLER,
38. G. (ed.) London: Routledge. WRIGHT, W., 1982, The Social Logic of Health. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. İnternet Kaynakları www.tuik.org.tr www.turkis.org