British Journal of Sociology
Опубликовано на портале: 23-03-2007
Chris Shilling
British Journal of Sociology.
2002.
Vol. 53.
No. 4.
P. 621-638.
This paper revisits Parsons's conception of the 'sick role' and examines the relevance
of his writings on the cultural understanding of sickness to the consumption of health
in the contemporary era. In terms of current developments, the author focuses on
the development of pro-active approaches towards the healthy body, and the growth
of "information rich" consumers of health care. These have become prominent themes
in sociology, and while Parsons's writings are usually viewed as anachronistic he
argues they remain highly pertinent to understanding the emergence of informed, body
conscious lay people. If Parsons's analysis of health is more relevant to current
circumstances than many critics assume, however, it is not unproblematic. The residual
categories associated with the sick role obscure the continued utility of his work
on the general cultural values informing health care. It is Parsons's analysis of
these values, Chris Shilling suggests, that needs rescuing from restricted understandings
of the sick role and highlighting as an important resource for contemporary theorists.
