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This Medicine and the Social Construction of Health bundle within the Health unit of A Level Sociology offers a rich and analytical exploration of how health, illness, and medical knowledge are shaped by social forces rather than just biological facts. The PDF summary outlines key sociological perspectives on health—including Functionalist, Marxist, Feminist, and Interactionist views—and explains concepts such as the sick role (Parsons), medicalisation (Illich and Foucault), and the social model vs biomedical model of health. It examines how ideas of illness vary across cultures, time periods, and social groups, and how definitions of health can reflect power and inequality.

The PowerPoint presentation breaks down complex theories and case studies with accessible visuals and up-to-date examples, including debates around mental health, gendered diagnoses, and the medicalisation of everyday life (e.g. ADHD, childbirth, menopause).

A focused podcast episode explores how medicine functions as a form of social control, how patients’ experiences differ across class and gender, and how trust in medical professionals is socially shaped. The question bank features a mix of short-answer and extended-response questions with model answers, such as “Evaluate the view that medicine acts as an agent of social control” and “Assess the usefulness of the social constructionist approach to health and illness.” An interactive quiz helps students reinforce key concepts, theorists, and debates in an engaging and effective way.

Altogether, this bundle equips learners to critically examine how health and illness are understood and managed in society, making it essential for mastering one of the most conceptually rich areas of the Health unit.