I currently attend work placement two days per week as a support worker, the project provides person centred support for adults aged 18-65 who have physical disabilities, long term health conditions and early onset dementia and their aim is to reduce social isolation and promote community involvement encouraging …show more content…
Stephen could be seen as dysfunctional as he isn’t conforming to the norms of society, however in actual fact Stephen plays a massive part in society as he provides his care givers a role of ensuring he receives the required adequate care and support needed. One functionalist theorist Talcott Parsons (1902-1980) stated that if a person was ill then this was a form of deviance, he argued that people should be productive members of society and should they be unable to carry out his or her usual duties then a medical expert must sanction the deviance, this is a process which legitimates their illness proving that the person is truly sick and is in need or a more lenient set of expectations. Symbolic interactionism is a theory based on symbols used in society such as language and gestures, these help us give meaning to experiences and how we react in society. We think about how people will perceive us so we change the way we behave in certain circumstances depending on symbols and language used at any given time. I can relate this theory to Stephen as when he is part of the support group he pushes himself to his limits to fit in with other service users but when at home complains and can be abrupt towards Louise about being in pain, for example while swimming rather than sticking to …show more content…
After Stephens’s accident, it became very apparent that his mother would give up her part time job to take on all subservient roles and accept that she would be housewife and main parent and his father would become the main breadwinner taking not much part in the responsibilities of home life. Stephen has recreated this relationship with his own wife Louise and became over reliant on her for doing everything around the house and became agitated when she took on a part time job, Stephen believes that Louise should not work and be at