In the modern United States, it has become common practice to finagle the health care system by bargaining with doctors or pursuing alternative treatment plans. This culture of taking individual health and healthcare into one’s own hands has been regarded by sociologists as “‘doing’ health care.” One of the first massive, country-wide instances of “doing” health care was during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and early 90s. Although hundreds of thousands of people were dropping dead left and right as a result of the disease, social institutions, such as the government and health care industries, essentially refused to research a treatment drug. It was particularly hard for this group of people to gain traction with their movement because the
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Healthcare System.” All of the families she studied had children who were severely ill with various types of cancers or degenerative neurological diseases. In the article, some families relied heavily on “doing” health, while others kept to themselves and relied primarily on the doctor’s guidance. The varying success of people “doing” your own health is heavily dependent on cultural health capital. Cultural health capital (CHC) is defined by Shim (2010) as “the repertoire of cultural skills, verbal and nonverbal competencies, attitudes and behaviors, and interactional styles, cultivated by patients and clinicians alike.” Those who are more aware of the latest medical treatments or terminologies (i.e. those with higher cultural health capital), tend to have more positive results when doing health care. In Gengler’s article, the Marins were a family with a high level of cultural health capital. They were extraordinary informed about their situation, and had the means to pursue the best medical care possible for their child. Though health and healthcare can be “done” by essentially anyone, cultural health capital weighs in heavily on the outcome. Male birth control is an area of health care that has great potential to be “done.” As shown by the AIDS epidemic, a potential medical option will often not become available without significant protest. There are no current, …show more content…
Oftentimes, people feel the need to do their own health, because nobody else will do it for them. Disadvantaged people fighting for their right to be healthy, such as ACT UP during the AIDS epidemic, is not only empowering, but ultimately effective. The families discussed in “Getting the Most Out of the U.S. Healthcare System” were able to reach more effective treatments for their sick children as a result of using their own cultural health capital and taking control. While there are certainly negatives that stem from the over involvement of patients in their own medical procedures, “doing” health care can be an immensely functional way to get the most out of the health care industry. With a social networking providing a more direct connection between consumers and medical professionals in the modern world, it is likely that “doing” health care will only become more prominent as time
Healthcare System.” All of the families she studied had children who were severely ill with various types of cancers or degenerative neurological diseases. In the article, some families relied heavily on “doing” health, while others kept to themselves and relied primarily on the doctor’s guidance. The varying success of people “doing” your own health is heavily dependent on cultural health capital. Cultural health capital (CHC) is defined by Shim (2010) as “the repertoire of cultural skills, verbal and nonverbal competencies, attitudes and behaviors, and interactional styles, cultivated by patients and clinicians alike.” Those who are more aware of the latest medical treatments or terminologies (i.e. those with higher cultural health capital), tend to have more positive results when doing health care. In Gengler’s article, the Marins were a family with a high level of cultural health capital. They were extraordinary informed about their situation, and had the means to pursue the best medical care possible for their child. Though health and healthcare can be “done” by essentially anyone, cultural health capital weighs in heavily on the outcome. Male birth control is an area of health care that has great potential to be “done.” As shown by the AIDS epidemic, a potential medical option will often not become available without significant protest. There are no current, …show more content…
Oftentimes, people feel the need to do their own health, because nobody else will do it for them. Disadvantaged people fighting for their right to be healthy, such as ACT UP during the AIDS epidemic, is not only empowering, but ultimately effective. The families discussed in “Getting the Most Out of the U.S. Healthcare System” were able to reach more effective treatments for their sick children as a result of using their own cultural health capital and taking control. While there are certainly negatives that stem from the over involvement of patients in their own medical procedures, “doing” health care can be an immensely functional way to get the most out of the health care industry. With a social networking providing a more direct connection between consumers and medical professionals in the modern world, it is likely that “doing” health care will only become more prominent as time