10.1 Chapter Learning Objectives and Overview
Kathryn Burrows and Kimberly Puttman
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
- Explain how health is a social problem.
- Compare models of health that sociologists and health researchers use to explain inequality in health outcomes.
- Describe how sociologists make sense of health and illness over time.
- Evaluate the interdependent solutions for social justice equity in health outcomes, particularly during COVID-19.
Chapter Overview
My deepest gratitude goes to Kim Puttman, who helped guide me as I wrote this chapter during a tumultuous period of my life. She was a thoughtful tutor and mentor, and this chapter wouldn’t have been written without her.
– Kathryn Burrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jks6zAYQFcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsJr2u3V83U
By now, we probably can all tell a story about how COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Coronavirus N.d.), has impacted our lives. Some of us have had family members or friends pass away. Some of us are still experiencing lingering symptoms from a COVID-19 infection, called long-haul or long COVID-19, as seen in Figure 10.1. Some of our kids just felt achy or tired for a day and then got better. Some of us may not know anyone who was personally affected by COVID-19. Pause for a moment to think about your own COVID-19 health story and consider the many ways that this disease has affected society in the United States and worldwide.
My personal COVID-19 story has many layers. My wife and I quarantined, masked, and stayed socially distant for over two years. We isolated ourselves stringently because both of us have underlying health conditions which would make surviving COVID-19 difficult. My four parents followed these same protocols, missing visits with grandchildren, graduations, and family holidays. My dad had his 80th birthday party on Zoom, an event that we never could have predicted. My brothers and their families quarantined as requested early in the pandemic. They attended school from home, just as many governors ordered.
Luckily, no one in my close family had to be hospitalized for COVID-19, and no one passed away. People in my close family got sick, but everyone has recovered. Luck might have kept my family well, but equally important to consider is my social location. My family had safe, warm, comfortable housing where we could quarantine. We could order food and supplies online, and people would deliver them to our door. Many of us were able to complete our work remotely or at least adjust our work schedules. Although we had to wait until our age groups were eligible, our family had relatively easy access to vaccines. While these advantages don’t guarantee health, they gave us options to respond effectively during the pandemic.
This story highlights how health itself becomes a social problem, not just a medical one. Common sense tells us that since COVID-19 is a disease, it should affec