The sociology of health examines the connection between health and society. According to Nettleton, medical sociology considers social and cultural factors affecting medicine and health care. The functionalist perspective best explains this concept since it views health as essential to stability in society. As a result, sickness is considered a deviation, which defines the specific role of sick people.
In particular, they are not treated as responsible for their disease or condition. The social functions of sick people can change based on the severity of the illness. In turn, the responsibilities of the sick include seeking professional help and recovering. In this case, society remains functional, and the functionalist perspective emphasizes the importance of people’s health to social outcomes.