Health is defined as the physical state of being free from disease and injury as well as a good mental disposition (Lexico). Health extends into the physical environment, it relates to sanitation levels, the beauty of the physical environment, noise, air and other forms of pollution and people's perception of security and safety. From a sociological perspective, health is a multidimensional concept that has wide-ranging implications for the individual and society at large.
The World Health Organizations outlines that the determinants of health include:
the social and economic environment,
the physical environment, and
the person’s individual characteristics and behaviors (WHO).
The global threat of the coronavirus is the perfect example to explain how Health is a social issue that affects everyone, irrespective of age, gender, nationality, or any other characteristic. Let's look at the big picture, we will focus on this social issue as it relates to:
1. The individual
2. The local community
3. The national community
4. The global community.
"This particular outbreak of coronavirus revealed how a biological and epidemiological issue [could] be transformed to a social, economic and political subject" (Sadati, Lankarani, & Lankarani, 2020. p. 1). With wide-ranging social, economic, and political issues. Beginning at the individual level, which connects directly to the local, national, and international community. We are currently faced with the imminent threat of the spread of the virus.
1. The individual: Each person is held as socially responsible for ensuring that they do not spread the virus nor contract it. "[This] health crisis [is] directly linked to human behavior in the environment" (2020, p. 2). Functionalist theorists such as Parsons argue that sick individuals are not productive members of society. This is a “sanctioned deviance” - meaning the state of sickness is not the norm and must be monitored and remedied (by health professionals) to bring the 'sick' back to a state of 'normalcy'. In the case of the coronavirus, no one wants to be labeled as a 'sanctioned deviant'. Further, individuals do not want to feel that they are socially responsible for 'spreading the virus' amongst their immediate community. Thus people have taken on the more socially acceptable position of 'social distancing'. The term social distancing refers to the act of minimizing close social interaction amongst individuals. Social distancing is an approach used by health care professionals to slow the spread of highly contagious diseases (CDC, 2020).
2. The local community: We understand that the virus can have morbid and mortal implications for vulnerable members of the society - the elderly and those with known and unknown pre-existing health conditions. Community health focuses on the physical and mental well-being of the people in a specific geographic region (Brooks, 2019). It speaks to collective responsibility that seeks out the health interest of the wider community. What local communities are experiencing is a form of community health, that should generally be practiced. The average person is now ever conscious of the implications his/her actions can have on the health of others within their immediate social circles and physical space due to the contagious effect of the coronavirus.
3. The national community: The threat of the virus has had severe socio-economic implications for the individual, local, national, and global communities. Many countries have now closed their borders to limit international migration. Internal migration has also been discouraged by local governments in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Since the virus is spread by human to human contact.
4. The global community: The virus prompts us to see how connected the global community is, despite our perceived and not-perceived differences, geographical location, economic status, educational background, political orientation, and any other socially or biologically defined differentiating characteristics. The coronavirus has had a resounding short-term impact upon the international community, with implications at the societal, economic and political levels. We are yet to see the long-term effects this contagion would have after we have found a viable solution to eliminate its threat to humanity.
What is the relationship between Health and community?
We should recognize that "food and housing behavior had an important role in promoting [the] mutation [of the] virus" (Sadati, Lankarani, & Lankarani, 2020. p. 1). The health of the individual is directly related to the sanitation of the physical environment, food security, quality, and preparation standards, education, equity, and the robustness of national health care systems.
As sociology students, we should understand that, "[t]he outbreak of [the] coronavirus and its associated health and social consequences should be considered as one of the most important social events in human life in the 21st century. What made this outbreak different is the common sense of the fragility of human biological life and their demand for "sterile society," safe from any hazards" (2020, p.2). The current emphasis on the 'sterility of society' is the reflection of the search for the 'wellness/health' of society. When people feel society is safe, it also has implications for health and wellness at the more extensive societal level.
Dear colleagues and students, continue to take care, practice social distancing, do not be afraid, exercise wisdom.
Wishing you health, safety, and peace always.
References:
Brooks, A. (2019, March 4). What Is Community Health and Why Is It Important? Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/blog/what-is-community...
CDC. (2020, March 12). Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities with Local COVID-19 Transmission. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation...
Lexico. (n.d.). Health. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/health
Sadati, A., Lankarani, M., & Lankarani, K. (2020). Risk Society, Global Vulnerability, and Fragile Resilience; Sociological View on the Coronavirus Outbreak. Shiraz E - Medical Journal, 1–2. DOI: 10.5812/semj.102263.
WHO. (n.d.). The determinants of health. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/