Human health and recovery from illness have remained a priority of human generations for centuries. Sociology as a discipline of knowledge has played a critical role in helping humanity in this regard, with all available resources in its lap. Several health-related issues, gathering valuable information concerning them, various diseases, and their respective solutions can also be tackled with sociological perspectives. The reviews on given articles manifest this objective.
Making Epistemic Citizens: Young People and the Search for Reliable and Credible Sexual Health Information (Fraser et al., 2021)
The article Fraser et al. (2021) focuses on young people’s desire to access knowledge and information on multiple issues, primarily sexuality and sexual health. In the age of modern technologies, the acquiring of sexual as well as reproductive health information is global strives among youth worldwide. In this regard, the role of modern internet technologies and social media is critical, but the real question arises about the reliability and credibility of information sources. The stated article inspects “collateral reality” regarding the sources of reproductive health information. The qualitative data collected from a sample of thirty-seven youngsters reveals that youth approaches a range of sources about sexual health information and find it incomplete and defective in the contemporary world. The collateral reality faced as modern difficulties by the youth about sexual health information can be termed as ‘epistemic citizenship’.
However, the young ones striving for such sexual health information indulge in a complex research process comprising several steps. These may be differentiating between facts and experiences, a huge thirst for multiple sources, and finally, the development of expertise hierarchies. In this way, they are aware of the limitations of official knowledge about sexuality and go for alternative and unofficial sources of such information which are unauthentic. Such needs and the respective searches produce a particular episteme relating to specific strata of citizens. The young generation in this aspect needs reliable sources of sexual health information to split science and experience. For this reason, they intend to find the truth, which also proves partially worth able. Resultantly, their world revolves around fact, experience, opinion, scientific knowledge, and advanced literature producing more sophisticated “epistemic citizenship”.
Moreover, the article relates to the course material. Modern technology should be used to solve the problems but by the respective experts. The unauthentic and unreliable sources of information produce problems while the source of expert opinion can solve the problem. Lupton has rightly said,
“That hidden illness must be decoded and exposed by experts, using high-technology equipment and advanced knowledge (Lupton, 2012, p. 112)”.
Similarly, people become curious regarding various health issues being faced by them from time to time, and specific reliable sources should be there to tackle such situations. The words of the author explicitly direct as,
“Without the historical perspective, the beliefs and behaviors of people in response to health issues often appear inexplicable, irrational and self-defeating (Lupton, 2012, p. 13)”.
And Breathe…’? The Sociology of Health and Illness in COVID‐19 Time (Will, 2020)
The article Will (2020), written at the outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic, focuses on the very initial problem of disease, i.e., breathing in alliance with possible preventive measures. It aims to devise a comparative analysis of pandemics with a sociological perspective of illness and health. The importance of social protection directly relates to the sociology of illness and health. The pandemic at the start was a dream that wished to be ended in little time, and the stated article is not based solely on research data and analysis but a comparison with previous pandemics in the world. The first main risk to life in this pandemic is a shortcoming of breath due to virus spread. Humanity is facing the same challenge: reducing the transmission of the virus in various regions around the globe. The appropriate strategy to meet this challenge is keeping a social distance so that infection cannot spread from one to the other. The condition is not a problem for those who are sensitive in daily routine and lived with physical distance as well as adopted hygiene measures for years. Their previous habit proved the prevention of infection for them.
However, there is insufficient knowledge about this pandemic except for its nomenclature. The knowledge shared by the respective experts compares the situation with old pandemics like the outburst of influenza, Ebola, avian and other flu. The deduction in this regard only leads to apply precautionary measures like repeatedly hand wash, usage of disinfectants, covering of nasal and mouth openings, social distancing, and self-isolation. These may reduce the severity of disease among the masses. The policymakers emphasize devising policies that restrict movement in this aspect. Especially limiting the movement of nation-states across the borders excluding a particular group indicating racial discrimination regarding geopolitical boundaries. Meanwhile, the working community around the world should adopt new work dimensions by using modern technologies.
Moreover, there are links between the Sociology of health and illness and critical data-based studies to devise new dimensions regarding reducing this disease. In this regard, further research can open strong and new fields in Sociology by establishing new interests in the domain of health and illness. The new fields may interact with other branches of knowledge like anthropology, science, technology, as well as international relations.
Meanwhile, the stated article has links with the course as well. The need for research on certain diseases can be estimated, and the outcomes can provide relief to humanity. The writer has rightly pointed out that:
“The increasing focus on medical research on the genetic basis of illness and disease has also influenced ways of viewing risk and moral culpability for illness (Lupton, 2012, p. 93).”
Similarly, the impact and significance of research can open new dimensions and horizons, which ultimately lead to the benefit of the human body and humanity. The shreds of evidence by the writer in such words as:
“Little empirical research has attempted to discover the ways in which people articulate their sense of body boundaries in this era of ‘Body McCarthyism’ (Lupton, 2012, p. 36).”
References
Fraser, S., Moore, D., Waling, A., & Farrugia, A. (2021). Making epistemic citizens: Young people and the search for reliable and credible sexual health information. Social Science & Medicine, 276, 113817.
Will, C. M. (2020). ‘And breathe…’? The sociology of health and illness in COVID‐19 time. Sociology of health & illness.
Lupton, D. (2012). Medicine as culture: illness, disease and the body.
