Question

According to ________, the sick role exemption is temporary and relative to the severity of the illness. The exemption also requires that a physician must certify that the illness is genuine.

A) Emile Durkheim
B) Talcott Parsons
C) Michel Foucault
D) Max Weber

Answer 1

Talcott Parsons formulated the concept of the sick role, indicating that a person's exemption from societal roles due to illness is temporary and must be certified by a doctor.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Talcott Parsons, the sick role exemption is temporary and relative to the severity of the illness. The exemption also requires that a physician must certify that the illness is genuine. Parsons developed the idea of the sick role within the functionalist perspective, asserting that health is essential for the stability of society. Hence, illness must be regulated and verified by physicians, who act as gatekeepers of societal norms concerning health and sickness. This system has led to a model in which doctors wield considerable power over individuals' sick roles, necessitating the validation of illness through a medical professional's certification.