The sick role—Illness and pregnancy

It is argued that, although women who are pregnant occupy a special position in society and in certain situations fulfill unique expectations, this normal state cannot be considered a form of illness, and cannot ordinarily be viewed in terms of Parson's sick role paradigm.

Abstract

This paper is primarily concerned with whether the social position occupied by pregnant women in Western society can be regarded as the same as that occupied by the sick. After an introductory discussion of some important sociological concepts consideration is given to the idea of a sick role as conceptualized principally by Talcott Parsons. It is suggested that for a variety of reasons, the state of pregnancy is in some ways different from "ordinary" illness and cannot be viewed in terms of any of the four expectations thought to be associated with the sick role. Intercultural and intracultural variations in conceptions of illness and pregnancy along with the unstructuredness of the state in Western societies are also briefly touched upon. It is argued that, although women who are pregnant occupy a special position in society and in certain situations fulfill unique expectations, this normal state cannot be considered a form of illness, and cannot ordinarily be viewed in terms of Parson's sick role paradigm.