The relative impact of status and health variables upon sick-role expectations

This study deals with the relative impact of socioeconomic status and the level of physical and emotional health upon the sick-role concepts of the laymen in a comprehensive health care system. The selection of variables was guided by our recognition that Parsons' "deviation" model of the sick-role ignores the importance of environmental resources, in particular those that are required for coping with chronic illness and permanent handicaps. No significant differences were found across social classes with regard to serious acute illnesses. By contrast, significant differences between occupational groups were found for chronic illnesses, in which recovery and resumption of independent functioning depend more on the patient's own resources than on professional medical care. The lower the occupational status, the more dependency the patient was allowed. These differences are largely attributable to socioeconomic rather than to cultural resources and to the state of health.