III. Key Theories and Conceptual Models

Life Course Theory

• Cohorts of people born during the same period experience

• How earlier theories can condition later events, formulate life trajectories results in particular outcomes

• Ex: professor living through 90s, 9/11, Iraq war, 2008 recession, covid recession, tarriffs, loss of medicaid, etc. 

  • Most educated generation, home buying, etc. 

Cumulative Advantage / Disadvantage

• Advantage: socioeconomic advantages accumulate

• Disadvantage: disparities also accumulate

Cumulative Inequality

• Early disadvantage can increase later life risks to healthv

Fundamental Cause Theory (Lincoln falon)

• Influence multiple diseases (heart disease, diabetes)

• Affect health through multiple mechs (exposure to hazards, lifestyle choices (poverty, limited housing, food insecurity)

• Maintain health inequalities over time: vaccines being most accessible to the rich

• Involve access to resources: money, power, knowledge, social support, edu/income/occupational prestige

General Adaptation Syndrome

• Stage 1: stressor event - initial stressor event, moment of fear/panic/threat

• Stage 2: bio-adaption in adrenal cortex

• Stage 3: exhaustion - premature aging of the body

Sick Role - Rights and Responsibilities

• Rights: exempted from normal social role (taking sick day), blameless and can require care

• Responsibilities: regard illness as undesirable, seek help, comply with prescriptions. 

Religious/Moral Model of Disability 

• Disability as punishment

• Reincarnation, witchcraft, creator's displeasure

• Bad actions of parents

• Associated with feelings of shame/guilt

Individual Model of Disability

• Disability as personal failing, a tragedy, people as worthy of pity

Tragedy / Charity Model of Disability

• Disabled people as victims

  • Dependent/in need of constant care

  • Used to fund charities 

  • 2nd most used model in society

Medical Model of Disability

• Focus: physical/mental limitations

  • WHO definitions

  • Unconnected to society

  • Individual problem

• Criticisms:

  • Ignores individual experiences

  • Fails to comprehend impact of stigma 

Rehabilitation / Expert Model of Disability

• Disability as deficiency 

  • Interventions, fixer and fixer

  • Authoritarian style, not listening to clients

Social Model of Disability

Reject individual/medical model

Adresses opression/discrimination

Identify and remove barriers

Lived experiences