Which statement best defines Talcott Parsons' concept of the sick role?

Which statement best defines Talcott Parsons' concept of the sick role?

• A. A biological condition with no social norms.
• B. A personal attitude toward illness.
• C. A social role that excuses illness from normal duties but requires seeking help and trying to get well.
• D. A legal status that mandates hospital admission.

Answer: (C)

Parsons’ idea is that illness is a social role with set expectations for how a person should behave. The sick person is granted temporary exemption from normal duties, and they're not blamed for being ill. In return, there’s an obligation to seek appropriate medical help and to do what’s needed to get well. This captures the balance between being excused from responsibilities and actively engaging with treatment to recover. This differs from the other options because simply describing biology ignores social norms, a personal attitude focuses on mindset rather than social behavior, and a legal status implies a formal mandate rather than a set of normative expectations about conduct and treatment-seeking.

Parsons’ idea is that illness is a social role with set expectations for how a person should behave. The sick person is granted temporary exemption from normal duties, and they're not blamed for being ill. In return, there’s an obligation to seek appropriate medical help and to do what’s needed to get well. This captures the balance between being excused from responsibilities and actively engaging with treatment to recover.

This differs from the other options because simply describing biology ignores social norms, a personal attitude focuses on mindset rather than social behavior, and a legal status implies a formal mandate rather than a set of normative expectations about conduct and treatment-seeking.