has become the norm for them due to their living conditions. They may not be able to afford medical care, and they may not be well educated, so they don't understand the severity of leaving a medical condition untreated. For this reason they may never seek medical attention. In contrast, someone who belongs to a higher class will be better educated on what to do when he feels bad. They will most likely seek medical attention right away, because the disease is not the norm for them. They can also afford private medical care if necessary. Overall, many people leave illnesses there undiagnosed and untreated for various reasons such as financial/social status, culture, religion, and gender. In some cultures it is left to the male to decide who is sick enough to seek medical help and who is not, and even then whether he is allowed to accept that help. Some religions do not believe in certain types of treatment such as blood transfusions, and it is commonly known that women tolerate illnesses much better than men. 4.1- SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES Functionalists believe that society is a structure that functions through interrelated parts, each with its own role. If an individual is sick, he becomes a deviant with respect to the structure that is society. Deviant means that he is not the norm and does not fit into society. To get around this problem the functionalist perspective uses the sick role. An individual may assume the sick role to be excused from his or her usual duties until he or she is well enough to resume them. Marxism focuses on a conflictual vision that emphasizes social differences and the conflicting interests and values ​​of different groups in society. Marxism serves the interest of the powerful and dominant classes in society. The... half of the document... p://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/sociology/biomedical-and-the-socio-medical-models-of-health.html [Accessed: January 5, 2014].Puffjacket. (2010) Why is health difficult to define? [online] Available at: http://www.etudier.com/dissertations/Why-Is-Health-Difficult-To-Define/35259.html [Accessed: 5 January 2014].Walsh, M. (2011) BTEC national health and social care. London: Collins Education.WHO. (2006) Constitution of the World Health Organization. [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_en.pdf [Accessed: 12 December 2013].WHO. (2006) Constitution of the World Health Organization [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_en.pdf [Accessed: 15 December 2013].Williams, H. (2014 ) What Is the Biomedical Model? [online] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-biomedical-model.htm [Accessed: January 5 2014].