The Social Role Mastering of the Patient during Childhood

The article analyzes the body of social sciences and humanities knowledge about the process and results of mastering patient’s role in childhood. A definition is offered of a minor patient role as a transitive state of behavior for the development of medical-preventive and medical-therapeutic actions aimed at sustaining one's health. The problems of normative institutionalization and habituation, as well as objectification of such practices for the child are discussed. Basing on a study of modern childhood events impact on the development of independence and growing up, conclusions were made about the importance of role-playing training by way of practicing routine everyday activities: performing medical manipulations on one’s own body at home in case of illness and visiting a doctor. A correlation was found between the age of mastering the elements of this role in the process of socialization and the gender of the respondents, the type/composition of the parental family, its wealth, place of residence and medical infrastructure. In conclusion, the necessity is substantiated to study childhood socialization process for the formation of healthy adult members of society leading a correct lifestyle, and self-preserving behavior of people with disabilities.

social role, child, patient, sociology of childhood, sociology of medicine, socialization