Introduction
In many countries, the health care system is different, but its purpose, regardless of location, is to provide quality services to promote health. However, the US health care system has many shortcomings, and the main one is inadequate access to health services for residents with low income and social status. This problem has been documented in many sources that discuss it from various perspectives and theories, and Conley’s You May Ask Yourself is one of them. Another way of studying a problem requires personal experience or real-life examples of people who are left without medical care in the United States. Michael Moore’s Sicko film helps to see such people and relive their experiences with them. However, a complete understanding of the problem is only possible by combining these two methods and connecting emotional experience with scientific facts. For this reason, this paper explores Michael Moore’s Sicko relating it to Conley’s text You May Ask Yourself to find their connections and highlight US healthcare issues.
Arguments and Techniques in the Film
Michael Moore begins the film by showing a man who stitches up his knee because he lacks health insurance. He uses faulty analogy in comparing free healthcare to socialism. One of the bronchial drugs prescribed to a woman costs hundreds of dollars in the United States, but just five cents in Cuba. At this point, it is clear to the audience that the American healthcare system is vastly outstripping its requirements (Moore, 2007). He shows a darker side of American healthcare whereby people who cannot afford their medical bills are pushed out of some hospitals and are forced to manage on their own. It makes one wonder how someone could do such a thing to a person in need. Moore further explores how after 9/11, first responders do not get medical treatment in the United States, and they are taken to Cuba for free medical treatment. This makes an individual develop a new respect for Moore. The last question that Moore asks at the end of his documentary is “who are we?” while referring to the terrible things happening in the healthcare system.
Sicko in Relation to Conley’s An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist
The film is related to socialization agents in that it shows the true nature of American healthcare. It disproved some previously held beliefs that free health care is has a problem. It was shocking to see how good hospitals in other nations care for their people even though the citizens pay little or nothing for it by providing free room and board and free transportation residence (Moore, 2007). In the United Kingdom, the medication that one is prescribed costs the same low flat rate for any other citizen or type of drug. This is remarkable given that the same medication in the United States would cost hundreds of dollars more (Conley, 2017). Conley states that people give meaning and value ideas developed through social interaction. The interaction between the healthcare system and American citizens is flawed, and this can be attributed to the socially constructed reality
The plot of the film employed by Moore is such that he aims to discover the facts about health insurance companies in the United States. During his voyage, he learns that our healthcare system is inequitable and, in some cases, unjust. He goes on to say that the healthcare systems in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and even Cuba are superior to that of the United States (Moore, 2007). This can be related to Conley’s stratification concept, which states that the upper class in America is associated with wealth, income, and power. The forms of stratification have increased over the years, and this is reflected in the film. For instance, in the movie, the obese man in his 40s is the narrator, and the 9/11 survivors struggle to seek medication (Moore, 2007). The social ladder has therefore affected service delivery, as shown in the film.
Another concept portrayed in the film is the myth of race. Conley outlines that being white is advantageous compared to other races because it means living up to expected standards. This might explain the level of inequality seen in the US’s healthcare system (Conley, 2017). However, being white does not necessarily mean having power over other races, as Michael transports the men and women who lack free medical insurance to Cuba to get treatment, regardless of their color.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Moore’s film provides a lot of helpful insight that offers practicability in understanding Conley’s concepts in his text. For instance, Sicko brings to light how inequality is manifested in healthcare systems in the United States. At the same time, it shows how stratification in society contributes to these inequalities. The film is vital in providing helpful information that can be used to hold meaningful discussions in the future.
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (6th ed.). Routledge.
Moore, M. (2007). Sicko [Film]. Ascot Elite Home Entertainment. Web.