Latent functions of the sick role in various institutional settings

Abstract

Using Merton's concept of latent functions, this paper asks whether the sick role can contribute to social stability. The sick role provides a controllable form of deviance which mitigates potentially disruptive conflicts between personality needs and the social system's role demands. Although details vary in each institutional setting, the sick role is found to serve stabilizing social functions in the family, mental hospital, totalitarian state, penal institution, armed forces and Selective Service System.