Sick Role Memoir
Being sick is a universal human experience. Think about a time when you, a family member, or a close friend was sick. Write a personal memoir along the
lines of Alice Trillin’s “Of Dragons and Garden Peas.” What was it like to be ill, or to deal with the illness of someone close to you? Did you
experience any socialization into the “Land of the Sick People”? How so? Were there any special rituals or talismans associated with illness? Consider
whether you fulfilled the sick role as envisioned by Talcott Parsons. If so, in what ways? How did you deviate from Parsons’ model? DISCUSS BOTH
TRILLIN’S ARTICLE & THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF PARSONS’ SICK ROLE IN YOUR PAPER.
