What are the norms of Parsons' sick role?

• A. Rights of exemption from normal duties and obligation to seek care and recover.
• B. No exemption from normal duties.
• C. No obligation to seek care.
• D. Permanent exemption from health care.

Answer: (B)

Parsons’ sick role treats illness as a temporary social status with specific expectations. The person who is sick is granted a right: exemption from normal social duties, so they aren’t expected to perform usual roles while ill. At the same time, there is a duty: to seek competent medical help and to strive to recover. This combination—being exempt from normal duties, paired with the obligation to seek care and work toward recovery—best captures the norms of the sick role.

Saying there is no exemption from duties or no obligation to seek care would contradict the idea that illness carries social permissions and responsibilities. The idea isn’t that people simply stop obligations; it’s that they temporarily gain some exemptions while actively pursuing recovery.