Understanding the Sociology of Health 4th edn. by
Understanding the Sociology of Health continues to offer an easy to read introduction to sociological theories essential to understanding the current health climate. Up-to-date with key policy and research, and including case studies and exercises to critically engage the reader, this book shows how sociology can answer complex questions about health and illness, such as why health inequalities exist. To better help with your studies this book contains: · a global perspective with international examples; · a new chapter on health technologies; · online access to videos of the author discussing key topics as well as recommended further readings; · a glossary, chapter summaries and reflective questions to help you engage with the subject. Though aimed primarily at students on health and social care courses and professions allied to medicine, this textbook provides valuable insights for anyone interested in the social aspects of health.
Health by
The second edition of Mildred Blaxter's successful and highly respected book offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the key debates surrounding the concept of health today. It discusses how health is defined, constructed, experienced and acted out in contemporary developed societies, drawing on a range of empirical data from the USA, Britain, France, and many other countries. The new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, with new material added on health and identity, the "new genetics", the sociology of the body, and the formation of health capital throughout the life course. The topic is the concept of health, rather than the more usual emphasis on illness and health-care systems. Special emphasis is given to the lay perspective to show how people themselves think about and experience health. Blaxter guides students through all the relevant conceptual models of the relationship of health to the structure of society, from inequality in health to the ideas of the risk society, the ?socio-biological translation? and the contribution of health to social capital. The book concludes with a comprehensively revised and thought-provoking discussion of the impact of new technology, the boundaries between life and death, modern commodification of health, technological transformations of the body and theories of evolutionary biology. Health is an invaluable textbook for students of medicine and other health professions as well as those studying sociology, health sciences and health promotion.
The Sociology of Health and Illness by 
The Sociology of Health, Illness, and Health Care by
Completely up to date and featuring a friendly style, THE SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND HEALTH CARE: A CRITICAL APPROACH, 7th Edition delivers a comprehensive, cutting-edge overview that will challenge you to think creatively and analytically about health and health care. You'll gain an understanding of how social forces affect who gets ill, how we think about illness, how we get our health care, and what it is like to work in the health care field. You will also have the chance to explore the ethical dilemmas that underlie modern health care as well as the politics behind those dilemmas. Although the text focuses on health within the United States, it also examines how health, illness, and health care differ around the world.
An Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Illness by
"An accessible and highly readable introduction to the Sociology of Health and Illness through the inclusion of key theorists, concepts, and theories, with reference to contemporary health concerns and recent relevant research." - Kylie Baldwin, De Montfort University"Guides us through the many reasons for the centrality of health, showing clearly that health and illness are the products not just of our biology but of the society into which we are born...an authoritative analysis of the social nature of health." - Ray Fitzpatrick, University of OxfordThis bestselling text introduces students to the core principles of the sociology of health, demonstrating the relationship between social structures and the production and distribution of health and disease in modern society. Written with a truly sociological and critical perspective, the book tackles themes such as class, gender and ethnicity, and engages with a range of theories and theorists, including Foucault, Fleck, Parsons, Weber, and Kuhn.The third edition has been thoroughly updated to include the latest cutting-edge thinking in the area, with new empirical examples, updated references, and new sections on ′Thought Styles after Fleck', and 'Transformations of the Medical Profession.′ It also uses helpful learning features including chapter overviews, case studies, summaries and further reading suggestions, to provide stimulating and thought-provoking exercises for students in health, nursing and sociology schools.
Social Causes of Health and Disease by
In this stimulating book, William C. Cockerham, a leading medical sociologist, assesses the evidence that social factors (such as stress, poverty, unhealthy lifestyles, and unpleasant living and work conditions) have direct causal effects on health and many diseases. Noting a new emphasis upon social structure in both theory and multi-level research techniques, the author argues that a paradigm shift has been emerging in 21st-century medical sociology, which looks beyond individual explanations for health and disease. The field has headed toward a fundamentally different orientation, and Cockerham's work has been at the forefront of these changes. The second edition of his compelling account has been thoroughly revised and updated with further contemporary developments, and also includes an expanded discussion of the relationship between race and health as well as new material on health care reform and social policy. This engaging text will be indispensable reading for all students and scholars of medical sociology, especially those with the courage to confront the possibility that society really does make people sick.
Key Concepts in Body and Society by
This book provides a clear, focused road map to the study of the body in society. It defines, explains and applies core topics relating to the human body demonstrating how we approach it as a social phenomenon.Each concept:Includes an easy to understand definitionProvides real-world examplesGives suggestions for further readingIs carefully cross-referenced to other related conceptsWritten to meet the needs of the modern student this book offers the basic materials, tools and guidance needed study and write about the body.
Models of Mental Health by
This key text book presents a critical overview of the main theoretical perspectives relevant to mental health practice and argues that no one theory provides a comprehensive framework for practice. By examining traditional models of mental health, as well as new, it challenges some of the accepted views in the field and illustrates the importance of recognising the contribution, strengths and limitations of the range of different ideas. Part of Palgrave's Foundations of Mental Health Practice series, this is indispensable reading for any one studying or working in mental health, whether as a nurse or social worker.
Health and Social Theory by
What we consider to be 'healthy' is shaped by society; we compare our own health with those around us and identify illness according to social norms. But how are these standards established and how do they change? Is health a 'personal trouble' or a 'public issue'? And can Sociology allow us to develop a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of health? This book examines how social theory shows us that health is not only shaped by our access to medical interventions, but also by power and inequality. From the personal experience of the unwell individual to the social, historical, cultural, and economic factors that affect national morbidity rates, the text looks at medical sociology from micro and macro levels. The chapters use examples from the most significant empirical work in the field to shed light on and challenge classical and contemporary social theory. In particular, the book looks at recent developments in medical sociology by specifically analysing:* Inequities based on income, gender, and racism* The role of the pharmaceutical industry in shaping our ideas about disease * Medical encounters and the medicalization of everyday life* The structure of health care systems and health care reformsHealth and Social Theory is a concise, comprehensive and cutting edge account of medical sociology. It is essential critical reading for all scholars and students interested in the field.
Body Studies by
In recent years, body studies has expanded rapidly, becoming an increasingly popular field of study within anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. This groundbreaking textbook takes the topics and theories from these disciplines, and combines them into one single, easily accessible text for students. Body Studies is a comprehensive textbook on the social and cultural uses and meanings of the body, for use in undergraduate college courses. Its clear, accessible chapters explore, among other things: the measurement and classification of the human body illness and healing the racialized body the gendered body cultural perceptions of beauty new bodily technologies. This book investigates how power plays an important role in the uses, views, and shapes of the body¿as well as how the body is invested with meaning. Body Studies provides a wealth of pedagogic features for ease of teaching and learning: ethnographic case studies, boxes covering contemporary controversies, news stories, and legislative issues, as well as chapter summaries, further reading recommendations, and key terms. This book will appeal to students and teachers of sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, women¿s studies, gender studies, and ethnic studies.
The Sociology of Healthcare by
A comprehensive collection of classic and contemporary readings in the sociology of health. The Sociology of Healthcare will stimulate debate, reflexive practice and critical thinking in applied sociology and is aimed at the teaching and learning needs of both lecturers and students.
The Body by
The body has become an increasingly significant concept in recent years and this Readeroffers a stimulating overview of the main topics, perspectives and theories surrounding the issue. This broad consideration of the body presents an engagement with a range of social concerns, from the processes of racialization to the vagaries of fashion and performance art, enacted as surgery on the body. Individual sections cover issues such as: the body and social (dis)order bodies and identities bodily norms bodies in health and dis-ease bodies and technologies. Containing an extensive critical introduction, contributions from key figures such as Butler, Sedgwick, Martin Scheper-Huges, Haraway and Gilroy, and a series of introductions summarizing each section, this Readeroffers students a valuable practical guide and a thorough grounding in the fascinating topic of the body.
Key Concepts in Medical Sociology. 2nd edn. by 
Contested Bodies of Childhood and Youth by
Demonstrating the contested and differentiated nature of childhood and youth embodiment, this book responds to political and media discourses that stigmatise 'unruly' youthful bodies, by combining the critical analysis of imagined and disciplined youthful bodies with a focus on young people's lived and performed, embodied subjectivities.
Embodying Health Identities by
How do we know we are ill? Are health, illness and disability universal categories? How important is the body in our understanding of health? These crucial questions are just some of the issues tackled in this comprehensive and insightful new book. Embodying Health Identities offers a fundamental account of the sociology of health, exploring the relationship between health and identity through a focus on embodiment. Bringing together existing literature with new cutting edge theories, the authors investigate the implications of the body on our experiences of health and illness and its role in how health, illness and identity relate to each other. The text begins by outlining the key concepts of health and illness, and then continues with an exploration of the social factors which impact on health and a consideration of the journey of illness, from causation to treatment, across the life course. Throughout the text, theoretical arguments are effectively illustrated with contemporary examples taken from every day life and a diverse range of cultures. Written by two reputed authors in the field, this accessible text offers stimulating and refreshing reading for all students of the sociology and anthropology of health.
Representing Health by
Representing Health addresses the importance of the media in shaping and reflecting public perceptions and attitudes to health and illness. Bringing together contributions from a variety of academic disciplines, this lively text examines contemporary theoretical debates and analyzes media as diverse as television, cinema, literature, print media and the Internet. Centring around themes of 'virtual' bodies, audiences, representations and public health, it examines discourses of sexuality, gender, race, disability, childhood, medico-moral panics, regulation and governmentality.
Social Aspects of Health, Illness and Healthcare by
"This is an easy-to-read introductory text exploring the social aspects of health, illness and healthcare. Key concepts are introduced carefully and there is a helpful glossary of key terms. Activities and discussion points enable students to pace their learning and illustrative case studies bring the text to life. In short, this is a gentle yet comprehensive introduction which will no doubt become popular with lecturers and students alike." Dr Sarah Earle, Associate Dean Research, The Open University, UK "Larkin''s book provides an excellent and accessible read for students studying health related disciplines... a useful resource for those new to the subject area of social aspects of health, health care and illness and a good refresher for those that may not have studied the subject for some time or those returning to study. The reader will be left feeling informed around the key issues and theories." Sabina Sattar, Senior Lecturer, University of Central Lancashire, UK "I wish to congratulate Mary Larkin for creating such a useful resource. The structure of this book and the writing style employed makes light work of complex subjects. The overview at the beginning of each chapter is useful to signpost the student to the topics covered. Because the book is well explained throughout it would be a useful core text for level 4 5 & 6 modules in pre-and post registration nursing in the UK. Each chapter of this book directs the students reading and the interactive design fosters independent learning. This is a well written comprehensive text and is a ''must'' for students in the pursuit of understanding the social aspects of health." Peggy Murphy, Senior Lecturer (Nursing), Glyndwr University, UK "Mary Larkin''s textbook offers the nursing student a lively insight into many applied aspects of the social aspects of health and illness. It uses a variety of theoretical perspectives, and all concepts are clearly extrapolated. A variety of devices are then utilised to facilitate knowledge and understanding. This is an excellent resource, which I would highly recommend." Siobhan McCullough, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen''s University Belfast, UK "Mary Larkin has written a comprehensive survey of contemporary health issues well suited to the needs of students of social aspects of health. Written in an accessible and lively style, the book covers an impressive range of theoretical approaches and substantive material, complemented by summaries, discussion questions and learning activities, to prompt students to reflect on their reading and to engage with the text." Hannah Bradby, University of Warwick, UK "I find this to be one of the most intuitive texts I have read to date as a student. Mary Larkin has an obvious passion for and belief in what she has written, making this all the more enjoyable and interesting to read." Roisin Kiernan, Student nurse, Queen''s University Belfast, UK "A valuable book owing to its excellent contents, its effective layout and clear method of delivering information. It is well worth the price." British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, May 2011 "I found this book to be very well thought out and well written... It gave me more insight into the academics of nursing. It''s a book that would have been very beneficial to me when I first embarked on my nursing course in understanding key concepts..." Antoinette Honegan, Student Nurse, Kingston University, UK This core textbook is the ideal companion text for students studying the social aspects of health and illness, whether it is as part of a health studies degree, nursing or other professional qualification related to health, social care, youth and community work and social work. Written at an introductory level this book is suitable for students new to this subject and looking for a broad and accessible text for use throughout their studies. The book provides a comprehensive and contemporary exploration of a wide range of topics within the subject area of the social aspects of health, illness and healthcare. In so doing, it explores and explains the different relationships between social categories and health, different experiences of illness and the role of the healthcare provider in society. It includes self-contained chapters on: Gender Social class Ethnicity Ageing Physical ill health Mental health and illness Disability Death and dying Families, communities and healthcare Healthcare organisations and professions In addition to drawing together many different sources within this subject area, this engaging book is full of case studies, primary sources and activities for study, all of which will help you get to grips with the core concepts and themes in the study of health, illness and healthcare.
When Illness Goes Public by
Steve McQueen had cancer and was keeping it secret. Then the media found out, and soon all of America knew. McQueen's high profile changed forever the way the public perceived a dreaded disease. In When Illness Goes Public, Barron H. Lerner describes the evolution of celebrities' illnesses from private matters to stories of great public interest. Famous people who have become symbols of illness include Lou Gehrig, the first "celebrity patient"; Rita Hayworth, whose Alzheimer disease went undiagnosed for years; and Arthur Ashe, who courageously went public with his AIDS diagnosis before the media could reveal his secret. And then there are private citizens like Barney Clark, the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart, and Lorenzo Odone, whose neurological disorder became the subject of a Hollywood film. While celebrity illnesses have helped to inform patients about treatment options, ethical controversies, and scientific proof, the stories surrounding these illnesses have also assumed mythical characteristics that may be misleading. Marrying great storytelling to an exploration of the intersection of science, journalism, fame, and legend, this book is a groundbreaking contribution to our understanding of health and illness.
Health Communication by
This book is about communicating for health and social change. With a clear focus on public health and health promotion practice, it provides a unique introduction to media and cultural studies perspectives on health communication. Health Communication explores the dynamic world of contemporary mass media and diverse forms of alternative, mobile and social media: • How are communities using media to communicate about health and advocate for social change? • What are the challenges and opportunities involved with using the media for health communication? • How can health promotion practitioners utilise media to create opportunities for more participatory and empowering approaches to health communication? This indispensable guide to health communication provides readers with detailed and practical insights into the role of media and culture in contemporary health issues. Accessible theory is blended with case studies from around the world giving students, academics, and practitioners an invaluable framework for practice and a rich source of material for discussion.
Medicine as Culture by
Lupton′s newest edition of Medicine as Culture is more relevant than ever. Trudy Rudge, Professor of Nursing, University of Sydney A welcome update of a text that has become a mainstay of the medical sociologist′s library. Alan Radley, Emeritus Professor of Social Psychology, Loughborough University Medicine as Culture introduces students to a broad range of cross-disciplinary theoretical perspectives, using examples that emphasize bodies and visual images. Lupton′s core contrast between lay perspectives on illness and medical power is a useful beginning point for courses teaching health and illness from a socio-cultural perspective. Arthur Frank, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary Medicine as Culture is unlike any other sociological text on health and medicine. It combines perspectives drawn from a wide variety of disciplines including sociology, anthropology, social history, cultural geography, and media and cultural studies. The book explores the ways in which medicine and health care are sociocultural constructions, ranging from popular media and elite cultural representations of illness to the power dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship. The Third Edition has been updated to cover new areas of interest, including: - studies of space and place in relation to the body - actor-network theory as it is applied in research related to medicine - The internet and social media and how they contribute to lay health knowledge and patient support - complementary and alternative medicine - obesity and fat politics. Contextualising introductions and discussion points in every chapter makes Medicine as Culture, Third Edition a rigorous yet accessible text for students. Deborah Lupton is an independent sociologist and Honorary Associate in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney.
Social Determinants of Health by
Social Determinants of Health, 2nd Edition gives an authoritative overview of the social and economic factors which are known to be the most powerful determinants of population health in modern societies. Written by acknowledged experts in each field, it provides accessible summaries of thescientific justification for isolating different aspects of social and economic life as the primary determinants of a population's health.The new edition takes account of the most recent research and also includes additional chapters on ethnicity and health, sexual behaviours, the elderly, housing and neighbourhoods.Recognition of the power of socioeconomic factors as determinants of health came initially from research on health inequalities. This has led to a view of health as not simply about individual behaviour or exposure to risk, but how the socially and economically structured way of life of apopulation shapes its health. Thus exercise and accidents are as much about a society's transport system as about individual decisions; and the nation's diet involves agriculture, food manufacture, retailing, and personal incomes as much as individual choice. But a major new element in the picturewe have developed is the importance of the social, or psycho-social, environment to health. For example, health in the workplace for most employees - certainly for office workers - is less a matter of exposure to physical health hazards as of the social environment, of how supportive it is, whetherpeople have control over their work, whether their jobs are secure. A similar picture emerges in other areas ranging from the health importance of the emotional environment in early childhood to the need for more socially cohesive communities.Social Determinants of Health should be read by those interested in the wellbeing of modern societies. It is a must for public health professionals, for health promotion specialists, and for people working in the many fields of public policy which we now know make such an important contribution tohealth.
Stuff by
Things make us just as much as we make things. And yet, unlike the study of languages or places, there is no discipline devoted to the study of material things. This book shows why it is time to acknowledge and confront this neglect and how much we can learn from focusing our attention on stuff. The book opens with a critique of the concept of superficiality as applied to clothing. It presents the theories that are required to understand the way we are created by material as well as social relations. It takes us inside the very private worlds of our home possessions and our processes of accommodating. It considers issues of materiality in relation to the media, as well as the implications of such an approach in relation, for example, to poverty. Finally, the book considers objects which we use to define what it is to be alive and how we use objects to cope with death. Based on more than thirty years of research in the Caribbean, India, London and elsewhere, Stuff is nothing less than a manifesto for the study of material culture and a new way of looking at the objects that surround us and make up so much of our social and personal life.
Doing Visual Research by
Doing Visual Research offers an innovative introduction to the use of photography, collaborative video, drawing, objects, multi-media production and installation in research. Claudia Mitchell explains how visual methods can be used as modes of inquiry as well as modes of representation for social research. The book looks at a range of conceptual and practical approaches to a range of tools and methods, while also highlighting the interpretive and ethical issues that arise when engaging in visual research. She draws on her own work in the field of visual research throughout to offer extensive examples from a variety of settings and with a variety of populations. Topics covered include: Photographs and memory work studies Drawing as a participatory visual methodology Working with images/Writing about images Can visual methods make a difference? From practice to policy Doing Visual Research takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of visual research, producing a practical introduction to the subject that will be of great use to students and researchers across the social sciences, and in particular in education, communication, sociology, gender, development, social work and public health. Available with Perusall--an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.
Health Studies by
This new edition of a very successful textbook provides an up-to-date, broad and authoritative introduction to studying health. With chapters including biology, epidemiology, anthropology, politics and psychology, it is the only book to explore all the major disciplines and highlight how they can contribute to our understanding of health in one single volume. Comprehensive, accessible and written by leading experts in the different fields, this is the introductory text for all students of health studies.
Visual Methodologies by
Now in its Fourth Edition, Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials is a bestselling critical guide to the study and analysis of visual culture. Existing chapters have been fully updated to offer a rigorous examination and demonstration of an individual methodology in a clear and structured style. Reflecting changes in the way society consumes and creates its visual content, new features include: Brand new chapters dealing with social media platforms, the development of digital methods and the modern circulation and audiencing of research images More ′Focus′ features covering interactive documentaries, digital story-telling and participant mapping A Companion Website featuring links to useful further resources relating to each chapter. A now classic text, Visual Methodologies appeals to undergraduates, graduates, researchers and academics across the social sciences and humanities who are looking to get to grips with the complex debates and ideas in visual analysis and interpretation.
Sociology as Applied to Medicine by 
Media and Health by
Chapter 1
`This book appears to fill a substantial gap in the literature at present. There are, quite simply, no books available which engage seriously and competently with the presentation of health issues in the media, and certainly none which focuses on representations of health and illness in as thematically coherent a manner as Seale proposes to do′ - Richard Gwyn, University of Cardiff `This is an excellent resource for students. It provides a comprehensive review of secondary literature in the field and is very well researched. Students of sociology of health and illness and in media and communication studies will find the book invaluable′ - David Oswell, Goldsmiths College, University of London `This is a comprehensive work on media health, providing an invaluable "toolkit" for understanding health and the media in contemporary society. Seale goes further than previous textbooks, critiquing the "lament" of media health promoters in order to explore the moralisation and commercialisation of media health′ - Dr Annette Hill, University of Westminster How are health matters presented by the mass media? How accurate are the messages we are receiving? This book demonstrates how health messages in popular mass media are important influences in our lives, and that they are not neutral, being subject to many determining influences. It demonstrates the importance of mass media for understanding the experience of illness, health and health care, bringing together the latest thinking in the field of media studies and the sociology of health and illness. This book provides a thorough review of research literature on media representations of health, illness and health care, covering their production, characteristic forms and relationships with the everyday lives of media audiences. It brings together both well known and lesser-known studies in the context of an integrated, sociological argument about media and health. Media producers are subject to a variety of influences, from medical lobbies, scientific organizations, and not least the commercial pressure to satisfy media-saturated audiences. These mean that aims of health promoters are not always easily achieved, leading to considerable tensions that require a deeper understanding of media health than has hitherto been applied to them. This book will be essential reading for health educators and promoters, as well as health care providers interested in the cultural aspects of health, sociologists of health and illness, and students and academics of media studies.
Visual Research Methods in the Social Sciences by
Visual Research Methods is a guide for students, researchers and teachers in the social sciences who wish to explore and actively use a visual dimension in their research. This book offers an integrated approach to doing visual research, showing the potential for building convincing case studies using a mix of visual forms including: archive images, media, maps, objects, buildings, and video interviews. Examples of the visual construction of 'place', social identity and trends of analysis are given in the first section of the book, whilst the essays in the second section highlight the astonishing creativity and innovation of four visual researchers. Each detailed example serves as a touchstone of quality and analysis in research, with themes ranging from the ethnography of a Venezuelan cult goddess to the forensic photography of the skeleton of a fourteenth-century nobleman. They give a keen sense of the motives, philosophies and benefits of using visual research methods. This volume will be of practical interest to those embarking on visual research as well as more experienced researchers. Key concerns include the power of images and their changing significance in a world of cross - mediation, techniques of analysis and ethical issues, and how to unlock the potential of visual data for research.
100 Cases in Clinical Ethics and Law by
A 70-year-old woman bed-bound following a stroke has developed bronchopneumonia, but her daughter produces an advance directive that she says her mother has written, which states that no life-sustaining treatment is to be given. How are you going to proceed? A practical guide on how to approach the legal and ethical dilemmas that frequently occur in hospital wards and medicine in the community, 100 Cases in Clinical Ethics and Lawexplores typical dilemmas through the use of 100 common medical scenarios. The book covers issues such as consent, capacity, withdrawal of treatment and confidentiality, as well as less-frequently examined problems like student involvement in internal examinations, whistle-blowing and the role of medical indemnity providers in complaints. Each scenario has a practical problem-solving element to it and encourages readers to explore their own beliefs and values, including those that arise as a result of differing cultural and religious backgrounds. Answer pages highlight key points in each case and provide advice on how to deal with the emotive issues that occur when practising medicine, at the same time providing information and guidance on appropriate behaviour.
Key Debates in Health Care by 
