Sociological Approaches to Health and Medicine

First published in 1985, Sociological Approaches to Health and Medicine surveys key areas in the sociology of health and medicine and provides the student with a broad overview of the field. It brings together the contributions of different perspectives and methodological approaches which characterised sociological research in this area and shows how they had contributed to the understanding of health, illness, and medical institutions during that period. The book draws attention to the influence of both empirical epidemiology and theoretical sociology on the development of the sociology of health and medicine. Although empirical research continued to illuminate many social aspects of medical care, work at that time was expanding the whole basis of the discipline into new fields beyond pure medical concerns. Similarly, within sociological theory, the application of Marxist and feminist analyses were providing powerful critiques of the dominant approach to health and the organisation of medical practice. By the mid-1980s, the sociology of health and medicine had become an established part of the curriculum in a wide range of academic and professional courses. This lucid review of key areas in the field and of the principal ideas that shaped it provides a valuable primer for students.