Medicine, Health and Society

A clear, bold book which provides a contemporary account of why medicine and health matter in our modern society. Written by an expert in both sociology and medicine, it critically explores key areas of debate and policy whilst explaining the practical realities of medicine today.

Sharp, bold and engaging, this book provides a contemporary account of why medical sociology matters in our modern society.

Combining theoretical and empirical perspectives, and applying the pragmatic demands of policy, this timely book explores society′s response to key issues such as race, gender and identity to explain the relationship between sociology, medicine and medical sociology.

Each chapter includes an authoritative introduction to pertinent areas of debate, a clear summary of key issues and themes and dedicated bibliography.

Chapters include:

• social theory and medical sociology

• health inequalities

• bodies, pain and suffering

• personal, local and global.

Brimming with fresh interpretations and critical insights this book will contribute to illuminating the practical realities of medical sociology.

This exciting text will be of interest to students of sociology of health and illness, medical sociology, and sociology of the body.

Hannah Bradby has a visiting fellowship at the Department of Primary Care and Health Sciences, King′s College London. She is monograph series editor for the journal Sociology of Health and Illness and co-edits the multi-disciplinary journal Ethnicity and Health.

Prologue: Sociology, Medicine and Medical Sociology
Introduction
Medical Sociology and Its Relationship with Sociology
Theory and Application
Sociology and Medicine
Interdisciplinarity and Multidisciplinarity
References
Introducing the Sociology of Medicine, Health and Society
Social Theory and the Sociology of Health and Medicine
Introduction
Parsons and Functionalism
Criticism of Parsons′ Idealized Type
Theories of Conflict and Political Economy
Inequalities and Social Stratification
Interactionism
Phenomenology
Modernity and Post-Modernity
Social Constructionism
Post-Structuralism and Structuralism
Criticism of Constructionism
Conclusion
References
Health Inequalities
Introduction
Theory and Inequality
Inequity and Inequality
Measurement of Inequality
The Pattern of Health Inequalities
Causes of Inequalities
Healthcare and Inequalities
Global Inequality
Conclusion
Women, Gender and Feminism
Introduction
Feminism
Gendered Visibility
Gendered Polarity and Theorizing Difference
Reconceptualizing Gender
Undoing Polarities
Health Inequalities
Morbidity, Gender and the Effect of Work
Conclusion
References
Ethnicity, Racism and Difference
Introduction
Background - UK
Background - USA
Sociology of Race Relations
Ethnicity and Health Inequalities
Mental Health
Conclusion
References
Bodies, Pain and Suffering
Introduction
The Sociological Body
Dissecting the Body
Cultural Bodies
Biotechnological Bodies
Embodiment
Bodies and Disabilities
Bodies and Narrative
Mute Bodies
Meta-Narrative and Suffering
Conclusion
References
The Workings of Medicine
Introduction
Background
Medicine′s Golden Age
Medical Power
Medical Imperialism
Proletarianization, Deprofessionalization and Corporatization
Challenging Medicine: Efficacy, Efficiency, Accessibility
Efficacy, Equity and Efficiency
Managers, Managerialism and Markets
Challenging Equity
Has the NHS Improved?
The Doctor-Patient Relationship in a Regulatory Framework
The Legal Challenge
Consumerism in Medicine
Specialization
Alternative Medical Practitioners
Medical Tourism
Medicalization in a Digital Era
Conclusion
References
Conclusion
Introduction
The Practice of Medicine
Medical Encounters
Biotechnology
Ethics and Expectations of Biotechnological Innovation
The Culture of Bioethics
Global Health
Medical Migration
Global Suffering and Sociology
Conclusion
References
Glossary of Terms