A complete, highly readable and student orientated introduction. Comprehensive coverage of all the key theories, debates and issues showing how sociology can answer complex questions about health and illness.
Why do health inequalities exist? How do gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity or class affect health? What is the healthcare impact of technology? How does climate change relate to health and illness and what does sociology have to teach us about pandemics?
This textbook exists to answer these complex questions providing a complete overview of all the key sociological debates, themes, theories and research.
Key features:
- Takes a global perspective providing comparative examples throughout
- Grapples with the most pressing healthcare debates including climate change and environment, pandemics and society, racism, health inequality and gender identity
- Breaks the complexities down using extremely clear language throughout
- Lecturers and instructors can also access a range of additional teaching resources available from the SAGE website.
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.
| Discover Your Online Resources |
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vii | |
| Dedication |
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viii | |
| About the Authors |
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ix | |
| Acknowledgements |
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x | |
| Introduction |
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xi | |
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Section 1 Theories, Perspectives and Concepts |
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1 | (70) |
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1 Sociological theory: Explaining and theorising |
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3 | (16) |
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2 Understanding health and wellbeing |
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19 | (17) |
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3 A brief history of health and healing |
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36 | (20) |
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4 Climate change, nature and wellbeing |
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56 | (15) |
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71 | (106) |
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73 | (15) |
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88 | (12) |
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7 Race, ethnicity and health |
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100 | (14) |
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8 Mental health and emotional distress |
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114 | (19) |
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9 Sexualities and health (with Megan Todd) |
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133 | (12) |
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10 Sociology of the body: Chronic illness and disability |
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145 | (19) |
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11 Health, ageing and the life course |
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164 | (13) |
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177 | (81) |
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179 | (15) |
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194 | (15) |
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14 Sport, health, exercise and wellbeing |
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209 | (19) |
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228 | (18) |
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246 | (12) |
| Glossary |
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258 | (7) |
| References |
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265 | (18) |
| Index |
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283 | |
Anne-Marie Barry is a research consultant in Edinburgh and former lecturer in health sociology at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Her research interests primarily focus on social inequalities and health and wellbeing and have also included alcohol and drug use, sexual health, mental health and bereavement.
Chris Yuill is a sociologist at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, whose work focuses on the sociology of health and the sociology of urban experiences. In addition to a variety of journal publications and research reports he has written and co-edited a number of textbooks for SAGE, one of his most recent being Sociology for Social Work co-edited with Alastair Gibson. Other texts include Understanding the Sociology of Health: An Introduction with Anne-Marie Barry, which is now in its third edition and has also been translated into Chinese. Chris has also served two terms on the executive of the British Sociological Association.
