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Handbook on the Sociology of Health and Medicine
This timely Handbook provides an essential guide to the major topics, perspectives, and scholars in the sociology of health and medicine. Contributors prove the immense value of a sociological understanding of central health and medical concerns, including public health, the COVID-19 pandemic, and new medical technologies.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This timely Handbook provides an essential guide to the major topics, perspectives, and scholars in the sociology of health and medicine. Contributors prove the immense value of a sociological understanding of central health and medical concerns, including public health, the COVID-19 pandemic, and new medical technologies.
Through critically analysing the wide variety of approaches taken by sociologists of health and medicine, this Handbook explores what makes the field distinctive. Chapters cover the full human life span and review key theoretical viewpoints as well as significant empirical themes, drawing on cutting-edge research. The diverse selection of contributors offer insights into important areas of health and medical development including precision medicine, epidemics and pandemics, data-intensive medicine, AI, neuroscience, and future hospitals. The chapters also examine the implications of COVID-19 across various domains of health, medicine, and healthcare.
Covering key questions, debates, and emerging perspectives, this Handbook will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars in sociology, public health, and science and technology studies. It will also be an important guide for policymakers and practitioners seeking to develop effective health policies and programs.
Through critically analysing the wide variety of approaches taken by sociologists of health and medicine, this Handbook explores what makes the field distinctive. Chapters cover the full human life span and review key theoretical viewpoints as well as significant empirical themes, drawing on cutting-edge research. The diverse selection of contributors offer insights into important areas of health and medical development including precision medicine, epidemics and pandemics, data-intensive medicine, AI, neuroscience, and future hospitals. The chapters also examine the implications of COVID-19 across various domains of health, medicine, and healthcare.
Covering key questions, debates, and emerging perspectives, this Handbook will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars in sociology, public health, and science and technology studies. It will also be an important guide for policymakers and practitioners seeking to develop effective health policies and programs.
Critical Acclaim
‘The Handbook on the Sociology of Health and Medicine is an outstanding resource, unpacking and exploring classic and contemporary perspectives in health sociology. Spanning enduring issues such as (bio)medicalization right through to the more recent digital and affective turns, it contains fresh and critical contributions by an illustrious group of scholars who lead the field globally. Artfully balancing conceptual and empirical concerns, this Handbook will be essential reading for students and researchers interested in health, illness and care.’
– Alex Broom, University of Sydney, Australia
‘This Handbook is a triumph! Leading scholars contribute chapters on classic and contemporary sociological theories, substantive topics in health and medicine, and key concepts inter alia biomedicalization, digitization, emotion, embodiment, inequality, narratives, and risk. This text is a must for students and scholars who are studying and researching matters of health, illness, and medicine.’
– Sarah Nettleton, University of York, UK
‘This timely Handbook is an ecumenical collection of essays from respected international colleagues, from Australasia, the UK, Canada and the US, and Scandinavia, each with refreshingly different perspectives and priorities. It covers a broad range of problems, levels of analysis, theoretical views, and methods, and draws upon and will be useful for knowledge workers in related disciplines like philosophy, epidemiology, healthcare policy, social psychology, anthropology, and ethics.’
– John B. McKinlay, retired Professor of Sociology, Boston University, US
‘In this wide-ranging collection of essays, leading international authors present evidence and analysis of key topics in medical sociology. A major addition to the field - especially relevant at a time of upheaval in global health and society. An essential guide for all students and researchers in health and illness.’
– Mike Bury, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
– Alex Broom, University of Sydney, Australia
‘This Handbook is a triumph! Leading scholars contribute chapters on classic and contemporary sociological theories, substantive topics in health and medicine, and key concepts inter alia biomedicalization, digitization, emotion, embodiment, inequality, narratives, and risk. This text is a must for students and scholars who are studying and researching matters of health, illness, and medicine.’
– Sarah Nettleton, University of York, UK
‘This timely Handbook is an ecumenical collection of essays from respected international colleagues, from Australasia, the UK, Canada and the US, and Scandinavia, each with refreshingly different perspectives and priorities. It covers a broad range of problems, levels of analysis, theoretical views, and methods, and draws upon and will be useful for knowledge workers in related disciplines like philosophy, epidemiology, healthcare policy, social psychology, anthropology, and ethics.’
– John B. McKinlay, retired Professor of Sociology, Boston University, US
‘In this wide-ranging collection of essays, leading international authors present evidence and analysis of key topics in medical sociology. A major addition to the field - especially relevant at a time of upheaval in global health and society. An essential guide for all students and researchers in health and illness.’
– Mike Bury, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Contributors
Contributors: Andy Alaszewski, Alison Anderson, Ellen Annandale, Barbara Barbosa Neves, Gillian Bendelow, Hannah Bradby, Nik Brown, Joan Busfield, Glenys Caswell, Adele E. Clarke, Fran Collyer, Catherine Coveney, Raymond De Vries, Kevin Dew, Robert Dingwall, Sarah Donovan, Nick J. Fox, Arthur Frank, Jonathan Gabe, John Gardner, Chris Gilleard, Judith Green, Sarah Hamed, Paul Higgs, Klaus Hoeyer, Melanie Jeske, Annemarie Jutel, Henriette Langstrup, Laura Mamo, Benjamin Marent, Paul Martin, Robert Meadows, Lee F. Monaghan, Cristian Montenegro, Anne Murcott, Maho Omori, Alan Petersen, Alison Phipps, Martyn Pickersgill, Barbara Prainsack, Graham Scambler, Mandie Scamell, Will Schupmann, Janet K. Shim, Danielle Spencer, Gareth M. Thomas, Stefan Timmermans, Iain Wilkinson, Simon J. Williams
Contents
Contents:
1 Introduction to the Handbook on the Sociology of Health and Medicine 1
Alan Petersen
PART I MAJOR THEORETICAL INFLUENCES AND PERSPECTIVES
2 Constructing the boundaries of health sociology 28
Fran Collyer
3 Critical theories in sociologies of health and medicine 47
Graham Scambler
4 New materialist perspectives on health, illness and health care 62
Nick J. Fox
5 Sociologies of health and gender 76
Ellen Annandale
6 Biomedicalisation revisited: concepts and practices 91
Adele E. Clarke, Melanie Jeske, Janet K. Shim, and Laura Mamo
7 Health inequalities 110
Kevin Dew and Sarah Donovan
8 Illness narratives: from analysis to answerability 124
Danielle Spencer and Arthur Frank
PART II SIGNIFICANT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THEMES
9 Young people and the sociology of chronic illness: meanings, management and consequences 139
Jonathan Gabe and Lee F. Monaghan
10 The sociology of mental health and illness 151
Joan Busfield
11 Pharmaceuticalisation: origins, drivers and new developments 170
Jonathan Gabe and Paul Martin
12 Sociological approaches to the gendering of emotions in health and illness 187
Gillian Bendelow and Alison Phipps
13 Sociology of the medical profession and para-professions 199
Will Schupmann and Stefan Timmermans
14 Health, society and social suffering 213
Iain Wilkinson
15 Sociologies of food and eating 227
Anne Murcott
16 Diagnosis 243
Annemarie Jutel
17 The media politics of health, illness and healthcare 257
Alison Anderson
18 The sociology of bioethics 274
Raymond De Vries
19 Antimicrobial resistance: discourse, practice and relating 291
Nik Brown
20 Sociologies of public health and health promotion 308
Judith Green and Cristian Montenegro
21 Risk and health 324
Andy Alaszewski
22 Ageing 339
Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard
23 Racism and racialisation in healthcare settings 354
Sarah Hamed and Hannah Bradby
24 Disability and the sociology of health and illness 378
Gareth M. Thomas
25 Sociology of the pregnant and birthing body 393
Mandie Scamell and Andy Alaszewski
26 Sleep, health and medicine: sociological agendas 408
Simon J. Williams, Catherine Coveney and Robert Meadows
27 Sociological contributions to the study of death in health and medicine 424
Glenys Caswell
PART III EMERGING TOPICS AND PERSPECTIVES
28 Sociologies of precision medicine 439
Barbara Prainsack
29 The sociology of epidemics and pandemics 455
Robert Dingwall
30 Data-intensive medicine 474
Klaus Hoeyer
31 Artificial intelligence for long-term care in later life 488
Barbara Barbosa Neves and Maho Omori
32 Digital health: practices and infrastructures 504
Benjamin Marent and Henriette Langstrup
33 Neuroscience, novelty, and the sociology of the brain 525
Martyn Pickersgill
34 Hospitals of the future 541
John Gardner
Index 555
1 Introduction to the Handbook on the Sociology of Health and Medicine 1
Alan Petersen
PART I MAJOR THEORETICAL INFLUENCES AND PERSPECTIVES
2 Constructing the boundaries of health sociology 28
Fran Collyer
3 Critical theories in sociologies of health and medicine 47
Graham Scambler
4 New materialist perspectives on health, illness and health care 62
Nick J. Fox
5 Sociologies of health and gender 76
Ellen Annandale
6 Biomedicalisation revisited: concepts and practices 91
Adele E. Clarke, Melanie Jeske, Janet K. Shim, and Laura Mamo
7 Health inequalities 110
Kevin Dew and Sarah Donovan
8 Illness narratives: from analysis to answerability 124
Danielle Spencer and Arthur Frank
PART II SIGNIFICANT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH THEMES
9 Young people and the sociology of chronic illness: meanings, management and consequences 139
Jonathan Gabe and Lee F. Monaghan
10 The sociology of mental health and illness 151
Joan Busfield
11 Pharmaceuticalisation: origins, drivers and new developments 170
Jonathan Gabe and Paul Martin
12 Sociological approaches to the gendering of emotions in health and illness 187
Gillian Bendelow and Alison Phipps
13 Sociology of the medical profession and para-professions 199
Will Schupmann and Stefan Timmermans
14 Health, society and social suffering 213
Iain Wilkinson
15 Sociologies of food and eating 227
Anne Murcott
16 Diagnosis 243
Annemarie Jutel
17 The media politics of health, illness and healthcare 257
Alison Anderson
18 The sociology of bioethics 274
Raymond De Vries
19 Antimicrobial resistance: discourse, practice and relating 291
Nik Brown
20 Sociologies of public health and health promotion 308
Judith Green and Cristian Montenegro
21 Risk and health 324
Andy Alaszewski
22 Ageing 339
Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard
23 Racism and racialisation in healthcare settings 354
Sarah Hamed and Hannah Bradby
24 Disability and the sociology of health and illness 378
Gareth M. Thomas
25 Sociology of the pregnant and birthing body 393
Mandie Scamell and Andy Alaszewski
26 Sleep, health and medicine: sociological agendas 408
Simon J. Williams, Catherine Coveney and Robert Meadows
27 Sociological contributions to the study of death in health and medicine 424
Glenys Caswell
PART III EMERGING TOPICS AND PERSPECTIVES
28 Sociologies of precision medicine 439
Barbara Prainsack
29 The sociology of epidemics and pandemics 455
Robert Dingwall
30 Data-intensive medicine 474
Klaus Hoeyer
31 Artificial intelligence for long-term care in later life 488
Barbara Barbosa Neves and Maho Omori
32 Digital health: practices and infrastructures 504
Benjamin Marent and Henriette Langstrup
33 Neuroscience, novelty, and the sociology of the brain 525
Martyn Pickersgill
34 Hospitals of the future 541
John Gardner
Index 555
