New Directions In The Sociology Of Health (Explorations in Sociology, No. 36)

The sociology of medicine has come a long way from its origins in epidemiology and clinical practice. Like all specialist areas of study it has developed its own internal debates, over the years there has been a shift from a sociology in medicine to a sociology of medicine, and from a sociolgy of medicine, towards a sociology of health and illness. It is to the development of this latter perspective that this volume is addressed. The sociology of medicine has come a long way from its origins in epidemiologyand clinical practice. Like all specialist areas of study it has developed its owninternal debates, its preferred core of research topics, and its own professionalinfrastructure for their analysis. Over the years, there has been a shift from asociology in medicine to a sociology of medicine, and from a sociology ofmedicine, towards a sociology of health and illness. It is to the development ofthis latter perspective that the present volume is addressed The area of the sociology of medicine has developed its own internal debates. Over the years there has been a shift from a sociology in medicine to a sociology of medicine and then towards a sociology of health and illness. This book discusses the latter perspective.