Health, Illness, and the Social Body: A Critical Sociology

by Peter E.S. Freund, Meredith B. McGuire

This book presents a critical, holistic interpretation of health, illness and human bodies that emphasizes power as a key social-structural factor in health and in societal responses to illness. Offers a solid theoretical focus and presents cross-disciplinary applications from sociology, anthropology, and psychology. Explores such topics as Who Becomes Sick, Injured, or Dies?; The Material Foundations of Health and Illness; Mind, Body, and Society; Social Organization, Health, and Illness; The Social Meanings of Sickness; The Illness Experience; Seeking Health and Help; The Social Construction of Medical Knowledge; Modern Knowledge and Practice; Stratification and Power in Health Care Systems; and Economic Interests and Power in Health Care. Asks critical questions about the medical model of health and illness and the dominance of the medical establishment in the U.S. health care policies and institutional arrangements. Covers contemporary issues ? e.g., Health Care Reform, AIDS, Women's Care, Environmental, and Occupational Issues. Highlights important recent research and theoretical contributions ? with special emphasis on ethnic diversity, gender differences, and social stratification. For practitioners and administrators in the medical and health care fields as well as anyone interested in medical sociology, such as urban planners.

418 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Saphira Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoughtful, eye-opening read. I appreciated how it connects health and illness to power, inequality, and social structures, not just medicine. The real-world examples make the theory clear, relevant, and impactful.