Perspectives in Medical Sociology

Like its successful predecessors, the third edition of Perspectives in Medical Sociology's central theme is that health and illness cannot be understood simply by looking at biological phenomena and medical knowledge. Rather, it is necessary to bring to bear a variety of political, economic, and cultural forces. Editor Phil Brown takes this focus on largescale social structural factors and links it with the equally important microlevel approach that explores lay illness experience and the interaction between people and their health providers. In addition to retaining some of the classic works, the third edition offers new selections with modern perspectives on managed care, worker health and safety, the nursing profession, gender/femininity and health, experiences of illness and narrative understanding, and the effects of race and socioeconomic status on health. The 36 readings represent a broad range of research methods, data sources, and perspectives reflecting the diversity of material employed by medical sociologists.