Sociology of Health and Illness

A wide-ranging collection of both classic writings and more recent articles in the sociology of health and illness, this reader is organized into the following sections: * health beliefs and knowledge* inequalities and patterning of health and illness* professional and patient interaction* chronic illness and disability* evaluation and politics in health care. With a thorough introduction which sets the scene for the field as a whole, and section introductions which contextualize each chapter, the reader includes a number of different perspectives on health and illness, is international in scope, and will provide an invaluable resource to students across a wide range of courses in sociology and the social sciences.

Michael Bury is Professor of Sociology at Royal Holloway, University of London.Jonathan Gabe is Reader in Sociology at Royal Holloway, University of London.