The Sociology of Health and Illness

Sarah Nettleton?s The Sociology of Health and Illness
has become a cornerstone text, popular with students and academics
alike for its rigorous and accessible overview of the field.
Building on these strengths, the third edition integrates fresh
insights from the current literature with the core tenets of
traditional medical sociology, providing students with a thorough
grounding in the sociology of health and illness.



The text covers a diversity of topics and draws on a wide range of
analytic approaches, spanning issues such as the social
construction of medical knowledge, the analysis of lay health
beliefs, concepts of lifestyles and risk, the experience of illness
and the sociology of the body. It also explores matters which are
central to health policy, such as professional-patient
relationships, health inequalities and the changing nature of
health care work. Each chapter in the book has been revised and
updated, with substantial new material in particular on the
sociology of diagnosis, body work, and a whole new chapter on the
sociology of health technology.



Written for students of the social sciences who opt to study the
field of health and illness in greater depth, this book will also
continue to appeal to students taking vocational degrees, such as
nursing, who require a sociological grounding in the area.
Thoroughly revised and fully updated, the third edition of Sarah
Nettleton?s book will prove invaluable to anyone looking for
a clear and engaging introduction to contemporary debates within
the sociology of health and illness.