The Sociology of Healthcare

'Incorporating relevant policy, contemporary themes and developmental perspectives, this text provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the sociology of healthcare.  Its appeal is broad and it should prove an invaluable resource for students across a range of disciplines.'

Bridget Hallam, Principal Lecturer in Health and Social Care, Nottingham Trent University

The Sociology of Healthcare, Second Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concerns in the sociology of health, illness and healthcare. Moving progressively through the issues that affect us at all stages of life, its additional coverage of ethics, disability, deviance and mental health makes this an essential guide for students of health from all disciplines in the social sciences and healthcare.

Highly readable and accessible, this second edition is enriched with explication of research studies, and diagrams and further reading to help students engage with the main issues in the subject. Revised throughout, its up to date approach uses the very latest developments and research to give a cutting-edge introduction to the field. Theoretical perspectives are explained and clarified through integration with the professional issues of health workers, to make this a highly practical yet rigorous academic textbook.

Key features of the new edition include:

• Brand new chapter on End of life, covering changing attitudes to death, theories of death and dying and palliative care.
• Expanded and updated chapters on Childhood and adolescence and Inequalities in health.
• All chapters are thoroughly updated to address diversity issues such as gender, ethnicity, and disability.
• In-text features such as boxes, summaries, further reading, and discussion questions aid understanding and further investigation.
• Links to websites providing data on health, social well-being, and government policies.

This text is essential reading for all students of healthcare, including nursing, medicine, midwifery and health studies and for those studying healthcare as part of sociology, social care and social policy degrees.

Alan Clarke is a Professor in the Department of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University.