7 Oct. 19
Sociology of health and illness lecture 1.
Introduction.
Illness narratives – people want to tell their stories with illness now, articulation of own
experiences.
Almost everything comes with a health association – even when buying food, drinking, etc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health/
fitness is very common.
Day to day issues we take for granted – what are the agendas behind topical issues? – e.g.
giving babies cholesterol tests.
What do sociologists of health and illness do?
Teaching – sociology or medical students.
Research
Policy and practice arenas – civil service etc.
Health, illness and disease as social as well as biophysical concepts.
What is sociology of health and illness?
Drawing on sociological imagination and sociological perspectives and concepts to
work with health and illness – all in terms of sociology.
Everyone has experience with health and illness – to them or someone related to
them, or just good health.
Overview of the module:
Middle range concepts and theories:
o biomedical and social models, medical cosmologies, social construction of
knowledge, medicalisation, commodificaiton, choice, consumerism,
professionalisation, risk, sick role, social stratification and social inequality
Illustrative topics:
o Health professionals work, pharmaceutical industry, reproductive
technologies, death and dying, organ donation, illness narratives, and social
inequalities in health
Sociology ‘in’ health / medicine and sociology ‘of’ health / medicine. We will take sociology
‘of’ medicine approach – more critical, instead of finding cure for obesity – think why is it a
problem? Should we be looking at the wider global capitalist context which determines
people size or just treat them? – asking more radical questions, looking at food distribution
etc.
Looking at medicine and health based on levels – individual, societal, and social.
Sociology of health and illness lecture 1.
Introduction.
Illness narratives – people want to tell their stories with illness now, articulation of own
experiences.
Almost everything comes with a health association – even when buying food, drinking, etc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health/
fitness is very common.
Day to day issues we take for granted – what are the agendas behind topical issues? – e.g.
giving babies cholesterol tests.
What do sociologists of health and illness do?
Teaching – sociology or medical students.
Research
Policy and practice arenas – civil service etc.
Health, illness and disease as social as well as biophysical concepts.
What is sociology of health and illness?
Drawing on sociological imagination and sociological perspectives and concepts to
work with health and illness – all in terms of sociology.
Everyone has experience with health and illness – to them or someone related to
them, or just good health.
Overview of the module:
Middle range concepts and theories:
o biomedical and social models, medical cosmologies, social construction of
knowledge, medicalisation, commodificaiton, choice, consumerism,
professionalisation, risk, sick role, social stratification and social inequality
Illustrative topics:
o Health professionals work, pharmaceutical industry, reproductive
technologies, death and dying, organ donation, illness narratives, and social
inequalities in health
Sociology ‘in’ health / medicine and sociology ‘of’ health / medicine. We will take sociology
‘of’ medicine approach – more critical, instead of finding cure for obesity – think why is it a
problem? Should we be looking at the wider global capitalist context which determines
people size or just treat them? – asking more radical questions, looking at food distribution
etc.
Looking at medicine and health based on levels – individual, societal, and social.
