Contemporary Theorists for Medical Sociology

This text explores the work of key social theorists and the application of their ideas to issues around health and illness. Each chapter includes a critical introduction to the thinker's central theses, ways in which their ideas might inform medical sociology and some examples of how they can be applied.

Graham Scambler is Professor of Medical Sociology at University College London, UK.

Introduction: Theory, Theorists And The Sociology Of Health 1. Foucault, Health And Healthcare 2. Consuming Bodies: Zygmunt Bauman On The Difference Between Fitness And Health 3. Jurgen Habermas: Politics And Morality In Health And Medicine 4. Luhmann's Social Systems Theory, Health And Illness 5. Bourdieu And The Impact Of Health And Illness In The Lifeworld 6. Merleau-Ponty, Medicine And The Body 7. World System Theory And The Epidemiological Transition 8. Archer, Morphogenesis And The Role Of Agency In The Sociology Of Health Inequalities 9. Deleuze And Guattari 10. Health And Medicine In The Information Age: Castells, Informational Capitalism And The Network Society