Medicine, Health and Risk: Sociological Approaches - Softcover

 
9780631194842: Medicine, Health and Risk: Sociological Approaches
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0631194843 ISBN 13: 9780631194842
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 1996

Synopsis

The sociology of risk has only recently started to influence work in the area of health, illness and medicine and has considerable explanatory potential. Medicine, Health and Risk illustrates the value of this approach by providing case studies and overviews of health risks from medical interventions, occupational practices, social and domestic life and environmental hazards.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Jonathon Gabe is a Senior Research Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has published widely in the areas of mental health, health care professions, health policy and the mass media and health. He is a co-editor of the journal Sociology of Health and Illness.

From the Back Cover

Medicine, Health and Risk offers a lively appraisal of the range of personal and public health issues facing lay people and experts in Britain and other industrialized countries. In particular it focuses on the manner in which people perceive and manage health risks in different settings; the risk acceptability of various medical interventions; the opportunities and constraints on social movements to influence the policy process with regard to public health risks and the way that health risks are socially constructed and regulated.

Through case studies and overviews of health risks from medical interventions, occupational practices, social and domestic life and environmental hazards the contributors address a range of questions including the following: What role do social, cultural and institutional processes play in the perception of health risks? To what extent do calculations about the probability of health risks or the acceptability of medical interventions influence the decisions and actions of specific social groups? How are health risks constructed and legitimated by scientists, governments and social movements? How do expert discourses on health risks throw light on key elements of social order and cultural change?

Written in a clear and accessible style, Medicine, Health and Risk will appeal to sociologists and policy analysts alike.

From the Inside Flap

Medicine, Health and Risk offers a lively appraisal of the range of personal and public health issues facing lay people and experts in Britain and other industrialized countries. In particular it focuses on the manner in which people perceive and manage health risks in different settings; the risk acceptability of various medical interventions; the opportunities and constraints on social movements to influence the policy process with regard to public health risks and the way that health risks are socially constructed and regulated.

Through case studies and overviews of health risks from medical interventions, occupational practices, social and domestic life and environmental hazards the contributors address a range of questions including the following: What role do social, cultural and institutional processes play in the perception of health risks? To what extent do calculations about the probability of health risks or the acceptability of medical interventions influence the decisions and actions of specific social groups? How are health risks constructed and legitimated by scientists, governments and social movements? How do expert discourses on health risks throw light on key elements of social order and cultural change?

Written in a clear and accessible style, Medicine, Health and Risk will appeal to sociologists and policy analysts alike.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Publication date
1996
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0631194843
ISBN 13 
9780631194842
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
176
Editor
Gabe Jonathan