Medical Sociology

by

William Cockerham

Introduction

Medical sociology, sometimes referred to as health sociology, is the study of the social causes and consequences of health and illness. Major areas of investigation include the social aspects of health and disease, the social behavior of patients and health care providers, the social functions of health organizations and institutions, the social patterns of the utilization of health services, the relationship of health care delivery systems to other social institutions, and social policies toward health. What makes medical sociology important is the critical role social factors play in determining or influencing the health of individuals, groups, and the larger society. Social conditions and situations not only promote and, in some cases, cause the possibility of illness and disability, but also enhance prospects of disease prevention and health maintenance. The earliest works in medical sociology were carried out by physicians in the United States, not sociologists who tended to ignore the field. This changed in the late 1940s when large amounts of federal funding became available to support joint research projects between sociologists and medical doctors. At its inception, work in medical sociology was oriented toward finding solutions relevant to clinical medicine. However, in 1951, Talcott Parsons, the leading theorist in sociology at that time, introduced his concept of the sick role that subsequently attracted other theoretical work and had an important role in the emergence of medical sociology as an academic field. Medical sociology has evolved to the point today that it investigates health and medical problems from an independent sociological perspective. Medical sociologists now comprise one of the largest and most active groups doing sociological work in North America and Europe, and the field has expanded to other world regions as well. About one of every ten American sociologists is a medical sociologist.

Textbooks in the United States

A variety of medical sociology textbooks have been published in the United States over the years covering the field as it is taught in college and university courses. Most have come and gone, since the literature is ever changing and old research topics become outdated and replaced by new issues and developments. The longest-lasting text is Cockerham 2012 (released in early 2011) that is now in its 12th edition. This is an inclusive work that has recently been updated to account for the social effects of the 2010 health care reform legislation in the United States. This is the most widely adopted medical sociology textbook for classroom use in the world, with earlier editions translated into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. Other texts that cover the field are Weiss and Lonnquist 2009 (6th edition) and Weitz 2010 (5th edition). Weiss and Lonnguist provide an overview of the field, but the coverage and writing style are oriented toward use by students in their first or second year of college courses. The Weitz text, like that of Cockerham, is intended for upper-division undergraduates and beginning graduate students. This book takes a critical approach in examining popular beliefs about health and illness from a sociological perspective.

• Cockerham, William C. 2012. Medical sociology. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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  Published in 2011, this is a standard text providing an updated and comprehensive introduction to medical sociology based on a review of relevant studies in many countries. Website addresses and suggested readings for more information on important topics are also included. This edition provides an extensive discussion of health care reform in the United States.

• Weiss, Gregory L., and Lynne E. Lonnquist. 2009. The sociology of health, healing, and illness. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

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  This textbook is aimed at providing beginning undergraduates with a basic introduction to medical sociology.

• Weitz, Rose. 2010. The sociology of health, illness, and health care. 5th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

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  Covers a wide range of topics in medical sociology and includes box inserts with ethical debates and news stories, as well as review questions, critical thinking questions, and Internet exercises at the end of each chapter. Devotes entire chapters to mental health and bioethics.