Medical Sociology

by Cockerham, William C.

• ISBN13: 9780131113916
• ISBN10: 0131113917
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This guide provides a brief introduction to navigating the Internet and teaches you how to be a critical consumer of online resources. It includes references related specifically to the discipline of sociology as well as access to the Research Navigator Website. Book jacket.

Author Biography

William C. Cockerham: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Table of Contents

PREFACE	xi
1 MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY	1	(18)
Defining Health	2	(1)
Contrasting Ideas about Health and Social Behavior	3	(4)
The Reemergence of Infectious Diseases	7	(5)
The Development of Medical Sociology	12	(5)
Summary	17	(1)
Medical Sociology Internet Sites	18	(1)
2 EPIDEMIOLOGY	19	(21)
Epidemiological Measures	20	(2)
The Development of Epidemiology	22	(3)
The Complexity of Modern Ills: Heart Disease	25	(4)
Disease and Modernization	29	(1)
AIDS	30	(8)
Summary	38	(1)
Epidemiology Internet Sites	38	(2)
3 THE SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY OF HEALTH	40	(32)
Age	40	(4)
Gender	44	(7)
Race	51	(11)
Socioeconomic Status	62	(8)
Summary	70	(1)
Social Demography of Health Internet Sites	70	(2)
4 SOCIAL STRESS	72	(22)
Cooley, Thomas, and Goffman: Symbolic Interaction	73	(2)
Durkheim: Functionalism	75	(4)
Stress	79	(2)
Social Factors and Stress	81	(11)
Summary	92	(1)
Social Stress Internet Sites	93	(1)
5 HEALTH BEHAVIOR AND LIFESTYLES	94	(24)
Health Lifestyles	95	(17)
Preventive Care	112	(4)
Summary	116	(1)
Health Behavior and Lifestyles Internet Sites	117	(1)
6 ILLNESS BEHAVIOR	118	(23)
Self Care	119	(1)
Sociodemographic Variables	120	(15)
Recognizing and Coping with Illness Symptoms	135	(4)
Summary and Conclusion	139	(1)
Illness Behavior Internet Sites	140	(1)
7 THE SICK ROLE	141	(26)
Illness as Deviance	141	(3)
The Functionalist Approach to Deviance	144	(1)
The Sick Role	145	(7)
Criticism of the Sick Role	152	(6)
Labeling Theory	158	(3)
Sickness as Social Deviance?	161	(1)
Being Sick and Disabled	162	(2)
Stigma	164	(1)
Summary	165	(1)
The Sick Role Internet Sites	165	(2)
8 HEALING OPTIONS	167	(18)
Osteopaths	167	(1)
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)	168	(2)
Chiropractors	170	(1)
Faith Healers	171	(4)
Folk Healers	175	(8)
Summary	183	(1)
Healing Options Internet Sites	183	(2)
9 DOCTOR-PATIENT INTERACTION	185	(22)
Models of Interaction	186	(4)
Misunderstandings in Communication	190	(3)
Male Physicians and Women Patients	193	(1)
Women Physicians	194	(2)
Cultural Differences in Communication	196	(2)
Patient Compliance	198	(1)
The Future of Doctor-Patient Relations	199	(1)
Doctor-Patient Relations and New Technology	200	(2)
The New Genetics	202	(3)
Summary	205	(1)
Doctor-Patient Interaction Internet Sites	205	(2)
10 PHYSICIANS	207	(22)
The Professionalization of the Physician	207	(8)
The Socialization of the Physician	215	(7)
The Power Structure of American Medicine	222	(5)
Summary	227	(1)
Physicians Internet Sites	228	(1)
11 THE PHYSICIAN IN A CHANGING SOCIETY	229	(17)
Social Control of Medical Practice	231	(4)
Countervailing Power	235	(1)
Government Regulation	236	(1)
Managed Care	237	(1)
The Coming of the Corporation	238	(2)
The Changing Physician-Patient Relationship	240	(1)
The Deprofessionalization of Physicians	241	(2)
The Evolution of the Organization of Medical Practice	243	(1)
Summary	244	(1)
The Physician in a Changing Society Internet Sites	244	(2)
12 NURSES, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, PHARMACISTS, AND MIDWIVES	246	(21)
Nursing: Past and Present	247	(11)
Nursing: Future Trends	258	(3)
Physician Assistants	261	(1)
Pharmacists	262	(1)
Midwives	263	(1)
Summary	264	(1)
Nurses, Physician Assistants, Pharmacists, and Midwives Internet Sites	265	(2)
13 HOSPITALS	267	(22)
The Development of the Hospital as a Social Institution	268	(4)
Hospitals in the United States	272	(2)
The Organization of the Nonprofit Community Hospital	274	(7)
The Hospital-Patient Role	281	(4)
The Rising Cost of Hospitalization	285	(2)
Summary	287	(1)
Hospitals Internet Sites	288	(1)
14 HEALTH CARE DELIVERY AND SOCIAL POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES	289	(24)
Rising Costs	290	(5)
Equity in Health Services	295	(1)
Distribution of Services	296	(2)
Overview of Health Care Delivery	298	(3)
Social Legislation in Health Care	301	(4)
Health Reform	305	(3)
Health Care: A Right or a Privilege?	308	(3)
Summary and Conclusion	311	(1)
Health Care Delivery and Social Policy in the United States Internet Sites	312	(1)
15 HEALTH CARE IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES	313	(30)
Socialized Medicine: Canada, Great Britain, and Sweden	319	(10)
Decentralized National Health Programs: Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and France	329	(11)
Conclusion	340	(1)
Health Care in Developed Countries Internet Sites	341	(2)
16 HEALTH CARE IN FORMER SOCIALIST, SOCIALIST, AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES	343	(26)
Socialist Medicine: Alterations in Russia, Poland, Hungary, and China	344	(12)
Socialized Medicine: Saudi Arabia and Kenya	356	(4)
Decentralized National Health: Mexico	360	(3)
Fee-for-Service: South Africa	363	(3)
Conclusion	366	(1)
Health Care in Former Socialist, Socialist, and Developing Countries Internet Sites	367	(2)
REFERENCES	369	(38)
PHOTO CREDITS	407	(1)
NAME INDEX	408	(7)
SUBJECT INDEX	415

Excerpts

The field of medical sociology has undergone considerable change since the first edition of this textbook appeared in 1978. At that time, much of the research in medical sociology was dependent upon the sponsorship of physicians, and a clear division of labor existed between sociologists working in academic departments in universities and those working in health institutions. Today, that situation has changed drastically. Medical sociology is no longer highly dependent on the medical profession for funding or focus--although a strong alliance continues to exist in many cases. Medical sociologists exercise their craft in an increasingly independent manner, either working with a greater degree of partnership with health care professionals or functioning as medicine's critics should the situation warrant it. Furthermore, research and teaching in medical sociology in both universities and health institutions are increasingly similar in the application of theory and usefulness in addressing problems relevant to clinical practice. In sum, medical sociology has evolved into a mature, objective, and independent field of study and work. Medical sociology has also experienced significant growth worldwide in numbers of practitioners. In many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Singapore, medical sociologists are either the largest or one of the largest specialty groups in sociology. The European Society for Health and Medical Sociology is a large and active professional society, as are the medical sociology sections of the American, British, and German sociological associations. In 1999, the American and British medical sociology sections held their first joint meeting at London University's Royal Holloway College. Elsewhere, the Japanese Society of Health and Medical Sociology is working to further develop the field in its nation, while medical sociologists in Latin America hold regional conferences on a regular basis and have their own Spanish-language journals. Numerous books, journals, college and university courses, medical programs, and lecture series in medical sociology now exist in different parts of the world. This textbook, for example, has been translated into Chinese by Yang Hui and Zhang Tuohong of Beijing Medical University and published by Huaxia Publishing House in Beijing. It has also been published in Chinese in Taiwan by Wu-Nan Book Company. Additionally, it has been translated into Spanish by Lourdes Lostao of the Public University of Navarra in Spain and published by Prentice Hall in Madrid. In the United States, several universities offer specialties in medical sociology, while two universities, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of California at San Francisco--both with large medical campuses--offer doctorates in medical sociology. Columbia University in New York City offers a combined Ph.D. program in sociology and public health, while medical sociology is a major focus in sociology departments at the University of Kentucky, Rutgers University, Indiana University, the Kent State and University of Akron Program, Florida State University, and the University of Miami (Florida). Additionally, there are departments of social medicine, which include medical sociologists, at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as McGill University in Montreal. The principal goal of this textbook since its inception has been to introduce students to medical sociology by presenting the ideas, concepts, themes, theories, and research findings in the field. This edition--the ninth--continues this approach. The intent is to identify and discuss the most current issues, debates, and findings in medical sociology.