ABSTRACT

With thorough coverage of inequality in health care access and practice, this leading textbook has been widely acclaimed by teachers as the most accessible of any available.

It introduces and integrates recent research in medical sociology and emphasizes the importance of race, class, gender throughout.

This new edition leads students through the complexities of the evolving Affordable Care Act. It significantly expands coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care—topics students typically debate in the classroom.  Many new textboxes and enhancements in pedagogy grace this new edition, which is essential in the fast-changing area of health care.

New to this Edition

*More textboxes relating the social aspects of medicine to students' lives

*Expanded coverage leading students through the complex impacts of the ACA and health care reform 

*Expanded coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care 

*'Health and the Internet' sections updated and renovated toward student assignments 

*New, end of chapter lists of terms

*Updated test bank

chapter Chapter 2|25 pages

The Development of Scientific Medicine

chapter Chapter 3|36 pages

Social Epidemiology

chapter Chapter 4|37 pages

Society, Disease, and Illness

chapter Chapter 5|28 pages

Social Stress

chapter Chapter 6|30 pages

Health Behavior

chapter Chapter 7|32 pages

Experiencing Illness and Disability

chapter Chapter 8|30 pages

Physicians and the Profession of Medicine

chapter Chapter 9|25 pages

Medical Education and the Socialization of Physicians

chapter Chapter 11|31 pages

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

chapter Chapter 14|48 pages

The Health Care System of the United States

chapter Chapter 15|30 pages

Health Care Delivery

chapter Chapter 17|28 pages

Comparative Health Care Systems