Second Opinion takes an intersectional approach to the study of health and illness, giving students an accessible and authoritative introduction to key theories, debates, and research findings. Written in a clear, straightforward style, this comprehensive second edition examines a wide range of topics to give students a critical, contemporary, and sociological understanding of health and health care.

Introduction: Health Sociology and the Social Model of Health 1. Imagining Health Problems as Social Issues, John Germov and Jennie Hornosty 2. Theorizing Health: Major Theoretical Perspectives in Health Sociology, John Germov and Jennie Hornosty 3. Researching Health: Methodological Traditions and Innovations, Jennie Hornosty and Douglas Ezzy Part One: The Social Production and Distribution of Health and Illness 4. Class, Health Inequality, and Social Justice, Jennie Hornosty and John Germov 5. Women's Health in Context: Gender Issues, Pat Armstrong 6. Racialization, Ethno-Cultural Diversity, and Health, Jennie Hornosty 7. Canada's Aboriginal Peoples and Health: The Perpetuation of Inequalities, Jennie Hornosty 8. Environmental Links to Health, Zelda Abramson Part Two: The Social Construction of Health and Illness 9. The Medicalization of Society, Sharyn L. Roach Anleu and Jennie Hornosty 10. Constructing Disability and Living with Illness, Jennie Hornosty 11. Aging, Dying, and Death in the Twenty-First Century, Jennie Hornosty and Maureen Strazzari Part Three: The Social Organization of Health Care: Politics, Values, and Professions 12. Medicine, Medical Dominance, and Public Health, Jennie Hornosty and John Germov 13. Power, Politics, and Values: The Canadian Health-Care System, Jennie Hornosty 14. The Pharmaceutical Industry and Health Canada: Values in Conflict?, Joel Lexchin, MD 15. Nursing in the Twenty-First Century, Jennie Hornosty and Deidre Wicks 16. Complementary and Alternative Health Care, Jennie Hornosty, Gary Easthope and Alex Broom Conclusion

"[Second Opinion] covers what I consider to be the essentials of the field in a manner that is very accessible to students. Each chapter is well structured, with a focus on developing critical thinking." --Norma Husk, Bishop's University/Champlain College