The classic introduction to health and medical sociology that gives students a thorough and accessible overview of Canada's evolving health care system. Exploring the theories and issues of health and medical sociology in Canada, this revised and updated eighth edition continues to provide an engaging and authoritative introduction to the field. Balancing theoretical and practical concerns, this text provides a foundation to the field of health sociology with coverage of the major sociological approaches before moving on to discuss key issues impacting Canadians.

Figures Tables Boxes Preface Acknowledgements Part I Sociological Perspectives 1. Ways of Thinking Sociologically about Health, Illness, and Medicine Chapter Overview Introduction Structural Functionalism Conflict Theory Interpretive/Social Constructionist Theory Feminist and Critical Anti-racist Theories Post-structuralism Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings Part II Sociology of Health and Illness 2. Disease and Death: Canada in International and Historical Context Chapter Overview Introduction Life Expectancy Death, Disease, and Disability in Global Context Poverty and Inequality Food Security The Physical and Social Environment Safety, Security, and Stability The Position of Women Birth Control, Pregnancy, and Childbirth Violence Against Women Comprehensive Medical Care Death, Disease, and Disability in Canadian Society Precursors to the Major Causes of Disease and Death in Canada Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 3. Environmental and Occupational Health and Illness Chapter Overview Introduction The Major Environmental Issues Air Pollution and Human Health Water Pollution and Human Health Land Pollution and Human Health Biodiversity Food Safety Occupational Health and Safety Other Accidents and Violence Summary Key Terms Questions for Discussion Suggested Readings 4. Neo-liberalism, Social Inequity, Disease, and Death: The Social Determinants of Health Chapter Overview Introduction How Do Inequity and Health Relate? Political Explanations for Inequality and Poor Health An Operating Model for the Social Determinants of Health The Social Determinants of Health: Evidence from Canada Social Theory, Economics, and Health Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 5. Diversities and Health: Age, Gender, Sexualities, "Racialization," and Indigenous Peoples Chapter Overview Introduction: Social-Structural Positions and Health Age, Gender, and Life Expectancy Racialization, Ethnicity, and Minority Status Immigrant Health Indigenous Health Brief History Residential Schools The Sixties Scoop Governance Structures Physical Environments Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 6. Some Social-Psychological Explanations for Illness Chapter Overview Introduction Stress Social Support Sense of Coherence Resilience Religion and Health: Theoretical Views The Illness Iceberg Why People Seek Help Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 7. The Experience of Being Ill Chapter Overview Introduction Illness, Sickness, Disease, Survivor and Aspirational Health Cultural Variations in the Experience of Being Ill Popular Cultural Conceptions of Health, Illness, and Disease The Insider's View: How Illness Is Experienced and Managed Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings Part III Sociology of Medicine 8. The Social Construction of Scientific and Medical Knowledge and Medical Practice Chapter Overview Introduction: The Sociology of Medical Knowledge Medical and Scientific Knowledge: Historical and Cross-Cultural Context Medical Science and Medical Practice: A Gap in Discourses Medical Technology: The Technological Imperative Medical Science Reinforces Gender Role Stereotypes The Sociology of Medical Practice Doctor-Patient Communication Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 9. A Brief History of Medicine and the Development and Critique of Modern Medicalization Chapter Overview Introduction A Brief History of Western Medical Practice Medicalization: A Critique of Contemporary Medicine Medicalization and Demedicalization Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 10. The Social Democratic and Current History of Medicare: Privatization and the State of Medicare in Canada Chapter Overview Introduction Early Canadian Medical Organizations The Origins of the Contemporary Medical Care System The Early Efforts of Allopathic Physicians to Organize A Brief History of Universal Medical Insurance in Canada The Impact of Medicare on the Health of Canadians The Impact of Medicare on Medical Practice The Impact of Medicare on Health-Care Costs Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 11. The Medical Profession, Autonomy, and Medical Error Chapter Overview Introduction The "Profession" of Medicine A Brief History of Medical Education in North America Medical Education in Canada Today The Process of Becoming a Doctor Getting Doctored Organization of the Medical Profession: Autonomy and Social Control The Management of Mistakes Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 12. Nurses and Midwives: The Stresses and Strains of the Privatizing Medical Care System Chapter Overview Introduction Nursing: The Historical Context Nursing Today: Issues of Sexism, Managerial Ideology, Hospital Organization, and Cutbacks Nursing as a Profession Midwifery Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 13. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Chapter Overview Introduction Alternative, Complementary, and Allopathic Medicine Chiropractic Naturopathy Therapeutic Touch Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 14. The Pharmaceutical Industry and the Medical-Industrial Complex Chapter Overview Introduction Drug Use Pharmacists The Pharmaceutical Industry Medical Devices and Bioengineering Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings 15. Globalization and Health-Care Systems Chapter Overview Introduction Globalization, Medicalization, and Health Care A Brief History of the Worldwide Concern for Health Health-Care System Differences around the Globe Traditional Medicines in Global Context Health Care in the United States Health Care in the United Kingdom Health Care in Brazil Summary Key Terms Questions for Study and Discussion Suggested Readings Appendix Websites for Sociological Research on Health and Medicine Glossary Bibliography Index

"A clear, comprehensive, and engaging overview of essential concepts, social issues, and broader contexts necessary for a critical engagement with the sociology of health and illness in Canada." - Cynthia Levine-Rasky, Queen's University

\"This text is an excellent introduction to the breadth and complexity of contemporary sociological health and illness issues in Canada. The author weaves foundational concepts such as the social determinants of health and medicalization with newer additions to the field such as climate change, alternative health treatments, and the #MeToo movement.\" -Alissa Overend, Grant MacEwan University

\"Clarke has done a great job of covering topics relevant to health sciences students pursuing a Canadian education. \" -Kerry-Anne Hogan RN PhD, University of Ottawa

"[This text] does not shy away from confronting the complexity of the medical/pharmaceutical-industrial complex while providing a rich contextualization of social determinants of health within neo-liberalism and social inequity frames." -Lisa F. Carver, Queen's University