The sociology of healthcare / Alan Clarke.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

An introduction to the sociology of health and illness --The biomedical model: an introduction and critique--What is sociology?--Sociological perspectives--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading-- 2. Experiences of health and illness -- An introduction to the concepts of disease, illness and health--Lay perspectives--Illness behaviour-- Illness as deviance--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading--3.The sociolgy of mental illness --Concepts of mental illness and mental health--Sociological approaches to the study of mental illness--Explaining the relationship between social class and mental illness--Gender and mental illness-- Mental health of minority ethnic groups--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading-- 4.Inequalities in health -- Introduction--Measuring health--Determining social class--Social class and mortality: a picture of health--Social class and morbidity-- Gender,mortality and morbidity--Regional differences in mortality rates--Explaining inequalities in health--Gender inequalities in health--Ethnicity and inequalities in health--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading--5.The life course I: childhood and adolescence -- The study of ageing-The social construction of childhood--Towards a sociology of child health--Adolesence--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading--6.The life course II: later life --An ageing population--Theoretical perspectives on old age--Experiencing old age--Rituals of social transition--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading-- 7.Care, community and family --The concept of \'care\'--Community care; the policy context--Making sense of \'community\'--The family--Informal care--Caring for the mentally ill within the family--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading-- 8.Professionals, patients and healthcare provisioin --Introduction--Perspectives on the doctor-patient relationship--Medical consultations as social encounters-Nurse-patient interaction--Professional-patient interaction in pregnancy and childbirth--The doctor-nurse relationship--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading-- 9.Contemporary issues in healthcare--Professions in healthcare--Health promotion--Health service: reforms and research--Summary--Questions for discussion--Further reading.

Clarke explores issues within the health care system, ranging from the changes in policy and practice since the new Labour government came into power and the issues of rationing, consumerism and disability within healthcare.