SOC30080 Health, Illness and Society

Academic Year 2023/2024

Important Note:
This module is aimed at students with at least two years' experience of studying sociological or health-related topics. Students in the second year of an Arts or Social Science programme are advised not to take this module.


The beginnings of sociological interest in health and illness can be traced to Durkheim's study of suicide, where he examined patterns of suicide rates between various social groupings. This epidemiological approach remains a significant aspect of sociological inquiry but from the mid-twentieth century on, sociologists turned their attention to a much wider landscape which involved examining the socially constructed nature of health and disease. In this way labelling theorists, such as Goffman, offered an account of disorder from the view of the `disordered' and Michel Foucault's work further deconstructed the concepts of illness and disorder linking them to the development of medical discourse and power. Recent developments in postmodernist thinking, along with the conceptualisation of `health identities', and developing research strategies have added to contemporary debates in the sub-discipline, such as Critical Realism. The wide span of theoretical thinking, as well as the diversity of topic areas, makes this an exciting area of study. In general, this course is concerned with the relationship between society and matters of health and illness.

Course content: This module introduces medical sociology and seeks to explore sociological factors which impinge on health status, health chances and health care. It will look at concepts of health and illness, the social context of health and illness as well as changing patterns of health and illness, and the social organisation of both formal and informal health care. Theoretical issues addressed will include a critical analysis of formal Western medical approaches to health and health care. These theories will be applied to a number of substantive areas.

Indicative content: Historical, sociological and cross-cultural concepts of health and illness. Health care systems. The relationship between health cultural beliefs and practices. Lay and professional interpretations of health and illness in contemporary society. Problems in measuring health and illness. The social character of health and illness. The relationship between health beliefs and health behaviour. Disability, labelling and social stigma. The professionalisation of treatment and care. Interactions between health consumers and health professionals. Changing patterns of morbidity and mortality in the western and developing worlds.