Social Causes of Health and Disease

In this stimulating book, William Cockerham, a leading medical sociologist, assesses the evidence that social factors have direct causal effects on health and many diseases. He argues that stress, poverty, unhealthy lifestyles, and unpleasant living and work conditions can all be directly associated with illness. Noting a new emphasis upon social structure in both theory and multi-level research techniques, the author argues that a paradigm shift has been emerging in twenty-first-century medical sociology, which looks beyond individual explanations for health and disease. As the old gives way to the new in medical sociology, the field has headed toward a fundamentally different orientation, and William Cockerham’s work has been at the forefront of these changes. The second edition of his clear and compelling account has been thoroughly revised and updated with further contemporary developments, and also includes an expanded discussion of the relationship between race and health as well as new material on health care reform and social policy. This engaging text offers a coherent introduction to social epidemiology, as well as challenging aspects of the existing literature. It will be indispensable reading for all students and scholars of medical sociology, especially those with the courage to confront the possibility that society really does make people sick.

* A leading medical sociologist provides a frank examination of the evidence for the social causes of health and disease
* Offers a coherent introduction to social epidemiology, as well as challenging existing literature that only focuses on individual causes of illness and disease
* This new updated edition includes expanded material on key areas such as race and health, as well as on health and social policy
* Rigorous but readable text which has proved popular on upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in medical sociology and related areas

William C. Cockerham is distinguished professor of sociology, medicine and public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Preface 1 The Social Causation of Health and Disease 2 Theorizing about Health and Disease 3 Health Lifestyles 4 The Power of Class 5 Class and Health: Explaining the Relationship 6 Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity as Structural Variables 7 Living Conditions and Neighborhood Disadvantage 8 Health and Social Capital Concluding Remarks References Index