Medical Sociology and Sociological Theory

Cockerham, William C.

doi:10.1002/9780470996447.ch1

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We use conflict‐based theories for direction and adopt a political economy of health and welfare regimes framework to explicitly focus on issues relevant to the sociology of health and illness – democracy, political traditions, globalisation, and welfare states. Though the role and impact of conflict‐based theories has been questioned in medical sociology (Cockerham 2001), political economy of health and welfare regime frameworks have been instrumental in highlighting the political context of health inequalities (Navarro and Shi 2001, Navarro et al 2003), re‐engaging with neo‐Marxist models of class division (Coburn 2000, 2004), and testing the health effects of working‐class power (Muntaner et al 1999). Originally developed by political scientists and sociologists (Stephens 1979, Korpi 1983, Esping‐Andersen 1990, Huber and Stephens 2001), these frameworks are particularly broad, sensitive to historical changes, and sociologically relevant through their explicit focus on inequality‐generating mechanisms such as social class relations (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Politics, welfare regimes, and population health: controversies and evidence

Muntañer

Borrell

et al. 2011

Sociology Health & Illness

197

159

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, a research area has emerged within social determinants of health that examines the role of politics, expressed as political traditions ⁄ parties and welfare state characteristics, on population health. To better understand and synthesise this growing body of evidence, the present literature review, informed by a political economy of health and welfare regimes framework, located 73 empirical and comparative studies on politics and health, meeting our inclusion criteria in three databases: PubMed (1948-), Sociological Abstracts (1953, and ISI Web of Science (1900-). We identified two major research programmes, welfare regimes and democracy, and two emerging programmes, political tradition and globalisation. Primary findings include: (1) left and egalitarian political traditions on population health are the most salutary, consistent, and substantial; (2) the health impacts of advanced and liberal democracies are also positive and large; (3) welfare regime studies, primarily conducted among wealthy countries, find that social democratic regimes tend to fare best with absolute health outcomes yet consistently in terms of relative health inequalities; and (4) globalisation defined as dependency indicators such as trade, foreign investment, and national debt is negatively associated with population health. We end by discussing epistemological, theoretical, and methodological issues for consideration for future research.Keywords: population health, politics, political tradition, welfare state, democracy, globalisation IntroductionThis study aims to describe the emerging area of politically-oriented, empirical studies in the population health literature (Navarro and Shi 2001, Beckfield and Krieger 2009. In doing so, we explore the intersection where sociological theory and population health meet, and conduct a systematic literature review on how politics, often expressed as political traditions ⁄ parties and welfare state characteristics, shapes population health in a global context. The roots of such contemporary scholarship can be traced back to the mid-19th century with Friedrich Engels ' (1958[1845]) classic treatise The Condition of the Working Class in England. In that work, Engels developed the notion of the social production of disease and demonstrated that the politics of industrial capitalism resulted in premature mortality and unnecessary morbidity among the working class. Echoing this idea, Rudolph Virchow's investigation of a typhus outbreak in Upper Silesia in 1848 led him to famously conclude that 'disease is not something personal and special, but only a manifestation of life under (pathological) conditions … Medicine is a social science and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale ' (Virchow 1985' (Virchow [1948: 33). Engels' and Virchow's perspectives still hold significant influence; however, contemporary research on politics and health has largely advanced without careful consideration of the dynamic connection between theoretical and empirical levels of resea...

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Politics, welfare regimes, and population health: controversies and evidence

Muntañer

Borrell

et al. 2011

Sociology Health & Illness

197

159

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In essence, it is incumbent upon the sick person to honour the doctor's orders or the prescription such as keeping medical appointments and following advice related to behaviours other than medication taking, such as diet (Cramer, 1991;O'Brien et al, 1992;Besch, 1995;Volmink et al, 2000). These are some of normative customary obligations that surround illness in a society (Cockerham, 2001;Bissell et al, 2002).…”

Section: Theoretical Frame For the Construction Of Sickrole Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sickrole Compliance and Sickrole Deviance among Tuberculosis Patients on Treatment in Kanyama, a Zambian Shanty Compound

Mwanza¹

2016

AASoci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Kanyama compound has had a DOTS community based programme since 2012 where TB supporters in the community have been fostering the DOTS programme. Prior to this study, research had not been done using Parsonian sickrole behaviour concept to determine the pattern of deviance especially the sickrole behavioural responses on the part of people who were on TB treatment. Methods: This was an exploratory study and the study sample was drawn from a large mixed methods study (quan + QUAL) comprising of 457 men and women ≥15 years. Enrolees were disproportionately sampled using systematic sampling from a population of 1126 men and women who were on multi drug therapy over a two-year period. Categorical and numeric data from the tool was cleaned and analyzed by using SPSS version 21 (Inc., Chicago, USA). Statistical analysis was done using Pearson's Chi square test and ANOVA. A p value of <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: 18.5% of the enrolees honoured medical appointments when due whereas 81.5% did not. There was a significant association p < 0.05 with case type and marital status. 39.6% of the enrolees honoured the medical regimen by taking the prescribed drugs, 33.3% failed to honour and 27.1% were not sure. There was a significant association p < 0.05 between case type and marital status. Conclusions: Strengthening DOTS programs at community level through volunteers to enhance patient adherence to TB treatment and giving personalised attention to men and women who may be at risk of developing secondary tuberculosis, or risk for drug resistance and even dying is recommended. There is evidence to laud the great effort being expended by volunteer community based tuberculosis supporters in ensuring that what DOTS stands for is met.

show abstract

“…His formulation was recognized as "a penetrating and apt analysis of sickness from a distinctly sociological point of view," which indeed it was. T. Parsons also influenced the study of professions by using the medical profession as the model for professions based on expertise and a service orientation (7). E. Durkheim's only work that had a direct application to medical sociology was his theory of suicide in which the act of taking one's life was determined by the individual's ties to his or her community or society.…”

Section: Structural Functionalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The merit of his concept is that it shows the capability of the larger society to create stressful situations where people are forced to respond to conditions not of their own choice. Thus, E. Durkheim helps us to not only understand the social facets of suicide, but to recognize that macro-level social events (like economic recessions) can affect health in a variety of ways through stress and that the effects of stress can be mitigated through social support (7).…”

Section: Structural Functionalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conflict theory claims that true consensus does not exist; rather, society's norms and values are those of the dominant elite and imposed by them on the less privileged to maintain their advantaged position. Since all social systems contain such inequality, conflict inevitably results, and conflict, in turn, is responsible for social change (7). Whereas the Marxian-oriented features of conflict theory have emphasized class struggle, other theorists have moved toward emphasizing conflicts that occur between interest groups and the unequal distribution of political power.…”

Section: Conflict Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Peculiarities of medical sociology: application of social theories in analyzing health and medicine

Kaminskas¹,

Darulis²

2006

Medicina

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective. To reveal the peculiarities of medical sociology introducing the application of social theories in analyzing public health and medicine. Methods. Comparative and descriptive analysis of scientific references found and current situation. Results. During the last decade of the 20th century, the discussions about the sociology of health and medicine as separate discipline and its practical applications became more active. Main factors determined the growing importance of discipline were institutionalization of medicine and health care, changing patterns in doctor-patient relationships, different health perceptions, understanding of the influence of social factors on health, cardinal changes in the area of health technologies, consumeristic attitude towards health, appearance of market relationships within health care, and other global phenomena. In sociology, usual social theories such as structural functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, poststructuralism, feminist often attempt to explain the changes within health care. There is a relation of medical sociology and other types of sociology having common areas with medicine and health being analyzed in the article; social theories and their application in the field of health and medicine are being introduced attempting to explain the ongoing social changes in both Lithuania and the world. Conclusions. More and more attention in various areas of medical activities is being paid to the social aspects (both individual and society levels) of these activities, and there is a shift from applied sociology towards medical one. Despite the cessations of the development of medical sociology as separate branch of sciences, the researches of recent years are demonstrating obvious approaching modern research issues and methods, which do exist in contemporary world. Such tendencies show the prompt approaching of the academic community of Lithuania the general scientific standards which are dominating in the globalization-effected world.

show abstract

Medical Sociology and Sociological Theory

Cited by 12 publications

References 57 publications

Politics, welfare regimes, and population health: controversies and evidence

Politics, welfare regimes, and population health: controversies and evidence

Sickrole Compliance and Sickrole Deviance among Tuberculosis Patients on Treatment in Kanyama, a Zambian Shanty Compound

Peculiarities of medical sociology: application of social theories in analyzing health and medicine

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About