Key Concepts

Overview

The second edition of Mildred Blaxter's successful and highly respected book offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the key debates surrounding the concept of health today. It discusses how health is defined, constructed, experienced and acted out in contemporary developed societies, drawing on a range of empirical data from the USA, Britain, France and many other countries.

The new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, with new material added on health and identity, the ‘new genetics’, the sociology of the body and the formation of health capital throughout the life course. The topic is the concept of health, rather than the more usual emphasis on illness and health-care systems. Special emphasis is given to the lay perspective to show how people themselves think about and experience health. Blaxter guides students through all the relevant conceptual models of the relationship of health to the structure of society, from inequality in health to the ideas of the risk society, the 'socio-biological translation' and the contribution of health to social capital. The book concludes with a comprehensively revised and thought-provoking discussion of the impact of new technology, the boundaries between life and death, modern commodification of health, technological transformations of the body and theories of evolutionary biology.

Health is an invaluable textbook for students of medicine and other health professions as well as those studying sociology, health sciences and health promotion.

About the Author

Mildred Blaxter is Honorary Professor of Medical Sociology at the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol.

Table of Contents

• 1. How is health defined?
• 2. How is health constructed?
• 3. How is health embodied and experienced?
• 4. How is health enacted?
• 5. How is health related to social systems?
• 6. Contemporary change in the meaning of health
• 7. Conclusion

Index

Endorsements

“A great text: revised and updated for students of health, whatever their discipline or background. Changes in science, technology and our understanding of the body are among the many important topics covered. Mildred Blaxter writes in a lucid style and has a command of her material that is second to none. Highly recommended.”

— Mike Bury, Royal Holloway, University of London

“Updated and with new material, this book provides a fascinating insight into the phenomenon of health and how it is defined, constructed, expressed and experienced. Written in a clear and engaging style, it is an indispensable resource for students and researchers in the health and social sciences.”

— Ellen Annandale, University of Leicester

“This fine book takes sociological perspectives of health as a point of departure, while at the same time increasing our understanding of illness. Students and professionals alike will benefit from Blaxter's clear and succinct presentation.”

— Peter Conrad, Brandeis University