The Tenth Edition of The Sociology of Health and Illness: Critical Perspectives addresses the crucial issues in this field with over 45 readings (1/3 of which are new to this edition) from the scholarly literature on health and medicine, thus providing students with the most balanced and comprehensive analysis of health care today. This best-selling anthology includes both micro-level and structural perspectives, frameworks for understanding these critical issues, and a breadth of material that allows instructors to mix and match materials to meet their course needs.
The Framework Method for the management and analysis of qualitative data has been used since the 1980s [1]. The method originated in large-scale social policy research but is becoming an increasingly popular approach in medical and health research; however, there is some confusion about its potential application and limitations. In this article we discuss when it is appropriate to use the Framework Method and how it compares to other qualitative analysis methods. In particular, we explore how it can be used in multi-disciplinary health research teams. Multi-disciplinary and mixed methods studies are becoming increasingly commonplace in applied health research. As well as disciplines familiar with qualitative research, such as nursing, psychology and sociology, teams often include epidemiologists, health economists, management scientists and others. Furthermore, applied health research often has clinical representation and, increasingly, patient and public involvement [2]. We argue that while leadership is undoubtedly required from an experienced qualitative methodologist, non-specialists from the wider team can and should be involved in the analysis process. We then present a step-by-step guide to the application of the Framework Method, illustrated using a worked example (See Additional File 1) from a published study [3] to illustrate the main stages of the process. Technical terms are included in the glossary (below). Finally, we discuss the strengths and limitations of the approach.
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Acceptance of the complexity of real life health systems and the existence of multiple perspectives on health issues is necessary to produce high quality qualitative research. If done well, qualitative studies can shed explanatory and predictive light on important phenomena, relate constructively to quantitative parts of a larger study, and contribute to the improvement of health services and development of health policy. The Framework Method, when selected and implemented appropriately, can be a suitable tool for achieving these aims through producing credible and relevant findings.
Sociology prepares students for a wide variety of careers. Our students have gone on to careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors (policy, advocacy, activism, research). Many of our alumni pursue graduate degrees in sociology, law, public policy, education, medicine, public health, and related fields.
A concentration in Health and Society requires coursework covering research methodologies and theories of medical sociology, examining individual experience, institutional structures, laws and policies that affect health, and broader systems of inequality that lead to unequal rates of illness and access to care. This concentration is ideal for students interested in graduate-level study and social research on health and medicine, including epidemiology, as well as those interested in careers in public health, medicine or health care services, and health-related non-profit organizations.
Examines the relevance of place in social life and the role of spatial thinking and analysis in understanding social issues and promoting social change. Topics ranging from poverty to segregation, community development, public health, environment, crime, and demographic change may be addressed. Unequal access to community amenities or exposure to disamenities will be a common theme throughout. Emphasis on applied sociology and the application of mapping (GIS) and statistics in support of social justice advocacy, social awareness, and community-based research. Some prior experience with basic social statistics is required. No prior experience with GIS is required. (Not offered 2022-23).
Presents a sociological alternative and complement to the bio-medical paradigm and critically examines public health, the healthcare system, and medicine in their larger social, economic, and political milieus. Topics may address the social determinants of health; domestic and global health-related inequities; policy; and health work as a profession. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Social Inequality requirement. Meets the Critical Learning: SHB requirement. Meets the Equity and Power: EPUS requirement. (Not offered 2022-23).
Investigates critical theories of the body in order to examine how the human body has been used as an object of medicine and a form of social control. The content in the course combines theories of the body rooted in feminist studies and sociology of health and illness with foundations in the method of content analysis. In the course, students will use their methodological training to launch their own investigation of the body as a social construction with complex meanings related to gender, race, sexuality, and social class. Topics covered may include weight, sex assignment, beauty, athletics, illness, and ability. (Not offered 2022-23).
Furthermore, although the years of steeply escalating fatalities have brought newfound attention to the harms of opioid misuse, this problem is not new. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a disabling disorder with high levels of morbidity and mortality that has devastated families and communities for decades. Although the introduction of agonist treatments in the 1970s brought critical relief to many people suffering from this illness, few people received any treatment even prior to the current crisis [6], while increasing criminalisation of drug use diverted a high proportion of this population to the criminal justice system. Thus, the inadequate public health and societal response to the harms of opioids is longstanding and new and expanded responses are sorely needed. The complexity of the crisis is represented by the multiple spheres of influence derived from individual factors, interpersonal relationships, and community and societal influences, indicating the necessity of a broader and a more integrated approach that includes prevention, treatment and overdose rescue interventions in addition to supply reduction strategies.
Adults with higher educational attainment have better health and lifespans compared to their less-educated peers. We highlight that tertiary education, particularly, is critical in influencing infant mortality, life expectancy, child vaccination, and enrollment rates. In addition, an economy needs to consider potential years of life lost (premature mortality) as a measure of health quality.
Research has traditionally drawn from three broad theoretical perspectives in conceptualizing the relationship between education and health. The majority of research over the past two decades has been grounded in the Fundamental Cause Theory (FCT) [28], which posits that factors such as education are fundamental social causes of health inequalities because they determine access to resources (such as income, safe neighborhoods, or healthier lifestyles) that can assist in protecting or enhancing health [36]. Some of the key social resources that contribute to socioeconomic status include education (knowledge), money, power, prestige, and social connections. As some of these undergo change, they will be associated with differentials in the health status of the population [12].
In the current research while we acknowledge the tenets of these theoretical perspectives, we incorporate the social mechanisms in education such as level of education, skills and abilities brought about by enrollment, school life expectancy, and the potential loss brought about by premature mortality. In this manner, we highlight the relevance of the social context in which the education and health domains are situated. We also study the dynamism of the mechanisms over countries and over time and incorporate the influences that precede and succeed educational attainment.
Our results reveal how interlinked education and health can be. We show how a country can improve its health scenario by focusing on appropriate indicators of education. Countries with higher education levels are more likely to have better national health conditions. Among the adult education levels, tertiary education is the most critical indicator influencing healthcare in terms of infant mortality, life expectancy, child vaccination rates, and enrollment rates. Our results emphasize the role that education plays in the potential years of life lost, which is a measure that represents the average years a person would have lived had he/she not died prematurely. In addition to mortality rate, an economy needs to consider this indicator as a measure of health quality.
Stigma is a well-documented barrier to health seeking behavior, engagement in care and adherence to treatment across a range of health conditions globally. In order to halt the stigmatization process and mitigate the harmful consequences of health-related stigma (i.e. stigma associated with health conditions), it is critical to have an explicit theoretical framework to guide intervention development, measurement, research, and policy. Existing stigma frameworks typically focus on one health condition in isolation and often concentrate on the psychological pathways occurring among individuals. This tendency has encouraged a siloed approach to research on health-related stigmas, focusing on individuals, impeding both comparisons across stigmatized conditions and research on innovations to reduce health-related stigma and improve health outcomes. We propose the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework, which is a global, crosscutting framework based on theory, research, and practice, and demonstrate its application to a range of health conditions, including leprosy, epilepsy, mental health, cancer, HIV, and obesity/overweight. We also discuss how stigma related to race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and occupation intersects with health-related stigmas, and examine how the framework can be used to enhance research, programming, and policy efforts. Research and interventions inspired by a common framework will enable the field to identify similarities and differences in stigma processes across diseases and will amplify our collective ability to respond effectively and at-scale to a major driver of poor health outcomes globally. 2ff7e9595c
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