In Life After Ninety Micheal Bury and Anthea Holme have surveyed and interviewed 200 individuals, living at home and in institutions, to examine old age stereotypes and present a unique picture of the health, quality of life, and social circumstances of the very old. Longevity and the factors which promote it are also discussed, and throughout the book the concept of the 'life course' is employed, which brings together the biographical experiences of individuals, and the changing historical circumstances of the twentieth century, through which they have lived.

Health and illness are intensely personal matters. It seems self evident that health is a basic necessity of the 'good life', though it is often taken for granted. Illness, on the other hand challenges our sense of security and may introduce acute anxiety into our lives. Health and Illness in a Changing Society provides a lively and critical account of the impact of social change on the experience of health and illness. It also examines the different sociological perspectives that have been used to analyse health matters. While some of the ideas developed in the last twenty years...

The reader includes a number of different perspectives on health and illness, is international in scope, and will provide an invaluable resource to students across a wide range of courses in sociology and the social sciences.

This reader provides a comprehensive collection of both classic writings and more recent articles in the sociology of health and illness. It is organized into the following sections: health beliefs and knowledge; inequalities and patterning of health and illness; professional and patient interaction; chronic illness and disability; and evaluation and politics in health care. Each section has an introduction, summarizing the content and argument of each article in turn. The reader also has a general introduction which sets the scene for the field as a whole, contextualises each section and...

Health and illness underpin our everyday existence. Health allows us to live full lives and to function as social beings; illness disrupts our lives, sometimes seriously. But health not only affects individuals, it also impacts upon society as a whole. Medical breakthroughs and scandals, health scares and health service problems all vie for the attention of politicians and public alike.


Michael Bury provides a lively introduction to the sociology of health and illness for students approaching the topic for the first time. Drawing on classic writings and up-to-date...

This handbook represents the tensions between academic scholarship and the passion of activists; the different perspectives of disability studies and rehabilitation sciences; and the value conflicts between aggressive capitalism, social welfare states, and the poor who struggle for survival in indus

Drawing on the insights of disability scholars around the world, this book engages readers in the critical issues and debates framing disability studies and places them in a historical and cultural context. It is suitable for disabled people, scholars, policy makers and activists.