1st Edition

Medical Sociology and Old Age Towards a sociology of health in later life

By Paul Higgs, Ian Rees Jones Copyright 2009
160 Pages
by Routledge

154 Pages
by Routledge

160 Pages
by Routledge

The nature of health in later life has conventionally been studied from two perspectives. Medical sociologists have focused on the failing body, chronic illness, infirmity and mortality, while social gerontologists on the other hand have focused on the epidemiology of old age and health and social policy. By examining these perspectives, Higgs and Jones show how both standpoints have a restricted... Read more

1. Medical Sociology and Old Age  2. Social Gerontology and Old Age  3. The Body at Later Ages  4. New Developments in Social Gerontology  5. The Death of Old Age, Critical Approaches as Undertakers  6. The Birth of a Sociology of Health in Later Life  7. Conclusion

Biography

Paul Higgs is Reader in Medical Sociology at University College London.

Ian Rees Jones is Professor of Sociology of Health at the Bangor University, Wales.