Sociologists of knowledge and medicine have challenged the assumption that medical science and medical knowledge are “outside of culture” and free from social structural influences. In this vein, this session seeks papers exploring the interconnections [...]
Significant changes in longevity and fertility as well as improvements in health care and social circumstances over the past half century have resulted in an unprecedented growth in the older adult population. Research that explores [...]
This session seeks to showcase work exploring intersections among (bio)medicalization, gender and sexuality including historical, contemporary, theoretical and/or empirical dimensions. Contemporary work on medicalization has introduced new lines of inquiry around its shifting contexts and [...]
Research that combines the sociology of health with media analysis has expanded considerably in the last ten years. The relationship between health, illness, and the media is complex including, among other topics, representations, information, communication, [...]
This session considers the influence of social environment and social experience on mental distress and disorder, focusing especially on differences in mental health across social groups, and explanations of these differences in terms of the [...]