Sociology of Health & Illness

This collection of 49 readings, including 9 new essays and 2 new revisions on such timely topics as AIDS and the healthcare industry, offers an integrated analysis of the most important issues regarding health and health care from a critical and sociological perspective. Substantive introductions set the readings in context and new chapters include topics such as gender differences in mortality, the stigma of AIDs, the artificial heart, and illness and internet empowerment.