This book presents a comprehensive discussion of classical ideas, core topics, currents and detailed theoretical underpinnings in medical sociology. It is a globally renowned source and reference for those interested in social dimensions of health and illness. The presentation is enriched with explanatory and illustrative styles. The design and illustration of details will shift the minds of the readers from mere classroom discourse to societal context (the space of health issues), to consider the implications of those ideas in a way that could guide health interventions. The elemental strengths are the sociological illustrations from African context, rooted in deep cultural interpretations necessitated because Africa bears a greater brunt of health problems. More so, the classical and current epistemological and theoretical discourse presented in this book are indicative of core themes in medical sociology in particular, but cut across a multidisciplinary realm including health social sciences (e.g., medical anthropology, health psychology, medical demography, medical geography and health economics) and health studies (medicine, public health, epidemiology, bioethics and medical humanities) in general. Therefore, apart from the book’s relevance as a teaching text of medical sociology for academics, it is also meant for students at various levels and all health professionals who require a deeper understanding of social dimensions of health and illness (with illustrations from the African context) and sociological contributions to health studies in general.

This book discusses fundamental discourses relating to health in Africa arising out of the consequences of endemic diseases in Africa. It identifies, explains and illustrates the contexts, challenges and efforts to combat these diseases. The book provides a unique comparative analysis of African contexts of health, thereby not ignoring the global contexts of health within which Africa exists. It follows a macro-analytic stance about health in Africa framed around significant/pressing issues. "Discourse of disease" is part of a profound sociological discourse of health in Africa, which provides a framework for students, academics and healthcare practitioners to understand the states of health and healthcare in Africa.

Medical research has been central to biomedicine in Africa for over a century, and Africa, along with other tropical areas, has been crucial to the development of medical science. At present, study populations in Africa participate in an increasing number of medical research projects and clinical trials, run by both public institutions and private companies. Global debates about the politics and ethics of this research are growing and local concerns are prompting calls for social studies of the “trial communities” produced by this scientific work. Drawing on rich, ethnographic and historiographic material, this volume represents the emergent field of anthropological inquiry that links Africanist ethnography to recent concerns with science, the state, and the culture of late capitalism in Africa.

When a global crisis impacts nearly every industry, education is always one of the most impacted as students and faculty must frantically try to maintain their educational programs throughout uncertain times. Beyond the educational courses themselves being shifted online or to hybrid approaches, there must be a focus on the impact on students as well. With newfound ways of learning, new online environments, and new methods for teaching, students are greatly impacted by the changing face of education. The traditional ways in which students have been served and assisted have changed rapidly, and to make matters even more challenging, students must handle both living in a time of crisis while adapting to swift educational transformations. The dissemination of best practices and maintaining student success during global crises is an area of research that is not only growing in interest but is critical in pandemic times. Strategies for Student Support During a Global Crisis reflects on how educational professionals have worked with students during global crises, how serving and teaching students have been impacted, and the best practices for student success in both online education and hybrid formats. The chapters will include topics such as mentoring models, teaching methods, educational technologies, teacher insights, academic support services, and more. This book is ideal for educational professionals, leaders, school administration, teachers, teacher educators, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the best strategies for supporting students and promoting student success during global crises.

Virtually rewritten and brought thoroughly up to date, the new edition of this solidly referenced text stresses the influence of social and cultural factors on global pattern of illness and health care, and demonstrates how the social sciences can help interpret these patterns. The first part, focusing on broad societal issues, has been completely rewritten and is now equally informed by sociological and epidemiological insights into health problems. The second part, completely updated, retains its focus on family life, examining the health effects of the interplay between individual, family and society on the individual throughout the entire life cycle. This is an excellent text for courses in medical sociology and community health in medical schools and school of public health, and will be useful in courses in social work and sociology. In addition, the authors have greatly expanded the data on the United States, making this edition an invaluable reference for public health researchers.

In Para-States and Medical Science, P. Wenzel Geissler and the contributors examine how medicine and public health in Africa have been transformed as a result of economic and political liberalization and globalization, intertwined with epidemiological and technological changes. The resulting fragmented medical science landscape is shaped and sustained by transnational flows of expertise and resources. NGOs, universities, pharmaceutical companies and other nonstate actors now play a significant role in medical research and treatment. But as the contributors to this volume argue, these groups have not supplanted the primacy of the nation-state in Africa. Although not necessarily stable or responsive, national governments remain crucial in medical care, both as employers of health care professionals and as sources of regulation, access, and – albeit sometimes counterintuitively - trust for their people. “The state” has morphed into the “para-state” — not a monolithic and predictable source of sovereignty and governance, but a shifting, and at times ephemeral, figure. Tracing the emergence of the “global health” paradigm in Africa in the treatment of HIV, malaria, and leprosy, this book challenges familiar notions of African statehood as weak or illegitimate by elaborating complex new frameworks of governmentality that can be simultaneously functioning and dysfunctional. Contributors. Uli Beisel, Didier Fassin, P. Wenzel Geissler, Rene Gerrets, Ann Kelly, Guillaume Lachenal, John Manton, Lotte Meinert, Vinh-Kim Nguyen, Branwyn Poleykett, Susan Reynolds Whyte

'Cockerham has been very successful . . . as he has brought together a range of articles which demonstrate the richness and diversity of research and theory currently within medical sociology. Overall, this book will be a valuable resource to those working in the area . . . it does offer an accessible and interesting overview of many key issues and debates within medical sociology. It furthermore familiarises the reader with the range of theories and methods used in this sub-discipline and illustrates the importance of comparative work. the real strength of the book appears to be its ability to interest readers from varied perspectives and thus provide them with an opportunity to consider how they might contribute themselves to the development of the field.' - Kathy Kendall, Reviewing Sociology the Sociology of Medicine is a collection of essays and research findings representing the work of medical sociologists in several different countries which focus on current ideas, concepts and issues in medical sociology. the selections provide a contemporary overview of the field in the following areas: sociological theory and health, social factors and disease, social demography, social stress, health and illness behaviour, alternative forms of medicine, health professions and occupations, hospitals, and health care delivery and social change.

These essays are an account of disease, health and healing practices on the African continent. The contributors all emphasize the social conditions linked to ill health and the development of local healing traditions, from Morocco to South Africa and from the precolonial era to the present.

"Voices in Medical Sociology: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives" is a reader for students of health care. The collection of articles written by sociologists, health care providers, public health professionals, lawyers, and students addresses the most salient issues in the field of medical sociology today. These readings cover epidemiology, maternal health, children's health, legal aspects of health care reform, and the lack of health care for incarcerated women. Additionally, the book addresses controversial topics such as fracking, female genital mutilation, alternative medicine, and the social construction of illness. This material familiarizes students with long-standing concerns in the field of health care, and also exposes them to new issues that are relevant today. "Voices in Medical Sociology" is an interdisciplinary text that provides important information for students without relying on the standard textbook form. Rather, it makes use of diverse materials including legal cases, personal memoirs, and book reviews. It also includes previously published and new articles. The variety of the original writings and the different voices of the writers serve to discuss and define the many diverse aspects of contemporary health care. Cynthia T. Cook earned her Master's Degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago, and her Ph.D. from Texas Woman's University. Currently she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Florida A & M University, where she teaches medical sociology and population problems. Her area of specialization is medical sociology, demography, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Women's Studies with a concentration on global and domestic health disparities. She is co-editor of "Cultural Proficiency in Addressing Health Disparities," "Voices in Sociology: an Introduction to Core Concepts," and the GRIOT (the official newsletter of the Association of Black Sociologists). Dr. Cook has published articles in the "Journal of the National Medical Association," "Program Planning and Evaluation," "Law and Medicine," and the "Journal of Black Studies."

A major objective of this open access book is to summarize the current status of Buruli Ulcer (BU) research for the first time. It will identify gaps in our knowledge, stimulate research and support control of the disease by providing insight into approaches for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of Buruli Ulcer. Book chapters will cover the history, epidemiology diagnosis, treatment and disease burden of BU and provide insight into the microbiology, genomics, transmission and virulence of Mycobacterium ulcerans.