Understanding Health, Health Care, and Health Policy In Canada

Preface and Acknowledgements
1. Health and Health Care: Sociological History and Perspectives
A Sociological Perspective
A Brief History of Sociological
Thinking about Health and Health Care
Theoretical Approaches to Health and Health Care
Social Inequalities in Health and Health Care
Conclusion
2. Health and Illness
Definitions of Health and Illness
Sociology and Social Construction of Health and Illness
Social Factors in Health and Illness
Experiencing Health and Illness: Opportunities for Agency
Health and Illness over the Life Couse
Conclusion
3. Self and Informal Care
Introduction
Self Care When Healthy
Self Care When Ill
Caregiving
Conclusions
4. Formal Care
Introduction
Health Professions
Health Care Settings
Experiencing Formal Care
Conclusions
5. Health Care Policy
Health Care as Social Policy
Some Background on Canada's Health Care System
Health Care Reform
A Lack of Progress
Globalization and Capitalism
Other Vested Interests - The Pharmaceutical Industry
Consequences for Individuals
Allowing for Agency
Conclusions
Conclusions: The Sociology of Health and Care in the Future
To Summarize
Revisiting Health and Illness
Changing Self Care
Relying on Others
Health-Care Services in the Future
Health-Care Policy - Is There an Alternative?
Sociological Advances
Suggestions Websites
References
Index

Test Bank

Neena L. Chappell, PhD, FRSC, Canada Research Chair in Social Gerontology, Professor of Sociology and Centre on Aging, University of Victoria. She was founding Director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba (1982-1992) and first Director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria (1992-2002), developing both into world-class research facilities while ensuring accessibility to the community. For over 25 years, she has been a leader in gerontological research, focusing on three areas: quality of life for seniors, caregiving, and the health care system and related policy. Her research can be characterized as partnerships with other researchers in the social sciences and with non-researchers in government and community agencies. Margaret Penning is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria. Her research focuses on the social determinants of health and health care with a particular focus on factors that influence chronic illness, disability and long-term community-based care. I am also interested in the impact of health care reforms and restructuring processes on older adults and other vulnerable populations.

Health, Illness, and Medicine in Canada - Dr. Juanne Nancarrow Clarke
Introducing Sociology - Murray Knuttila
Social Problems - Lorne Tepperman, James Curtis and Albert Kwan
Aging as a Social Process - Barry McPherson
Choices and Constraints in Family Life - Maureen Baker
The Schooled Society - Scott Davies and Neil Guppy
Crime in Canadian Context - William O'Grady
Race and Ethnicity in Canada - Vic Satzewich and Nick Liodakis
Social Movements - Suzanne Staggenborg
Making Sense in the Social Sciences - Margot Northey, Lorne Tepperman and Patrizia Albanese

Special Features

• Canadian and International Content. Allows students to evaluate the sociological aspects of health at home and around the world making the content relevant to their daily lives.
• Breadth of coverage. Identifies social problems related to health care, their consequences, as well as efforts made to solve these problems, giving students a well-rounded look at the impact of these problems.
• Contemporary. Explores the major concepts and debates in the field, apprising students of the current dialogue surrounding health and health care in Canada today.
• Both micro-sociological and macro-sociological aspects of health, health care, and health policy are explored, exposing students to the ways these issues impact the individual as well as society as a whole.
• Pedagogy in every chapter! Each chapter begins by outlining learning objectives and ends with questions for critical thought and suggestions for further reading to help students track their learning and to provide them with avenues to further explore the topic.