The second edition of this acclaimed book offers a critical analysis of the transition from institutional to community care for people with mental health problems. Despite the almost complete abandonment of the old Victorian asylum system, the powerful cultural legacy of segregation remains potent in modern thought. Rogers and Pilgrim analyse the impact of new policies introduced by the Labour government since it came to power in 1997, identifying both the processes and causes of policy change and assessing its value in the context of longer term debates about madness and distress.

This book explores how people encounter, understand, live with and respond to health risks associated with social economic and political inequality. Complementing a traditional public health approach, it moves beyond a focus on categories of morbidity and their structural causes. Instead the books’ focus is on everyday understandings and actions for people living in unequal social conditions. Making use of a variety of case studies related to physical and mental health, the authors emphasise interpersonal relationships, biographical meanings and the daily tactics of ‘getting by’. These are recurrently linked to the social structural aspects of particular times and places. The book: · Draws upon, applies and extends the biopsychosocial approach, which is well known to students of public health. · Respects and gives due weight to the experience in context of people who live with health inequalities, in domestic and local settings. · Explores notions of personal agency and the contingencies of everyday life, in order to offer a focused psychosocial corrective to a public health tradition dominated by top down reasoning. This is an important read for all those seeking to understand the complexities of health inequalities holistically in their studies, research and practice. The book brings together thinking in the fields of public health, sociology, mental health and social policy.

Illuminating the First Nations struggles against the Canadian state, It’s All about the Land exposes how racism underpins and shapes Indigenous-settler relationships. Renowned Kahnawà:ke Mohawk activist and scholar Taiaiake Alfred explains how the Canadian government’s reconciliation agenda is a new form of colonization that is also guaranteed to fail. Bringing together Alfred’s speeches and interviews from over the past two decades, the book shows that Indigenous peoples across the world face a stark choice: reconnect with their authentic cultures and values or continue following a slow road to annihilation. Alfred proposes a radical vision for contesting and confronting the ongoing genocide of the original peoples of this land: Indigenous Resurgence. This way of thinking, being, and practising represents an authentic politics that roots resistance in the spirit, knowledge, and laws of the ancestors. Set against the historic arc of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada and drawing on the rich heritage of First Nations resistance movements, It’s All about the Land traces the evolution of Indigenous struggle and liberation through the dynamic processes of oratory, dialogue, action, and reflection.

This book explores how people encounter, understand, live with and respond to health risks associated with social economic and political inequality. Complementing a traditional public health approach, it moves beyond a focus on categories of morbidity and their structural causes. Instead the books’ focus is on everyday understandings and actions for people living in unequal social conditions. Making use of a variety of case studies related to physical and mental health, the authors emphasise interpersonal relationships, biographical meanings and the daily tactics of ‘getting by’. These are recurrently linked to the social structural aspects of particular times and places. The book: · Draws upon, applies and extends the biopsychosocial approach, which is well known to students of public health. · Respects and gives due weight to the experience in context of people who live with health inequalities, in domestic and local settings. · Explores notions of personal agency and the contingencies of everyday life, in order to offer a focused psychosocial corrective to a public health tradition dominated by top down reasoning. This is an important read for all those seeking to understand the complexities of health inequalities holistically in their studies, research and practice. The book brings together thinking in the fields of public health, sociology, mental health and social policy.

'How many general practitioners ended up in their roles thanks to a faint breeze nudging them in a given direction? How many successes resulted from failure? Some of the most successful practices were built up from nothing, and some of the happiest doctors spent time not being doctors. Despite the element that fate plays in career paths it is prudent to make plans - ' A career in general practice offers many options for further professional development. While some GPs prefer to concentrate primarily on their practice, others find additional fulfillment in teaching, research or international collaboration. Whichever path you choose, general practice promises a rewarding and exciting experience. This inspiring new book emphasises there is no single career path in general practice. Without being prescriptive, its practical approach helps you make life-changing decisions, prompts self-analysis and equips you with the tools to remain flexible, positive and reflective about your career. 'So - have you got what it takes to practise the 'medicine plus' which is today's general practice? This book, written and edited by colleagues many of whom have far more street cred than I, will help you decide. If you have, I wish you luck, fulfilment, and the gratification that comes from being a catalyst for good in the lives of your fellow human beings. If you have a role teaching and mentoring the next generation of GPs, you will find this book a persuasive ally. But if you decide that hospital medicine is your preferred option - well, that's fine. There would be no shame, if you find the ladder to general practice too steep, in settling for becoming a brain surgeon.' Roger Neighbour, in the Foreword 'Lively, extremely informative and engaging' Professor Roger Jones, Editor, British Journal of General Practice

The Handbook of the Sociology of Health, Illness & Healing advances the understanding of medical sociology by identifying the most important contemporary challenges to the field and suggesting directions for future inquiry. The editors provide a blueprint for guiding research and teaching agendas for the first quarter of the 21st century. In a series of essays, this volume offers a systematic view of the critical questions that face our understanding of the role of social forces in health, illness and healing. It also provides an overall theoretical framework and asks medical sociologists to consider the implications of taking on new directions and approaches. Such issues may include the importance of multiple levels of influences, the utility of dynamic, life course approaches, the role of culture, the impact of social networks, the importance of fundamental causes approaches, and the influences of state structures and policy making.

The Handbook of the Sociology of Health, Illness & Healing advances the understanding of medical sociology by identifying the most important contemporary challenges to the field and suggesting directions for future inquiry. The editors provide a blueprint for guiding research and teaching agendas for the first quarter of the 21st century.

In a series of essays, this volume offers a systematic view of the critical questions that face our understanding of the role of social forces in health, illness and healing. It also provides an overall theoretical framework and asks medical sociologists to consider the implications of taking on new directions and approaches. Such issues may include the importance of multiple levels of influences, the utility of dynamic, life course approaches, the role of culture, the impact of social networks, the importance of fundamental causes approaches, and the influences of state structures and policy making.

How do we understand mental health problems in their social context? A former BMA Medical Book of the Year award winner, this book provides a sociological analysis of major areas of mental health and illness. The book considers contemporary and historical aspects of sociology, social psychiatry, policy and therapeutic law to help students develop an in-depth and critical approach to this complex subject. New developments for the sixth edition include: *Brand new chapter on aging and older people *Updated material on social class, ethnicity, user involvement, young people and adolescence *New coverage on prisons legalism and the rise of digital mental health management and delivery A classic in its field, this well-established textbook offers a rich, contemporary and well-crafted overview of mental health and illness unrivalled by competitors and is essential reading for students and professionals studying a range of medical sociology and health-related courses. It is also highly suitable for trainee mental health workers in the fields of social work, nursing, clinical psychology and psychiatry. This classic text book has for many years provided the definitive sociological lens with which to understand the range of conceptual approaches to understanding mental 'illness' in the historical journey from madness to emotional health and the complex interdisciplinary challenges of providing appropriate care or treatment to human distress and suffering. This updated edition continues to provide illuminating insights and clarifications not only for students but for academic researchers and scholars at all levels. Gillian Bendelow, Professor in Sociology of Health and Medicine, School of Applied Social Science, University of Brighton A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness is a sociological classic - for three decades now it has been essential reading for all sociologists (and other social scientists) wishing to learn more about mental (ill-)health and society, be they students or professional teachers and researchers. It has also long been a beacon, and will continue to guide, mental health practitioners keen to better understand and engage with the social dimensions of their work. A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness is an incomparable resource. Professor Martyn Pickersgill, University of Edinburgh, UK The relationship between sociology and mental health has been well documented over the years. Social factors such as poverty, social stress, socioeconomic disadvantages, inequality, social exclusion have been implicated for increased rates of mental health problems. Unfortunately, psychiatry has not engaged sufficiently with sociology. "A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness" has covered this disparity. The sixth edition is a most welcome addition updating social trends and new sociological material relevant to mental health, more emphasis on service users' participation and the emerged evidence base. It is a classic that should be an essential reading for all mental health professionals. Nick Bouras, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience Anne Rogers is Professor of Medical Sociology & Health Systems Implementation at the University of Southampton. David Pilgrim is Visiting Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton.