Written by Margaret T. Hicken (University of Michigan) and Hedwig Lee (Washington University in St. Louis) as part of A Sociology Experiment. To read this chapter, add it to your cart, complete the checkout process, return to this page, and select “Read Now” to open the Bookshelf reader.

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to: discuss the meaning of health and illness as socially constructed concepts; illustrate the social nature of the medical profession and the health care system; analyze how various social forces impact health and health inequities; and explain the role of sociology in understanding health and illness.