Polity Contemporary Health Studies: An Introduction

Contemporary Health Studies provides an accessible introduction to current issues and key debates in understanding and promoting health. Its up-to-date, global focus places a strong emphasis on the social, political and environmental dimensions of health. Part One sets the scene by looking closely at the definition of ‘health’ and outlining the aims and purpose of health studies. Part Two explores the different disciplines that underpin health studies, such as sociology, psychology, anthropology and health psychology, incorporating new theoretical frameworks to help readers understand health. Part Three applies this knowledge to address the determinants of health, including chapters on individual factors, the role of public health, the latest policy influences on health and the growing importance of the global context. Each chapter contains contemporary statistics and evidence alongside carefully developed learning features designed to highlight the fundamentals of each topic, to apply these to in-depth case studies – from global antibiotic resistance to the challenge and promise of digital data –, and to pose questions for reflection and debate. Contemporary Health Studies is an essential guide for undergraduate health students written by three authors who have a wealth of teaching experience in this subject area. Their book will inspire readers to consider the human experience of health within contemporary global society as it is mediated by individual, societal and global contexts.