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reflections on selected themes and issues which, we believe, provide some
important indicators not simply of the sociology of health and illness’ current
status, but also of its future prospects. Four key themes have been chosen: (i)
social inequalities in health; (ii) emotions and embodiment; (iii)
(bio)technology, and finally; (iv) the shifting configuration of health care in
Britain. Underlying these four themes, and running through the discussion as a
whole, are two further key issues, namely, the contested nature of health and
medical knowledge, and debates concerning consumption and risk in late modern
society. The article concludes by suggesting that, in the era of the new
genetics and the resurgence of biological explanations in the social and natural
sciences, the charge of sociological imperialism constitutes both a constraint
and opportunity for practitioners working in health and related fields.
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