Overview

Medical Technology and the Social: How Medical Technology is Impacting Social relations, Institutions, and Beliefs about what is Normal explores the intersection of society and medical technology to examine how medical technology impacts our day-to-day lives. The contributors examine a variety of technologies and their impact on the social world, from older technologies such as the use of fax machines in hospitals to cutting-edge technologies such as Bluetooth-enabled smart pills. Underlying each chapter is a consideration of what is “normal”, investigating such themes as power and social control, diffusion of technology, eco-crip theory, the changing role of medical expertise, the embodiment of the fetus in utero, the history of prosthetics, and how technology has reformed conceptions of a “normal” body.

Full Product Details

9781666940947

Table of Contents

Reviews

In this book, Kate Burrows and her collaborators provide cutting-edge accounts regarding major developments in medical technologies ranging from cat scans to new reproductive techniques, to developments in pharmacology. It is essential reading for anyone interested in how sociocultural factors influence changes in medical technologies. -- Allan V. Horwitz, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, Rutgers University

Author Information

Kathryn Burrows is assistant professor of sociology at Madonna University and an independent scholar.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available