Overview

This masterful guide to the social determinants of health has become a go-to text for understanding the role that social factors play in the experience of health and many diseases. In this updated edition, preeminent medical sociologist William C. Cockerham offers the most compelling case yet that stress, poverty, unhealthy lifestyles, and adverse living and working conditions can all be directly associated with illness. Looking beyond individual explanations for health and disease, Cockerham marshals evidence and theory for those seeking a clear and authoritative overview of the social causes of health and illness. Of particular note in this revised edition are: updates on the power of social class to determine a person’s health and life span; deeper consideration of how the social construction of race matters for a person’s physical and mental health; new research on the role of lifestyles as a social determinant of health; and an analysis of the differential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. This engaging introduction to social epidemiology will be indispensable reading for all students and scholars of medical sociology, especially those with the courage to confront the possibility that society really does make people sick.

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9781509567225

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Wide-ranging yet thoroughly grounded in social theory, this classic textbook accessibly synthesizes current research on social determinants of health using contemporary examples. Cockerham’s comprehensive text challenges students to understand their worlds."" Stefanie Mollborn, Stockholm University ""Cockerham compellingly demonstrates how social forces remain central to understanding patterns of health and illness, reinforcing the enduring relevance of sociological insight in confronting today’s evolving public health challenges."" Bruce Link, University of California, Riverside ""This book offers a clear overview of the foundational social roots of health inequalities and demonstrates the explanatory power of sociological theories. A vital, timely contribution amid ongoing challenges to health equity and public understanding of structural inequality."" Lijun Song, Vanderbilt University

Author Information

William C. Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Research Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the 2026 recipient of the Reeder Award from the Medical Sociology section of the American Sociological Association.

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