The Sociology of Health and Illness at the Turn of the Century: Back to the Future?

A ‘think piece’ in both style and content, this article offers some thoughts andreflections on selected themes and issues which, we believe, provide someimportant indicators not simply of the sociology of health and illness’ currentstatus, 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 inBritain. Underlying these four themes, and running through the discussion as awhole, are two further key issues, namely, the contested nature of health andmedical knowledge, and debates concerning consumption and risk in late modernsociety. The article concludes by suggesting that, in the era of the newgenetics and the resurgence of biological explanations in the social and naturalsciences, the charge of sociological imperialism constitutes both a constraintand opportunity for practitioners working in health and related fields.