Medical Sociology

From a sociological perspective, dissect issues such as conflicts between patients and doctors; safety of medical treatments and reliability of medical knowledge; inequality in health and longevity; and ever-increasing health care spending. Questions such as: What counts as illness? How do people understand illness? How does illness affect people's life? Who gets ill and why? What is the role of medical technology in fostering health? Why do doctors and patients have trouble communicating? How should health care systems be organized? Also examine some of these issues in the contexts of Chinese societies, such as China and Hong Kong with comparative perspectives.