The Sociology of Mental Illness
Description:... "This volume serves as an introduction to the sociology of mental illness through a consideration of the frame of reference, concepts, research methods, and substantive findings which characterize much of the recent relevant literature. The first part describes the sociological perspective and its relevance to the study of mental illness, considers the range of definitions and variability in methods of identifying mental illness in empirical studies, and presents some results of several community-wide studies which illustrate the application of many of these concepts and methods. Three sociological concepts are selected as being of particular value in the investigation of patterns of social behavior in general and of mental illness in particular: culture, status-role, and social relationship. The next two parts are devoted to a consideration of the research literature in which mental illness apparently is a stimulus for or response to other patterns of social behavior. One part focuses upon the influence of culture, status-role, and social relationship upon the ways in which people respond to mental illness along any of a number of behavioral dimensions. The other part directs attention to the influence of culture, status-role, and social relationship upon the genesis and stabilization of mental illness" -- Back cover.
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