Living with Health Inequalities: Upstream–Downstream Connections

The book explores how people encounter, understand, live with, and respond to health risks associated with social, economic, and political inequality, moving beyond a focus on categories of morbidity and their structural causes. It uses case studies related to physical and mental health to emphasize interpersonal relationships, biographical meanings, and daily tactics of "getting by." It respects and gives due weight to the experience of people living with health inequalities in domestic and local settings, offering a psycho-social compliment to a public health tradition dominated by top-down reasoning.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the intricate interplay between health risks, social, economic, and political inequality, offering a comprehensive perspective beyond traditional public health approaches. It explores how individuals navigate, comprehend, and respond to these health challenges in their daily lives. By moving beyond the categorization of morbidity and its structural causes, the book focuses on the everyday experiences and actions of people living in unequal social conditions. Drawing on various case studies related to physical and mental health, the authors emphasize the significance of interpersonal relationships, biographical meanings, and the day-to-day tactics of "getting by." These factors are often intertwined with the social-structural aspects of specific times and places. The book builds upon and applies the biopsychosocial approach, which is well-known to public health students. It respects and acknowledges the experiences of individuals living with health inequalities in domestic and local settings. It delves into the concept of personal agency and the contingencies of everyday life, providing a psycho-social complement to the traditional top-down reasoning in public health. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of health inequalities holistically in their studies, research, and practice. It brings together insights from public health, sociology, mental health, and social policy, offering a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, is made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367458362