The Edinburgh Companion to the Politics of American Health

This companion provides a comprehensive assessment of the politicization of health over the last seventy-five years, examining its development from historical, cultural, medical, sociological, legal, ethical, and environmental perspectives. It explores the intersection between health and social movements, the contours of health and illness with respect to race, gender, sexuality, age, and region, and the US's often-conflicted role in global health governance.

Format: Hardback
Length: 656 pages
Publication date: 31 August 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

This companion is a groundbreaking exploration of the politicization of health over the past seventy-five years, bringing together forty-five experts from the US, Canada, and the UK across a diverse range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. It offers a multi-layered perspective on the development of US healthcare, examining its political dimensions from historical, cultural, medical, sociological, legal, ethical, and environmental angles. The book delves into major health institutions and federal policies that shape them, while also exploring the intricate intersections between health and social movements, the diverse contours of health and illness across race, gender, sexuality, age, and region, and the complex role the US plays in global health governance.

The book emphasizes the plurality of health experiences, balancing national and transnational perspectives with the lived realities of diverse communities that drive this transformative study far beyond biomedical conceptions of health. It sheds light on the ways in which health has become a political tool, shaped by social, economic, and political forces, and the ways in which individuals, communities, and governments have responded to these challenges.

Through its comprehensive analysis, this companion provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of health and politics, offering a roadmap for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers seeking to understand and address the challenges facing healthcare systems in the United States and beyond.

Dimension: 244 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474450966