Product Description: As a sociological specialty, medical sociology has a distinct history and literature spanning over four decades. This literature is a synthesis of medical and sociological knowledge reflecting the relationships among medicine, health, and society. This information is of interest not only to medical sociologists, but also to physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, health economists, hospital administrators, and health insurers. This reference book is a guide to the sociological terminology that these health professionals are likely to encounter. The volume includes concise, alphabetically arranged entries for numerous terms. For all but the most basic terms, entries briefly discuss the theoretical and practical significance of the topics. Entries cite relevant literature, and the volume concludes with a bibliography of works cited.