About this Research Topic
The aim of this Research Topic is to bring together researchers and theorists interested in health and illness interactions. By health and illness interactions, we refer to (at least) exchanges between: patient(s), carers, practitioners and/or healthcare organisations, social scientists and policy makers, healthcare workers and politicians. Sociological research and theory exploring interactions is broad, offering perspectives on every-day, taken for granted, processes, meanings and experiences with reference to health, illness, healthcare, and public understandings of all of these. Research that considers/has considered interactions with respect to health and illness contributes significantly to sociological understandings of social and cultural practices and has influenced public thinking and social policy. Here we draw attention to the ‘value’ of focusing on health and illness interactions; explore the scope and direction of current work; highlight contemporary examples of sociological research and thinking and consider this in the light of previous sociological literature.
Our core goal is to highlight the value of research and theoretical reflections on health and illness interactions, attending to both positive and negative experiences with respect to access and barriers to health and healthcare. Analysis and reflection will likely be related to power, culture, lived experience, in/equality, difference and diversity (of status and identity), inclusion/exclusion, the body, self and other relationships, emotion (including management of) and risk.
Contributions might focus on, but are not restricted to:
• Interactions at the level of the individual, and between individuals. Authors might consider relationships between those needing care and those giving care or on working relationships amongst care-givers (both formal and informal) vis a vis differences determined by sex, class, ethnicity, dis/ability and geographical location.
• Institutional interactions including a possible focus on inter-professional working or inter-disciplinary teaching, perceived hierarchies of need (e.g. between mental and physical ill/health and dis/ability).
• Interactions and engagement with recent events and experiences. Authors could explore the impact of Covid-19 on patients, informal carers and practitioners (e.g. with reference to public perceptions of healthcare/healthcare workers), the relationship between NHS and private health care’ including reference to political influences, media discourses and their impact on perceptions and experiences.
A renewed and current focus on ‘Health and Illness Interactions’ lends itself to a variety of formats and approaches. Thus whilst adhering to the guidelines for submissions as set out by Frontiers in Sociology, contributions to the Research Topic might include: auto/biographical narratives and observations; large-scale, longitudinal research reports; literature reviews and critical reviews of policy developments, and reflections on memoir and fiction. Alongside research-focused articles and theoretical and methodological reflections, we also welcome perspective and opinion articles (please see the above link for further details on possible article types).
Our core goal is to highlight the value of research and theoretical reflections on health and illness interactions, attending to both positive and negative experiences with respect to access and barriers to health and healthcare. Analysis and reflection will likely be related to power, culture, lived experience, in/equality, difference and diversity (of status and identity), inclusion/exclusion, the body, self and other relationships, emotion (including management of) and risk.
Contributions might focus on, but are not restricted to:
• Interactions at the level of the individual, and between individuals. Authors might consider relationships between those needing care and those giving care or on working relationships amongst care-givers (both formal and informal) vis a vis differences determined by sex, class, ethnicity, dis/ability and geographical location.
• Institutional interactions including a possible focus on inter-professional working or inter-disciplinary teaching, perceived hierarchies of need (e.g. between mental and physical ill/health and dis/ability).
• Interactions and engagement with recent events and experiences. Authors could explore the impact of Covid-19 on patients, informal carers and practitioners (e.g. with reference to public perceptions of healthcare/healthcare workers), the relationship between NHS and private health care’ including reference to political influences, media discourses and their impact on perceptions and experiences.
A renewed and current focus on ‘Health and Illness Interactions’ lends itself to a variety of formats and approaches. Thus whilst adhering to the guidelines for submissions as set out by Frontiers in Sociology, contributions to the Research Topic might include: auto/biographical narratives and observations; large-scale, longitudinal research reports; literature reviews and critical reviews of policy developments, and reflections on memoir and fiction. Alongside research-focused articles and theoretical and methodological reflections, we also welcome perspective and opinion articles (please see the above link for further details on possible article types).
Keywords: medical encounters, working relationships, medical education, the personal and political, the environment(s)
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
