Preface 1 The Social Causation of Health and Disease Coronavirus Smoking The Biomedical Model Elements of Proof Diabetes HIV/AIDS Social Determinants of Disease: Fundamental Cause Theory Measuring Structural Effects Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 2 Theorizing about Health and Disease The Rise and Fall of Structural-Functionalism The Fall of Conflict Theory and Repackaging of Marxism The Rise of the Agency-Oriented Paradigm American Medical Sociology British Medical Sociology Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 3 Health Lifestyles Lifestyle: Health as an Achievement Methodological Individualism in Health Lifestyle Research The Agency-Structure Debate Health Lifestyle Theory Class circumstances Age, gender, and race/ethnicity Collectivities Living conditions Socialization and experience Life choices (agency) Life chances (structure) Choice and chance interplay Dispositions to act (habitus) Completing the model Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 4 The Power of Class Class and Heart Attack Survival Class Structure and its Components Class schemes Weber: status groups The End of Class? The Social Gradient in Mortality Confirming the Relationship Medical Care as an Intervening Variable? Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 5 Class and Health: Explaining the Relationship Class, Health, and Medical Care in the United States Class, Health, and Medical Care in the United Kingdom Stress Income Inequality Culture Smoking Obesity Conclusion: Social Causation or Social Selection? Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 6 Age Age Stratification Theory Life Course Theory Cohort Effects of Age Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 7 Gender The Gender Health and Mortality Paradox Gender Differences in Physical and Mental Health Gender Differences in Health Practices LGBT Health Another Look at Smoking Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 8 Race and Ethnicity Ethnicity Race and Physical Health Hispanics and Immigration Racism as a Fundamental Cause Race and Health in Britain Race and Mental Health Summary Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 9 Living Conditions and Neighborhood Disadvantage Unhealthy Places Health and Neighborhood Disadvantage in Britain Physical Health and Neighborhood Disadvantage in the US Mental Health and Neighborhood Disadvantage in the US Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading 10 Health and Social Capital Robert Putnam: Bowling Alone Nan Lin: Social Capital as Structure Pierre Bourdieu: A Social Form of Capital Robert Sampson: Collective Efficacy Research Applications of Social Capital Conclusion Critical Thinking Questions Suggested Further Reading Concluding Remarks The Return of Structure Structure-Agency Interface Policy Implications Conclusion References Name Index Subject Index.