The sociological literature on health care and health seeking behaviour is large and brings together a broad range of theoretical perspectives. In the text that follows, we have taken care to emphasise areas in which disagreement exist, and to outline the different schools of thought in each case. We advise readers to take full advantage of the reference list to explore each of these theoretical perspectives in more depth than it has been possible to do here. Where relevant, data and examples of current and historical practice from the UK (and in particular, England) have been cited to illustrate arguments made in the text. However, we advise readers to seek out evidence on policy and practice in their own jurisdictions where relevant to contextualise the information provided in this chapter.
© S Ismail 2017