Modern Medicine

Do lay people view modern medicine as a fountain of hope or a font of despair? What are their experiences of modern medical care and technology, and how do their views and experiences differ across different social groups? Combining theoretical insights with a range of qualitative and ethnographic research, this volume examines lay experiences and evaluation of medicines and drugs, chronic illness and life-saving technology, and reproductive technologies. It also considers the growing popularity of complementary therapies as a potential challenge to orthodox medicine. Part I Introduction; Chapter 1 Modern medicine and the lay populace: theoretical perspectives and methodological issues, Simon J. Williams, Michael Calnan; Chapter 2 Lay evaluation of scientific medicine and medical care, Michael Calnan, Simon J. Williams; Part II Medicines and drugs; Chapter 3 Lay views of drugs and medicines: orthodox and unorthodox accounts, Nicky Britten; Chapter 4 Risking tranquillizer use: cultural and lay dimensions, Jonathan Gabe, Michael Bury; Chapter 5 Perceptions and use of antihypertensive drugs among cultural groups, Myfanwy Morgan; Part III Chronic illness and modern medicine; Chapter 6 The critical moment: time, information and medical expertise in the experience of patients receiving coronary bypass surgery, Alan Radley; Chapter 7 Narratives of normality: end-stage renal-failure patients’ experience of their transplant options, Uta Gerhardt; Chapter 8 A “failure” of modern medicine? Lay perspectives on a pain relief clinic, Gillian A. Bendelow; Part IV Women and reproductive technology; Chapter 9 Pain and pain relief in labour: issues of control, Lynda Rajan; Chapter 10 New reproductive technologies: the views of women undergoing treatment, Elaine Denny; Part V Complementary therapies and lay re-skilling in late modernity; Chapter 11 Using complementary therapies: a challenge to orthodox medicine?, Ursula Sharma; Chapter 12 Conclusions: modern medicine and the lay populace in late modernity, Simon J. Williams, Michael Calnan;