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Contemporary Epidemiology : A Review of Critical Discussions Within the Discipline and A Call for Further Dialogue with Social Theory

Wemrell, Maria LU orcid ; Merlo, Juan LU orcid ; Mulinari, Shai LU and Hornborg, Anne-Christine LU orcid (2016) In Sociology Compass 10(2). p.153-171
Abstract
The discipline of epidemiology, which holds major influence on public health policy as well as on clinical medical practice, has in recent decades to a large extent been concerned with the identification of factors and markers of risk for disease. Much health information and intervention is thus informed by a wealth of studies on a variety of risk factors, of which the individual is encouraged to keep informed and to be responsible about. Meanwhile, risk factor epidemiology has been subject to intense debate, both within and outside the discipline. The following review offers an overview of critical intradisciplinary debates. It then opens discussion on three partially overlapping areas where social theory has been called upon to... (More)
The discipline of epidemiology, which holds major influence on public health policy as well as on clinical medical practice, has in recent decades to a large extent been concerned with the identification of factors and markers of risk for disease. Much health information and intervention is thus informed by a wealth of studies on a variety of risk factors, of which the individual is encouraged to keep informed and to be responsible about. Meanwhile, risk factor epidemiology has been subject to intense debate, both within and outside the discipline. The following review offers an overview of critical intradisciplinary debates. It then opens discussion on three partially overlapping areas where social theory has been called upon to contribute to epidemiological inquiry, namely analysis of macro-social determinants of health and disease, of categories of human difference and of embodiment. The review ends with, and is motivated by, a plea for further integration of and dialogue between epidemiology and social theory. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Epidemiology, Health, risk, intradisciplinary debate
in
Sociology Compass
volume
10
issue
2
pages
153 - 171
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:84957085273
  • wos:000371933000005
ISSN
1751-9020
DOI
10.1111/soc4.12345
project
Swedish genes?
Multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
27af767a-3b2e-4366-926f-33a9bd1c7ec7 (old id 8598367)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:15:11
date last changed
2023-09-17 11:32:54
@article{27af767a-3b2e-4366-926f-33a9bd1c7ec7,
  abstract     = {{The discipline of epidemiology, which holds major influence on public health policy as well as on clinical medical practice, has in recent decades to a large extent been concerned with the identification of factors and markers of risk for disease. Much health information and intervention is thus informed by a wealth of studies on a variety of risk factors, of which the individual is encouraged to keep informed and to be responsible about. Meanwhile, risk factor epidemiology has been subject to intense debate, both within and outside the discipline. The following review offers an overview of critical intradisciplinary debates. It then opens discussion on three partially overlapping areas where social theory has been called upon to contribute to epidemiological inquiry, namely analysis of macro-social determinants of health and disease, of categories of human difference and of embodiment. The review ends with, and is motivated by, a plea for further integration of and dialogue between epidemiology and social theory.}},
  author       = {{Wemrell, Maria and Merlo, Juan and Mulinari, Shai and Hornborg, Anne-Christine}},
  issn         = {{1751-9020}},
  keywords     = {{Epidemiology; Health; risk; intradisciplinary debate}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{153--171}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Sociology Compass}},
  title        = {{Contemporary Epidemiology : A Review of Critical Discussions Within the Discipline and A Call for Further Dialogue with Social Theory}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3871553/8599191.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/soc4.12345}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}