About
The BSA Medical Sociology Group exists to promote scholarship and communication in the field of the sociology of health and illness in the United Kingdom. The group is one of the largest and most active study groups of the British Sociological Association. Membership of the BSA brings benefits in terms of reduced conference fees and journal subscriptions, but most group activities are open to non-members.
The major activity of the group is the BSA Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference held in the United Kingdom each September. It consists of a plenary address and a programme of concurrent sessions on a wide range of topics in the sociology of health and illness.
The convenors of the Medical Sociology Group are Hilllary Collins and Simon Carter.
Other group activities are organised under the auspices of the regional group, which organise meetings in different areas of the UK. The MedSoc Committee is keen to support the establishment of new regional groups in under-served areas and any interested parties should contact Hilllary Collins or Simon Carter.
Medsoc supports publications on the Cost of Living Blog, which explores issues relating to austerity, health and society.
Although no formal relationship exists, the group has a close association with the journal Sociology of Health and Illness, published by Blackwell. Five issues plus a monograph are published each year. SHI has a traditional leaning towards qualitative work and now attracts an increasing number of international submissions. Since its appearance in 1979, SHI has emerged as the leading British publication in its field and the Social Science Citation Index consistently ranks it in the top 10 public health journals and top 20 sociology journals in the world. There is a reduced subscription rate for BSA members - see details.
The British Sociological Association is the umbrella organisation for a range of study groups. The BSA Annual Conference takes place in March/April, as well as a range of other events; and produces its own newsletter, Network. Membership application details are available on our Joining the Association webpage.
The American Sociological Association also have an active Medical Sociology section. They currently have a listserv group which you may subscribe to - please visit the ASA's Online Discussion Group for further details.