Interaction with patients, their families and colleagues is a core aspect of the daily activities of all healthcare professionals. It is therefore vital for them to have a sound knowledge of why people behave the way they do, why they may behave differently in the healthcare environment and what happens in times of illness and stress.

Content

 To give a deeper understanding of South African society and the sociological perspective, this book:

• Shows how sociological theories relate to the healthcare environment

• Discusses the sociocultural context of southern African society in all its diversity

• Describes some specific social issues and explains their impact on healthcare, such as HIV and Aids, sex work, substance abuse, sexual violence, youth violence, teenage pregnancy, and also child abuse and neglect

• Provides an overview of some of the social contexts in which healthcare is delivered, such as the hospital environment, and describes healthcare systems – other than biomedicine – recognised in South Africa, namely African traditional healing and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and