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This incisive brief guide critically examines the role of medical diagnoses in social life, shining light on both health and disease. Annemarie Goldstein Jutel shows that diagnosis is not simply the labelling of natural disease, but rather is an agreement about what counts as sickness, with far-reaching social consequences.

Using a revised social model of diagnosis, Jutel explores diagnosis as both a category and a process. She illustrates that although illness is a fact of nature, medical classification systems are human creations which are shaped by consensus, power, inequity and prejudice. She examines the pervasive effects of diagnosis in non-medical environments, analysing in particular its role in popular culture. Through a detailed case study of the history and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease as a diagnosis, Jutel ultimately argues that a critical sociological perspective is essential to finding new and more effective ways for medicine to function.

Providing an advanced understanding of the social aspects of diagnosis in a concise format, this book is an essential guide for students and scholars of health and sociological theory. It is also an important resource for health professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the social phenomena surrounding diagnosis.