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Public health is a term much used in the media, by health professionals, and by activists. At the national or the local level there are ministries or departments of public health, whilst international agencies such as the World Health Organisation promote public health policies, and regional organisations such as the European Union have public health funding and policies. But what do we mean when we speak about 'public health'? In this Very Short Introduction Virginia Berridge explores the areas which fall under the remit of public health, and explains how the individual histories of different countries have come to cause great differences in the perception of the role and responsibilities o...
This fascinating book offers a wide ranging exploration of the history of public health and the development of health services over the past two centuries. The book surveys the rise and redefinition of public health since the sanitary revolution of the mid-nineteenth century, assessing the reforms in the post World War II years and the coming of welfare states. Importantly, the book also includes: A comparative examination of why healthcare has taken such different trajectories in different countries Case studies on malaria, sexual health, alcohol and substance abuse Exercises enabling readers to easily interact with and critically assess historical source material Visual materials and illus...
At the beginning of the 19th century, opium was widely used as an everyday remedy for common ailments. By the 1920s, it was classified as a dangerous drug. In an examination of the social context of drug taking in Victorian England, the book explains this decisive change in attitude. This revised edition examines how and why restrictive policies were put in place in the early decades of the 20th century and reveals fresh perspectives on the motivations which survive in the formation of current drug policies.
Fifteen years ago the AIDS epidemic did not exist on the public agenda. In just over a decade the public and official response to the disease has resulted in the development of a whole network of organizations devoted to the study, containment, and practical treatment of AIDS. In this fascinating and scholarly account, Virginia Berridge analyses a remarkable period in contemporary British history, and exposes the reaction of the British public and British political and medical elites to one of the most challenging issues of this century.
Binge drinking, particularly in young women, has become big news. Debates about the regulation and classification of cannabis are frequently voiced. Cigarette smoking is banned in public places, and emotive public health campaigns seek to reduce its use still further. Yet there are many sides to each of these arguments, and if we look back over the last 150 years, we see massive variety in the ways societies and states have related to drugs, drink, and tobacco. Virginia Berridge offers a much-needed long view, which helps illuminate our current concerns, and shows how three separate stories overlap and inter-connect. She takes us to the socially-acceptable opium dens of Dickens's London; to ...
A unique exploration of the changing ideas about the place of voluntarism and health care within society in Britain since the 1960s. By considering the work of voluntary organisations with illegal drug users, the authors provide a lens through which wider developments in the relationship between the state and civil society are examined.
A collection of essays on the 'pre-history' of the impact of AIDS, and its subsequent history.
At the beginning of the 19th century, opium was widely used as an everyday remedy for common ailments. By the 1920s, it was classified as a dangerous drug. In an examination of the social context of drug taking in Victorian England, the book explains this decisive change in attitude. This revised edition examines how and why restrictive policies were put in place in the early decades of the 20th century and reveals fresh perspectives on the motivations which survive in the formation of current drug policies.
The environment is currently a matter of international public and academic concern, but is often considered separately from health issues. This book brings together work from environmental and health historians to conceptualise the connection between environment and health at different times and in different geographical locations.
British health policy has undergone enormous change in the post-war era. The NHS established in the post-war period has been constantly reorganised, and the role of doctors and associated medical professions has radically changed. This book considers the changes in health policy and in the service provided by the NHS, and examines in detail the 'mixed economy' of health care and the role of different providers of health care, as well as their relationships both with recipients of care and the state. In doing so, Professor Berridge sheds light on the increasingly important part that lay people, especially women, have played in the provision of health care and looks at community care and the shifting balance of power within the medical profession. The book provides a guide to changes in health and health policy during and since World War II, giving an authoritative analysis of the most recent research.