Talcott Parsons
his legacy and the sociology of health and illness
pp. 207-221
in: Fran Collyer (ed), The Palgrave handbook of social theory in health, illness and medicine, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
There is little doubt that Talcott Parsons is a major figure in the development of the sociology of health and illness. Whether he is the major figure in the sense of being the founder has been the subject of hotly contested debate. Now that several decades have passed, it is possible to assess his legacy and lasting importance to this field of sociology. This chapter argues that although his writings are reflective of the times in which he wrote, and these times have long since passed, his core ideas remain central to the sociological sub-specialty — whether it is called the sociology of health and illness or medical sociology.
