Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a fascinating and fast-changing area of medicine. This book explores the challenging issues associated with CAM in the context of the social, political and cultural influences that shape people's health. It:provides an overview of social change, consumption and debates arising from the increased public interest in CAM, arguing for and against different classificationsdiscusses how CAM developed in a political and histo...

With the proportion of people between young adulthood and the third age growing in relation to children and young people in western industrialised societies, there is an increasing need for a comprehensive look at the past, present and future of adult lives. These adult lives are defined by the experience of history, are structurally specific, and draw upon different interpersonal, lifestyle and cultural resources and it is important to recognise the impact of the past and the present on f...

This book explores the challenging issues associated with complementary and alternative medicine in the context of the social, political and cultural influences that shape people's health.Divided clearly into three sections, this book:sets out the general context of social change, consumption and debate around the rise of public interest in CAMargues for and against different classifications of CAMcritically assesses the importance of ethics and va...