‘Who cares about Marx, Weber and Durkheim?’: Social theory and the changing face of medicine’

Abstract

This article argues that the concepts of differentiation, commodification and rationalisation (associated with the work of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber respectively) provide a useful conceptual ‘launching pad’ for understanding key changes to medicine and doctor-patient relationships since pre-modern times. It suggests that under contemporary conditions these three processes gain momentum, but that their theoretical utility can actually be enhanced by reformulation. By suggesting some ways in which classical theoretical concepts can be applied, this article hopes to sensitize health professionals to the potential for theoretical approaches to deliver valuable insights into the nature of their work.

Key Words:

• Change
• commodification
• differentiation
• doctors
• medicine
• modernity
• patients
• rationalisation
• theory
• trust