Providing students with a stimulating alternative to the textbooks currently available, this text places the discipline within the context of the social world and encourages them to question some of the assumptions and values underlying much current research. A comprehensive survey of the discipline is provided, framed within a lifespan approach, and emphasizing social-cultural factors such as gender, ethnicity and social-economic status. The book will be an invaluable resource for students of health psychology across a range of disciplines including psychology, anthropology and health studies.