European medical sociology: a comment on Margot Jefferys' view

Abstract

It is of great value to have Margot Jefferys' views and judgements on the development of European medical sociology. This is especially the case since Margot Jefferys herself has been a key figure in this developmenc My comment below will bring this out more clearly. I will also indicate some questions which I find to be important, but which were not commented upon by Margot Jefferys. • The formation of a network of medical sociologists in Europe owes much to developments in Britain. British medical sociology grew to maturity before that of odier European countries and managed at an early stage to reach a 'critical mass' of persons teaching or carrying out research in health and/or medical care in sociology departments or in medical faculties. This leading position was achieved by the work of Margot Jefferys and others. Other countries benefitted from this development, for instance through the international Masters programme in 'Sociology as applied to medicine' organized by Margot Jefferys from 1969 and still running, now with Mike Bury as course director. A significant number of now senior British and European medical sociologists took this programme and went on to return to their own countries and universities widi the impressions left on them by die course. The year I did this course, 1979, the teachers were Margot Jefferys, Uta Gerhardt and George Brown, an unrivalled combination. I leave it to the historians to assess the influence of British medical sociology on European medical sociology, but I have no doubt that it played a key role in its early development. To some extent it still does, for instance through 'Sociology of health and illness' and its annual meetings in York.