Gender divisions and health

Abstract

This chapter investigates how sociologists, in particular feminist writers, have redefined the boundaries of our thinking about sex and gender. It explores how gender has shaped the division of labour in health work and assesses the influence of gender divisions and inequalities on the health of patients, unpaid carers and paid health workers. It suggests that fundamental assumptions about men’s and women’s bodies and about their ‘natural’ capacities and abilities continue to exert a powerful influence in contemporary health work.