Anselm Strauss and the sociological study of chronic illness: a reflection and appreciation

Abstract

The life & work of Anselm Strauss are eulogized. Strauss served the progress of the sociological discipline through varied contributions to theory & methodology in the sociology of organizations, occupations & professions, & medical sociology. Paramount among his contributions to the last field were the sociological study of mental hospitals & their sustainment by psychiatric ideologies, & death & dying. His research on dying, in conjunction with Barney Glaser (1975), was particularly innovative in that it studied death from multiple perspectives & the development of the influential concepts of trajectory & awareness context. Strauss has left an indelible imprint on British medical sociological inquiry through his series of studies on chronic illness & the social dimensions of experiencing disorder, & his research on dying, which emphasized the perspective of the patient as well as the medical professional. 9 References. D. Generoli