Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a major component of health care in most late modern societies. While there is increasing recognition of the need for more research in this area, it is frequently argued that such research should be directed towards establishing 'evidence' of the effectiveness of CAM. However, complementary medicine is also a topic worthy of study in its own right, a historically contingent social product, and it is this sociological agenda that underpins Mainstreaming Complementary and Alternative Medicine . Contributors to the book come from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They draw on their own research to explore issues such as who uses CAM and why; the rhetoric of individual responsibility; the role of consumers as activists; the significance of evidence-based medicine; and contested boundaries in the workplace. The book also discusses specific processes relating to CAM practitioners, GPs and nurses.
Stepping back from the immediate demands of policy-making, Mainstreaming Complementary and Alternative Medicine allows a complex and informative picture to emerge of the different social forces at play in the integration of CAM with orthodox medicine. Complementing books that focus solely on practice, it will be relevant reading for all students following health studies or healthcare courses, for medical students and medical and healthcare professionals.