People

Professor Joan Busfield

Professor
Department of Sociology and Criminology
Professor Joan Busfield
  • Email

  • Telephone

    +44 (0) 1206 873399

  • Location

    5A.329, Colchester Campus

Profile

Biography

Joan trained initially as a clinical psychologist at the Tavistock Clinic. She then worked on a study of the social influences on family size published (with M.Paddon) as Thinking About Children: Sociology and Fertility in Post-War England (1977).Her research has focussed on psychiatry and mental illness. Her other books include: Managing Madness: Changing Ideas and Practice (1986) Men, Women and Madness (1996) Health and Healthcare in Modern Britain (2000) Mental Illness (2011). More recently her research has focused on the use of medicines and the pharmaceutical industry.

Qualifications

  • MA (St Andrews)

  • MA (Essex)

  • PhD (Essex)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Mental Disorder

Open to supervise

Psychiatry, Gender and Mental Disorder

Open to supervise

History of Psychiatry

Open to supervise

Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Industry

Open to supervise

Teaching and supervision

Current teaching responsibilities

  • The Sociological Imagination (SC111)

  • Psychiatry and Mental Illness (SC326)

Previous supervision

Lauren Jenna O'Connell
Lauren Jenna O'Connell
Thesis title: Being and Doing Anorexia Nervosa: An Exploration of Diagnosis, Identity-Work, and Performance of Illness
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 16/7/2020
Helen Mary Rand
Helen Mary Rand
Thesis title: Digital Sex Markets: Entrepreneurship and Consumption Within an Uncertain Regulatory Framework
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 27/4/2020
Tong Pei
Tong Pei
Thesis title: Young People's Perceptions of Smoking and Tobacco Control in China: A Qualitative Study
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 6/2/2020
Emma Catherine Saunders
Emma Catherine Saunders
Thesis title: Flowers, Interaction and Emotion
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 6/7/2018
Kenisha Samantha Russell Jonsson
Kenisha Samantha Russell Jonsson
Thesis title: Where You Live Makes a Difference - Quantifying Neighbourhood Effects on the Health of Young People
Degree subject: Sociological Research
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 21/6/2018
Chi Wai Chan
Chi Wai Chan
Thesis title: The Mental Health of Unemployed and Socially Isolated Middle-Aged Men in Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/3/2018
Yifan Wang
Yifan Wang
Thesis title: A Study of the Social Causes of Over-Medication in China
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/6/2017
Anna Caroline Prazer
Anna Caroline Prazer
Thesis title: Towards the Light: Journeys of Recovery in Severe Depression
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Master of Arts (by Dissertation)
Awarded date: 6/12/2013
Daniel Joseph Holman
Daniel Joseph Holman
Thesis title: Social Class and the Use of Talking Treatments for Common Mental Health Problems in Britain
Degree subject: Sociology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 13/12/2012

Publications

Journal articles (73)

Busfield, J., (2022). Jonathan Sadowsky, The Empire of Depression: A New History. Psychoanalysis and History. 24 (1), 111-113

Busfield, J., (2021). The moral economy of the pharmaceutical industry: Legitimising prices. Health. 25 (3), 271-287

Russell Jonsson, K., Busfield, J., Södergren, M., Karen, M. and Adjei, NK., (2020). Social Capital, Deprivation and Psychological Well-Being among Young Adolescents: A Multilevel Study from England and Wales.. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17 (10), 3420-3420

Busfield, J., (2020). Documenting the financialisation of the pharmaceutical industry. Social Science and Medicine. 258, 113096-113096

Busfield, J., (2017). The concept of medicalisation reassessed: a rejoinder. Sociology of Health and Illness. 39 (5), 781-783

Busfield, J., (2017). The Concept of Medicalisation Reassessed. Sociology of Health and Illness. 39 (5), 759-774

Busfield, J., (2015). Assessing the overuse of medicines. Social Science and Medicine. 131, 199-206

Busfield, J., (2015). Unhealthy Pharmaceutical Regulation: Innovation, Politics, and Promissory Science. By Courtney Davis and John Abraham. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Pp. xii+321. $105.00.. American Journal of Sociology. 120 (5), 1585-1587

Busfield, J., (2013). Horwitz, AV. and Wakefield, JC.All We Have To Fear: Psychiatry's Transformation of Natural Anxieties into Mental Disorders. New York: Oxford University Press. 2012. 288pp £18.99 (hbk). ISBN: 978‐0‐19‐979375‐4. Sociology of Health & Illness. 35 (5), 793-794

Busfield, J., (2012). Challenging claims that mental illness has been increasing and mental well-being declining.. Social Science & Medicine. 75 (3), 581-8

Busfield, J., (2011). The Weariness of Self: Diagnosing the History of Depression in the Contemporary Age. By Alain Ehrenberg. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010. Pp. xxx+345. $29.95.. American Journal of Sociology. 116 (5), 1699-1701

Busfield, J., (2011). Black Dogs and Blue Words: Depression and Gender in the Age of Self‐Care. Sociology of Health & Illness. 33 (1), 164-165

Busfield, J., (2010). ?A pill for every ill?: Explaining the expansion in medicine use. Social Science & Medicine. 70 (6), 934-941

Busfield, J., (2008). Mental Illness and the Body: Beyond Diagnosis. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS. 30 (7)

Busfield, J., (2008). The Loss of Sadness: How psychiatry transformed normal sorrow into depressive disorder ‐ by Horwitz, A.V. and Wakefield, J.C.. Sociology of Health & Illness. 30 (3), 484-486

Busfield, J., (2007). Sociological Understandings of the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Response to John Abraham. Sociology. 41 (4), 737-739

Busfield, J., (2006). Pills, Power, People: Sociological Understandings of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Sociology. 40 (2), 297-314

Busfield, J., (2004). Mental health problems, psychotropic drug technologies and risk. Health, Risk & Society. 6 (4), 361-375

Busfield, J., (2004). Class and gender in twentieth-century British psychiatry: shell-shock and psychopathic disorder.. Clio medica (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 73, 295-322

Busfield, J., (2003). Globalization and the Pharmaceutical Industry Revisited. International Journal of Health Services. 33 (3), 581-605

Busfield, J., (2002). Creating mental illness. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY. 108 (2), 523-524

Busfield, J., (2000). Introduction: Rethinking the sociology of mental health. Sociology of Health & Illness. 22 (5), 543-558

Busfield, J. and Doubt, K., (2000). Towards a Sociology of Schizophrenia: Humanistic Reflections. Contemporary Sociology. 29 (6), 864-864

Busfield, J., (2000). Gender and mental health.. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS. 22 (6), 883-885

Busfield, J., (2000). Gender inequalities in health.. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS. 22 (6), 883-885

Busfied, J., (1999). Mental Health Policy: making gender and ethnicity visible. Policy & Politics. 27 (1), 57-73

Busfield, J., (1998). Restructuring mental health services in twentieth century Britain.. Clio medica (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 49, 9-28

Busfield, J., (1998). The psychiatric team and the social definition of schizophrenia: An anthropological study of person and illness.. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS. 20 (4), 556-557

(1996). Book Reviews. Sociology of Health & Illness. 18 (3), 422-431

Busfield, J., (1996). Witnessing Insanity: Madness and Mad-Doctors in the English Court.Joel Peter Eigen. American Journal of Sociology. 101 (4), 1149-1150

Busfield, J., (1995). Medicine and the Five Senses (Book).. Sociology of Health & Illness. 17 (1), 123-124

BUSFIELD, J., (1995). THE SOCIAL-ORGANIZATION OF MENTAL-ILLNESS - PRIOR,L. SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 43 (2), 370-373

BUSFIELD, J., (1995). Book Reviews. Sociology. 29 (2), 370-372

Busfield, J., (1994). The Female Malady? Men, Women and Madness in Nineteenth Century Britain. Sociology. 28 (1), 259-277

BUSFIELD, J., (1994). Book Reviews. Sociology. 28 (2), 594-596

Busfield, J., (1992). Feminism and Psychoanalytic Theory (Book).. Sociology of Health & Illness. 14 (4), 539-540

BUSFIELD, J., (1992). Book Reviews. Sociology. 26 (1), 162-163

BUSFIELD, J., (1992). Book Reviews. Sociology. 26 (4), 710-712

Busfield, J., (1991). Governing the Soul: The shaping of the private self (Book).. Sociology of Health and Illness. 13 (2), 276-278

Busfield, J., (1991). Mind, Stress and Health (Book).. Sociology of Health & Illness. 13 (1), 118-119

Busfield, J., (1990). Sectoral Divisions in Consumption: The Case of Medical Care. Sociology. 24 (1), 77-96

Busfield, J., (1990). Compromising health. Science as Culture. 1 (9), 134-139

BUSFIELD, J., (1990). Book Reviews. Sociology. 24 (2), 335-337

BUSFIELD, J., (1990). THE HEALTH-SERVICES SINCE THE WAR, VOL 1, PROBLEMS OF HEALTH-CARE - THE NATIONAL-HEALTH-SERVICE BEFORE 1957 - WEBSTER,C. SCIENCE AS CULTURE (9), 134-139

Busfield, J., (1989). Sexism and Psychiatry. Sociology. 23 (3), 343-364

BUSFIELD, J., (1989). THE REGULATION OF MADNESS - THE ORIGINS OF INCARCERATION IN FRANCE - CASTEL,R. SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 37 (3), 599-602

BUSFIELD, J., (1989). Book Reviews. Sociology. 23 (3), 459-461

Busfield, J., (1988). Mental illness as social product or social construct: a contradiction in feminists’ arguments?. Sociology of Health & Illness. 10 (4), 521-542

Busfield, J., (1988). Mental illness as social product or social construct: a contradiction in feminists' arguments?. Sociology of Health and Illness. 10 (4), 521-542

BUSFIELD, J., (1988). Book Reviews. Sociology. 22 (2), 293-294

Busfield, J., (1987). The Cultural Meeting of Popular Science: Phrenology and the organization of consent in nineteenth‐century Britain (Book).. Sociology of Health & Illness. 9 (2), 215-217

BUSFIELD, J., (1987). Book Reviews. Sociology. 21 (3), 498-499

BUSFIELD, J., (1987). THE FEMALE MALADY - WOMEN, MADNESS AND ENGLISH CULTURE, 1830-1980 - SHOWALTER,E. NEW SOCIETY. 80 (1278), 27-27

BUSFIELD, J., (1987). THE REALITY OF MENTAL-ILLNESS - ROTH,M, KROLL,J. BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 26, 159-160

BUSFIELD, J., (1986). Book Reviews. Sociology. 20 (1), 109-110

Busfield, J., (1986). Book Reviews. Sociology. 20 (2), 309-311

Busfield, J., (1985). Roger Smith, Trial by medicine: insanity and responsibility in Victorian trials. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1981. Pp. ix + 238. £15.00.. The British Journal for the History of Science. 18 (1), 89-90

BUSFIELD, J., (1984). MENTAL-ILLNESS AND AMERICAN-SOCIETY, 1875-1940 - GROB,GN. NEW SOCIETY. 67 (1109), 296-297

BUSFIELD, J., (1984). MANAGING THE MIND - A STUDY OF MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGY IN EARLY 19TH-CENTURY BRITAIN - DONNELLY,M. NEW SOCIETY. 67 (1109), 296-297

Busfield, J., (1983). Madmen and the Bourgeoisie: A Social History of Insanity and Psychiatry/Madhouses, Mad‐Doctors and Madmen: The Social History of Psychiatry in the Victorian Era (Book).. Sociology of Health & Illness. 5 (1), 107-108

BUSFIELD, J., (1983). THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN EUROPE - GOODY,J. NEW SOCIETY. 66 (1099), 411-412

BUSFIELD, J., (1983). Book Reviews. Sociology. 17 (1), 121-122

Busfield, J., (1983). Medical Sciences - Celia Davies (ed.), Rewriting nursing history. London: Croom Helm. Totowa N.J.: Barnes & Noble Books, 1980. £11.95; £5.95 (paperback).. The British Journal for the History of Science. 16 (1), 92-93

Busfield, J., (1982). Gender and Mental Illness. International Journal of Mental Health. 11 (1-2), 46-66

Busfield, J., (1980). The Dignity of Labour? A study of childbearing and induction. Sociology. 14 (1), 157-159

BUSFIELD, J., (1980). BASTARDY AND ITS COMPARATIVE HISTORY - LASLETT,P, OOSTERVEEN,K, SMITH,RM. NEW SOCIETY. 53 (922), 143-143

Busfield, J., Brown, GW. and Harris, T., (1979). Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorders in Women. The British Journal of Sociology. 30 (4), 543-543

Busfield, J., (1977). Psychiatry in Dissent; Controversial Issues in Thought and Practice. Sociology. 11 (3), 563-564

BUSFIELD, J., (1977). SYNDROMES OF 70S - POPULATION, SEX AND SOCIAL-CHANGE - LORAINE,JA. NEW SOCIETY. 41 (770), 34-34

Busfield, J., (1972). Age at marriage and family size: social causation and social selection hypotheses. Journal of Biosocial Science. 4 (1), 117-134

Busfield, J. and Hawthorn, G., (1971). Some social determinants of recent trends in British fertility. Journal of Biosocial Science. 3 (S3), 65-77

Busfield, J. and Hawthorn, G., (1971). Some social determinants of recent trends in British fertility.. Journal of biosocial science. Supplement (3), 65-77

Busfield, J., (1969). College Women and Fertility Values. Sociology. 3 (3), 449-449

Books (8)

(2014). De-Medicalizing Misery II. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 9781137304650

Busfield, J., (2011). Mental Illness. Polity. 9780745649054

Morris, L., (2006). Rights: Sociological perspectives. Routledge. 0415355222. 9780415355216

Busfield, J., (2000). Health and health care in modern Britain. Oxford University Press. 0198781237

Busfield, J., (1996). Men, women, and madness: understanding gender and mental disorder. Macmillan. 0333463692

Busfield, J. and Lyon, SE., (1996). Methodological imaginations. Palgrave Macmillan. 9780333630921

Busfield, J., (1986). Managing madness: changing ideas and practice. Unwin Hyman. 0091641101. 9780044453802

Busfield, J. and Paddon, M., (1977). Thinking about children: sociology and fertility in post-war England. Cambridge University Press. 0521214025

Book chapters (19)

Busfield, NJ., Psychiatric disorder and individual violence: evidence and perceptions. In: Care of the Mentally Disordered Offender in the Community. Editors: Buchanan, A. and Wootton, L.,

Busfield, J., (2023). The sociology of mental health and illness. In: Handbook on the Sociology of Health and Medicine. 151- 169. 9781839104749

Busfield, J., (2018). Mental Illness and Social Problems. In: The Cambridge Handbook of Social Problems Volume 2. Editors: Treviño, AJ., . Cambridge University Press. 23- 42. 9781108550710

Busfield, J., (2016). Gender and mental health. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Healthcare. 172- 188. 9780230230316

Busfield, J., (2016). Mental Health Policy and Governance. In: The Palgrave International Handbook of Healthcare Policy and Governance. Palgrave Macmillan. 479- 493. 9781137384928

Busfield, J., (2015). Mental Health Policy and Governance. In: The Palgrave International Handbook of Healthcare Policy and Governance. Editors: Kuhlmann, E., Blank, R., Bourgeault, IL. and Wendt, C., . Palgrave Macmillan. 479- 493. 9781137384928

Busfield, J., (2014). Entries on 'DSM-III', 'DSM-IV', 'DSM-5',?Pharmaceutical Industry? and Sociology of Medicalisation. In: Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide. Editors: Scull, A., . Sage. 9781483346342

Busfield, J., (2014). Gender and Mental Illness. In: The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society. Editors: Cockerham, W., Dingwell, R. and Quah, SR., . Wiley Blackwell. 620- 629. 978-1-4443-3076-2

Busfield, J., (2014). Transforming Misery into Sickness: The Genealogy of Depression in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. In: De-Medicalizing Misery II: Society, Politics and the Mental Health Industry. Editors: Speed, E., Moncrieff, J. and Rapley, M., . Palgrave Macmillan. 154- 173. 9781137304643

Busfield, J., (2013). The pharmaceutical industry and mental disorder. In: Madness Contested: Power and Practice. Editors: Coles, S., Keenan, S. and Diamond, B., . PCCS Books. 9781906254438

Busfield, J., (2012). Gender and mental health. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Healthcare (2nd edition). Editors: Kuhlmann, E. and Annandale, E., . Palgrave Macmillan. 192- 208. 9781137015143

Busfield, J., (2012). The archaeology of psychiatric disorder: Gender and disorders of thought, emotion and behaviour. In: Gender, Health and Healing: The Public/Private Divide. 144- 162. 041523574X. 9780415235747

Busfield, J., (2008). Pharmaceutical Industry (Worldwide). In: Encyclopedia of Global Health. Editors: Zhang, Y., . Sage. 9781412941860

Busfield, J., (2008). Pills, power, people: sociological understandings of the pharmaceutical industry. In: Perspectives in Medical Sociology (4th edition). Editors: Brown, P., . Waveland Press. 411- 427. 9781577665182

Busfield, J., (2008). Pills, power, people: sociological understandings of the pharmaceutical industry. In: Contemporary Readings in Social Problems. Editors: Leon-Guerrero, A. and Zentgraf, K., . Sage. 297- 314. 9781412965309

(2006). Choosing Methods in Mental Health Research. In: Choosing Methods in Mental Health Research: Mental Health Research from Theory to Practice. Routledge. 213- 222. 0203966007. 9780203966006

Busfield, J., (2006). Mental disorder and human rights. In: Rights: Sociological Perspectives. Editors: Morris, L., . Routledge. 209- 223. 0415355222. 9780415355216

Busfield, J., (2006). Medicalisation. In: Sociology: The Key Concepts. 99- 103. 9780415344050

Howarth, D., (2006). Dorothy Smith. In: Fifty Key Sociologists: The Contemporary Theorists. Editors: Scott, J., . Routledge. 200- 204. 0415352568. 9780415352567

Conferences (1)

BUSFIELD, J., (1992). MEDICINE AND MARKETS - POWER, CHOICE AND THE CONSUMPTION OF PRIVATE MEDICAL-CARE

Reports and Papers (1)

Rose, D., Corti, L., Crewe, I. and Busfield, J., (1991). Micro-social change in Britain: an outline of the role and objectives of the British Household Panel Study

Contact

busfj@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 873399

Location:

5A.329, Colchester Campus