What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning
changed from the past to the present? In what ways does "the problem of
suffering" serve to inspire us to care for others? How does our response
to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant
work, Arthur Kleinman--a renowned figure in medical anthropology--and
Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some
answers to these profound questions.
A Passion for Society investigates the historical development and
current state of social science with a focus on how this development has
been shaped in response to problems of social suffering. Following a
line of criticism offered by key social theorists and cultural
commentators who themselves were unhappy with the professionalization of
social science, Wilkinson and Kleinman provide a critical commentary on
how studies of society have moved from an original concern with social
suffering and its amelioration to dispassionate inquiries. The authors
demonstrate how social action through caring for others is revitalizing
and remaking the discipline of social science, and they examine the
potential for achieving greater understanding though a moral commitment
to the practice of care for others. In this deeply considered work,
Wilkinson and Kleinman argue for an engaged social science that connects
critical thought with social action, that seeks to learn through
caregiving, and that operates with a commitment to establish and sustain
humane forms of society.