Social constructionism and the development of medical sociology

Abstract This paper offers a review of recent approaches in the ‘social constructionism’ of medical knowledge. It argues that ‘constructionist’ propositions offer a bold attempt to resolve some of the problems in earlier formulations of the sociology of medical knowledge, particularly those of Eliot Freidson. However, the paper goes on to argue that social constructionism has failed to tackle the inherent relativism in its stance and that it frequently rests on contradictory intellectual and value premises. The paper concludes that both policy considerations and theoretical consistency require a critical appraisal of social contructionism and its future role in medical sociology.