The Social Organization of Mental Illness

Recipient of Choice Magazine's 1994 Outstanding Academic Book Award "Prior constructs an analysis which adheres closely to his purpose but which is also remarkably wide-ranging. . . . In each case Prior supports his overarching argument with a meticulous examination of the relevant literature. What might otherwise have been a rather dry text is given context and brought to life through reference to interview and conversational data from the research in which the book originated. . . . That it is possible to follow Prior's argument through his wide-ranging exposition is due partly to his fluent, uncluttered prose, and partly to his structuring the book so tightly around chapters devoted to a single facet of the organisation of psychiatry. . . . I have little doubt that his book will prove valuable to academics in a variety of fields. . . . It provides an interesting and highly-topical illustration of the insights to be gained from the study of social organisation; secondly, it makes an illuminating contribution to the sociology of mental illness itself; and thirdly, the comprehensive literature review which underpins each chapter makes it a useful reference source. . . . The book provides a resource for academics involved in the education and training of any of the professional groups who work with people suffering from mental disorders."