The European Society for Medical Sociology, later the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology (ESHMS), was founded in 1984 in Sterling, Scotland. Among the founders were Raymond Illsley, Bath, UK and Magdalena Sokolowska, Warsaw, Poland. It was founded against the backdrop of the divided Europe and with the aim of promoting research cooperation between scientists and academics in all parts of Europe. Today it has members in most European countries.
Membership is individual and national organisations cannot be members. ESHMS is independent of all governments and of other international organisations. ESHMS would like to be able to contribute to an all-European discussion of health and society in Europe, including how to overcome European health divisions and promote health across Europe and elsewhere. Thus we encourage and promote analyses of health inequalities, health policies and health reforms in European countries as well as research into all social aspects of health, medicine and medical care. We also promote medical sociology in European universities to achieve these aims.
Membership is open to persons resident or working in Europe, who want to help us achieve these goals.
ESHMS organizes a bi-annual international conference on the general theme of “Health and Society in Europe”; its general assembly, constituted by all full members, meets at the same time.
Next meeting is in Oslo, August 28-30 2008