Michael Leahy – författare

In an age of shifting boundaries between state and civil society, consumer groups are potentially drivers of democratization in the health domain. The expert contributors explore how their activities bring new dynamics to relations between service providers, the medical profession, government agencies, and other policy actors. This book is unique in comprehensively analyzing the opportunities and dilemmas of this type of activism, including ambiguous partnerships between consumer groups and stakeholders such as the pharmaceutical industry. These themes are explored within an internationally comparative framework, with case studies from various countries.

Students and researchers in the fields of health policy and sociology, public policy and social movements will find this relevant and path-breaking book enlightening. It will also prove invaluable for participants and activists in patient and health consumer organizations.

Contributors include: K. Adams, W. Armstrong, R. Baggott, R. Bal, S. Barraclough, G. Braunegger-Kallinger, J. Church, D. Delnoij, R. Edwards, R. Forster, M. Fox, B. Fredericks, J. Geissler, P.C. John, K. Jones, M. Koivusalo, K. Krajic, A. Lambertson, M. Leahy, D. Legge, H. Lofgren, T. Milewa, C. Nunez Daw, O. O''Donovan, K.-L. Phua, A. Schipaanboord, J. Tritter, D. Truong, P. Vaillancourt Rosenau, A. Vitry

This well-documented collection challenges the reader to examine and judge the arguments in six areas of contemporary unrest: women''s liberation, black liberation, gay liberation, children''s liberation, animal liberation and liberation in the Third World. It refrains from taking a single point of view, thus allowing the reader to gain an insight into the various aspects of the debate. Designed both for students and a general audience, The Liberation Debate encourages readers to become active participants in fraught and topical debates.

This well-documented collection challenges the reader to examine and judge the arguments in six areas of contemporary unrest: women''s liberation, black liberation, gay liberation, children''s liberation, animal liberation and liberation in the Third World. It refrains from taking a single point of view, thus allowing the reader to gain an insight into the various aspects of the debate. Designed both for students and a general audience, The Liberation Debate encourages readers to become active participants in fraught and topical debates.