Michael Bury

Michael Bury, commonly referred to as Mike Bury, (1945–22 July 2025) was a British sociologist known for his contributions to the sociology of health and illness and medical sociology. Sociologists Jonathan Gabe and Mary Ann Elston said Bury was "regarded as one of the most influential medical sociologists of his generation, both nationally and internationally".

Early life and education Bury spent his early years in Beckenham, Kent. In Manchester, Bury worked with Philip Wood which he credited with giving him "the freedom to develop research of my own". At Bedford College, he worked with Margot Jefferys who was an instrumental figure in developing medical sociology in the United Kingdom. Clark secured funding for Bury and Holme to develop a national study of the health and quality of life of people over the age of 90 who were living in England, this became the 'life after ninety' survey. Bury said that the work from this survey indicated that "public health medicine’s preoccupation with mortality was increasingly missing the point".

Bury then taught at Royal Holloway, University of London until he retired in 2003. In this article, Bury said of the concept:

Bury's article on biographical disruption has proven to be "one of the most cited articles in the journal's history, with 6576 citations up to the end of January 2026".

The framework that Bury developed proved popular among sociologists and has since been applied to experiences including cancer, HIV, autism, frailty, motor neurone disease, loneliness, and Ménière's disease.

The concept has, however, received some criticism within disability studies for the risk that it may lead to "an overemphasis on how illness affects someone's sense of self and identity, at the expense of exploring the impact of broader social structures".

Personal life Bury lived in Wrotham, Kent with his wife Jenny. He had two daughters.

Select works Bury, M. (1982). Chronic illness as biographical disruption. Sociology of health & illness, 4(2), 167–182. Bury, M. (1991). The sociology of chronic illness: a review of research and prospects. Sociology of health & illness, 13(4), 451–468. Bury, M. (2001). Illness narratives: fact or fiction?. Sociology of health & illness, 23(3), 263–285. Bury, M., & Holme, A. (2002). Life after ninety. Routledge. Bury, M. (2013). Health and illness in a changing society. Routledge.