Sociology of Health
Overview
This unit examines a framework for analysis of health, health care, and health policy in Australia. It introduces students to different sociological health perspectives and the meaning of social action as it relates to health and wellbeing. It examines the experience of illness (the sick role) and argues for an understanding of health and illness as consequences of social processes and biological ones. It provides a critical analysis of contemporary social issues as they relate to health.
Requisites
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Analyse contemporary health and health-related issues from a sociological perspective
- Contextualise individual health problems in a broader social framework
- Critically analyse issues in the health care system
- Review theoretical and ideological approaches to health
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Readings | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 7.50 | 12 weeks | 90 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Individual | 20% | 1,2 |
| Essay | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Examination | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
- Social construction of health
- Medical dominance, medicalization of health
- Social origins of health inequality
- Sociology of ageing, death, and dying
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.