Illness and death are not random occurrences, but, rather, they occur in specific societal, historical, and cultural contexts. Different cultures and societies, in other words, produce different patterns of death and illness, demonstrating that illness/wellness cannot be reduced to individual pathology or misfortune, but are in part social and cultural phenomena. Sociological inquiry considers the importance of social and cultural factors in determining health, and, using a range of methodologies (including comparative, epidemiological, narrative, etcetera) investigate how social and cultural forces have concrete consequences for everyday people; including: their health, their sense of self, their understanding and experiencing of their bodies, their interactions with healthcare systems, and more.
Thus, this course on the sociology of medicine is not confined to the narrow examination of the formal institution of ‘medicine’, but is concerned with all those cultural and societal aspects of life which impinge upon well-being through the life course. Throughout this course we will examine how specific cultural and social arrangements can make us sicker, we’ll explore how increased social capital and social cohesion increase health, and we will consider the consequences of a dominant biomedical model of medicine which dominates in the industrial world. In addition, we will examine how discourses of health and wellness shape our attitudes toward our bodies and selves, how these narratives also impact our routine behaviors, from what we eat to where we choose to go when we are sick, and will also explore how other social institutions and globalizing processes may be changing the way we approach and practice healthcare.
This course is designated as an Advanced (ADV) course as part of the core curriculum.
To analyze some of the consequences of increased medicalization within society.
Assessment
Essay 25 points
Journal 25 points
Exam One 20 points
Exam Two 15 points
Class Participation 15 points
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 93 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 92.9% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89.9% | 3.50 |
| B | 83 – 86.9% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 82.9% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79.9% | 2.50 |
| C | 73 – 76.9% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 72.9% | 1.75 |
| D | 60 – 69.9% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 59.9% | 0.00 |
Course Schedule:
Summer Session A: Monday – Sunday
Week 1: May 18 – May 24
Week 2: May 25 – May 31
Week 3: Jun 1 – Jun 7
Week 4: Jun 8 – Jun 14
Week 5: Jun 15 – Jun 21
Week 6: Jun 22 – Jun 26 <<Friday
Part One: Concepts, Contexts, and Culture
Week One
Read articles on Leading Cause of Death
Review brief power point slides
Read the following article, ‘Live free and die?’ The sad state of U.S. life expectancy from NPR and listen to the short radio clip Scientists warned a decade ago American lives were shortening. Then it got worse: Shots – Health News from NPR.
Journal Prompt: Personal reflection what is most noteworthy from the article and radio clip? Can you connect any of what is discussed to your own lives/experiences?
Read articles on Fetal Origins Research and Leukemia
Review and respond to questions – sharing answers to the discussion board
Week Two
Read articles related to race, gender, health, and medicine
Formal Journal Prompt: How does race and racism impact Covid-19?
Watch documentary Unnatural Causes
Review Power Point Presentation
Informal Journal Prompt: How does culture impact health/perceptions of health?
Week Three
Share responses after watching Unnatural Causes on the Discussion Board
Paper on Social and Cultural Forces Due
Review slides and view zoom lecture
Watch TedTalk related to the Spirit Level https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson_how_economic_inequality_harms_societies?language=en
Review slides and view zoom lecture
Part Two: Health and Illness in Social Contexts
Week Four
Review slides
Watch Documentary: Place Matters
Review and respond to questions on the documentary – share answers to the discussion board.
Formal Prompt: Fundamental Cause Theory, Epidemiology, and Covid-19
Week Five
Review slides and view zoom lecture
Informal Journal Prompt: Social Connections and Social Stress
Review practice exam questions
Exam One
Part Three: The Medicalization of Society
Week Six
Review articles and watch an episode of House MD
Respond to questions on House MD and popular culture: share on discussion board
Review slides and watch zoom lecture presentations
Review practice exam questions
Formal Journal Prompt: Social control and Covid-19 – formal and informal mechanisms of social control
Exam 2: FINAL
Completed Journal Due
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Citing AI Use
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Instructor Responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE AI Use Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student Responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.