SOC 306 Sociology of Health, Illness, and Medicine (SS)

The professionalization of medicine has brought on many contemporary transformations in the medical field, yet health disparities still commonly relate to social categories such as gender, race or social class. This course will analyze medical organizations and institutions, as well as actions and interactions of healthcare professionals among each other and with patients. It will explore how various cultural and social contexts shape patients’ experiences. This course will also examine concepts such as medicalization of the society, social etiology of the diseases, alternative medicine, medical ethics, and bioethics.

Credits

5

Outcomes

1. This course will prepare students to:
2. Evaluate health and sick behavior and their impact on patient-health professional interactions.
3. Compare and contrast various health care systems in the world.
4. Explore the relationship between individuals and social institutions in the field of medical practice.
5. Examine key concepts and theoretical approaches within sociology as they are applied to medicine.
6. Evaluate the cultural meanings associated with health and illness.
7. Analyze the relationships between patients and various professionals in the field of medical practice.