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2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

DAHS3007 Sociology of Health and Illness

10 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Mary Madden
Email: M.T.Madden@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

Pre-requisite qualifications

Evidence of ability to study at level 3.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module critically considers the extent health and illness are affected by social factors. Social processes and structures impacting on individuals and social groups are explored and contemporary healthcare practices, within political and cultural contexts including power relationships and systems of knowledge examined. Those students who may be encountering sociology for the first time are advised to consult a general, introductory sociology text before choosing to apply for this module. Assessment: Written Assignment

Objectives

- To apply concepts, theories and methodologies from the sociological body of knowledge to the field of health and healthcare;
- to analyse critically the ways in which health and illness issues are contextualised by cultural, social and political variables and by systems of knowledge;
- to evaluate the significance of health and illness as social constructs and/or 'real' entities;
- to assess and analyse critically the relationships between medical knowledge and power;
- to review and appraise the social distribution of health and illness;
- to evaluate the relationship between social stratification (eg gender, class, age, ethnicity, disability, geography) and health inequalities.

Syllabus

- Sociological perspectives on health and Illness (eg critical, functionalist, phenomenological, realist, constructivist, post-modern)
- key concepts (health, disease, illness)
- the status of scientific/medical knowledge
- power and professionalisation and the healthcare disciplines
- patient-practitioner relationships
- the sick role and patient empowerment
- experiencing health and illness-lay perspectives
- medicalisation, healthism and health promotion
- inequalities in Health within Britain, the countries of the European Union, and globally
- health organisations: state provision vs. voluntary services, organisational theory (eg bureaucracies, negotiated order, managerialism, Fordism, post-Fordism)
- alternative health beliefs and systems (intra-cultural, inter-cultural, contemporary and historical)
- death and dying as social states.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	5	1.00	5.00
Seminar	5	2.00	10.00
Tutorial	5	2.00	10.00
Private study hours			75.00
Total Contact hours			25.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Tutorials - face to face and emails.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2,500 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 27/07/2016

Disclaimer

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