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2011/2 Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 Module Code: SOC2045 Module Title: SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS
Module Provider: Sociology Short Name: SOC2045
Level: HE2 Module Co-ordinator: EARTHY SM Dr (Sociology)
Number of credits: 15 Number of ECTS credits: 7.5
 
Module Availability
Semester 2
Assessment Pattern

Unit(s) of Assessment

 
Weighting Towards Module Mark( %)

 

2000 word essay

 

50%

 

1 hour exam

 

50%

 

Qualifying Condition(s) 

 

A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module.

 
Module Overview
This module provides a broad overview of key theoretical perspectives and empirical research in the sociology of health and illness. We will explore the role of medicine in society, the nature of patient-professional interactions and the societal and cultural contexts in which people experience illness and disability. We will also consider the complex mechanisms underlying inequalities in health and the impact of societal and technological change on many aspects of health and illness.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites

None
Module Aims
  • To provide an overview of the sociological study of health and illness in contemporary society
  • To explore different theoretical approaches to the study of health and illness at the macro and micro level
  • To discuss in depth a number of key topics relating to the sociology of health and illness drawing on both theoretical and empirical studies 
Learning Outcomes

Having completed this module, students should be able to:

 

·         Demonstrate familiarity with key terms and concepts that have been used in the sociological study of health and illness and an appreciation of how these have developed over time

 

·         Describe how and why the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals may differ

 

·         Discuss current debates in health and healthcare in terms of broader sociological themes.

 

·         Make connections between the different topics covered in the module

 

·         Construct arguments in class discussions, essays and exam answers that bring together theoretical ideas, empirical research and an understanding of dimensions of change

 
Module Content
  • The bio-medical model of illness and processes of medicalization

     

  • The Sick Role and social reactions to illness

     

  • Professional-lay interactions and the organisation of healthcare

     

  • Chronic illness and social models of disability

     

  • Inequalities in physical and mental health

     

  • Pregnancy and reproduction

     

  • The social organisation of death, dying and bereavement
Methods of Teaching/Learning

11 x 2 hour sessions comprising a lecture and interactive discussions and exercises.

Weekly reading and seminar preparation

Individual formative feedback will be provided on a 500-word discussion piece on a key theoretical idea or current debate
Selected Texts/Journals

Annandale, E. (1998), The Sociology of Health and Illness: A Critical Introduction, Cambridge: Polity

Charmaz, K. (1991) Good Days, Bad Days: The Self in Chronic Illness and Time, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press

Goffman, E. (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Harmondsworth: Penguin

Nettleton, S. (2005), The Sociology of Health and Illness, 2nd Edition, Cambridge: Polity

Priestley, M. (2003) Disability: A Life Course Approach, Cambridge: Polity

Scambler, G. and Higgs, P. (eds) (1998) Modernity, Medicine and Health: Medical Sociology towards 2000, London: Routledge

Turner, B. and Stanley B (1995), Medical Power and Social Knowledge, London: Sage

Williams, S.J., Gabe, J. and Calnan, M. (eds) (2000) Health, Medicine and Society: Key Theories, Future Agendas, London: Routledge
Last Updated
April 2011