Sociology of Health and Illness

Code:

MSOCI026

Acronym:

SOCSD

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Sociology

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Sociology
Course/CS Responsible:	Masters in Sociology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MSOCI	11	Study plan	1	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

English

Objectives

The sociology of health and illness is a broad field examining the social production of health, wellness, illness and mortality. We cannot understand the topics of health and illness simply by looking at biological phenomena and medical knowledge, but, instead, we must also consider a variety of social, political, economic, and cultural forces in which health and illness are produced and understood.

We will survey the central topics in the field, with an emphasis on understanding the following themes: the structural and cultural dimensions of health; health inequalities; the profession of medicine; the experience of illness; and attempts to reform healthcare. Throughout the course, we will apply sociological theory and the recent scholarship of anthropology, history and social and cultural studies of science to make sense of contemporary issues in health, illness and medicine. The course focuses on the European context but we will try whenever possible to place issues in a global context and students are welcome to explore these topics in different geographic contexts.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students will:

1. Acquire a broad understanding of the major theoretical debates and areas of substantive concern within the sociology of health and illness.
2. Understand the history and trajectory of the field of medical sociology, including its recent turn towards the sociology of science.
3. Be able to use concepts developed across disciplines to analyse biomedical research on health and illness.
4. Critically assess how health is produced through social, political, economic and cultural forces on a macro, meso and micro level.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Illness


2. How is medicine social? Political? Cultural?


3. Health inequalities: theoretical frameworks


4. Biosocial approaches to health


5. Biomedical dominance


6. Theories of (Bio)medicalization


7. Healthcare Systems and Healthcare Access


8. Environmental Health


9. Experiencing Illness


10. Social and cultural meanings of diagnosis


11. Constructing risk


12. Social Movements in Health

Mandatory literature

Marmot Michael 340; Social determinants of health. ISBN: 978-0-19-856589-5
Fitzpatrick Michael 1950-; The^tyranny of health. ISBN: 978-0-415-23572-3
Lupton Deborah; Medicine as culture. ISBN: 978-0-7619-4030-2
Peter COnrad; The Sociology of health and Illness. Critical Perspectives (9th Edition), Worth Publishers, 2004. ISBN: 0716709988 (ISBN13: 9780716709985)

Comments from the literature

The course will be taught fully in English as long as there is at least one student that does not speak Portuguese.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course will be organized as a seminar type of course. Backgroung information and lecture type presentations will be secured by the teacher but participation of students in class discussions is fundamental for the learning process.

keywords

Social sciences > Sociology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	10,00
Trabalho escrito	40,00
Exame	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	9,00
Estudo autónomo	64,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Students must complete all pieces of work requested to be able to pass.

Calculation formula of final grade

Students will be graded according to the work they will do in the following

(1) Final exam with a weight of 50% in the final grade

(2) Essay with the p+roceedings of a literature review exercise on a topic in the field of Sociology of Health with a weight of 40% in the final grade

(3) Oral presentation of the literature review protocol, the general results, and the mind map, weighing 10%


The presentation schedule and the guidelines for the preparation of the pieces of work will be published in the first class of the course.

Assessment at the time of appeal
Given the specificity of the literature review report, this component is not subject to completion at the time of appeal for the approval of the course. The evaluation during the appeal period is limited to the final exam. In other words, only students who have not passed the exam component in the normal season can take the exam in the appeal period and provided they have completed the literature review report.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable

Internship work/project

Not applicable

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Not applicable

Classification improvement

According to the assessment rules of the school.
It is only possible to improve the final classification in the exam component.