TOPICS: SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS

In this course, we begin with the idea that we cannot understand the topics of health and illness simply by looking at biological phenomena and knowledge, but, instead, we must also consider a variety of social, political, economic, and cultural forces. Sociologists of health and illness (also known as medical sociologists) use sociological perspectives and methods to understand topics such as: social meanings of illness; patterns in the distribution of health and illness; the ways people make sense of, seek help for, and manage their illnesses; the ways doctors, nurses, and patients interact with each other, including the changing nature of health-related professions; the cultural, organizational, and economic functioning of various healthcare institutions; social movements surrounding health, including the ways some deviant behaviors are medicalized while others are not; and the sociological effects of public policy on health outcomes. This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the field of sociology, and, to this end, we will address the topics listed above and others.