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SOCI2509:SOCIOLOGYOFHEALTH&ILLNESSINCANADA

Lecture: T/Th1-2:30pmLocation: RB2024Instructor: Dr.ChrisSandersOffice: RB2038Officehours: T/Th2:30-3:30pm,orby

appointmentCOURSEDESCRIPTIONTheaimofSOCI2509istointroducestudentstotheimportantandexcitingrealmofhealthsociology!Whatmakeshealthsociologysoimportantisthatitelucidatesthecriticalrolethatsocialfactorshaveininfluencingthewellnessofindividuals,groups,andsocietywritlarge.AstrikingfeatureofcontemporaryCanadiansociety,forexample,ishow“medicine”developedfromasmall-scaleenterpriseinthe1800stoanenormouscomplexofbehavioralnorms,socialroles,providerpractices,economicinterests,andorganizedservices,allofwhichinfluencebothsocietalhealthandtheprovisionofhealthcare.Asyouwillseethroughouttheyear,thereisnoshortageofopportunitiestoapplyasociologicalperspectivetoanalysesofhealth,illness,andhealthcare.Studentswillbegivenabroadoverviewofthesubfieldofhealthsociology.Thereadingsandlecturesfocusonsociology’scontributiontothestudyofmedicine,patternsofdisease,theexperienceofillness,andtheCanadianhealthcaresystem.Thereadingsaccomplishthisalongtwodimensions:(1)keyconceptsaredefinedandanalyzedusingepidemiologicalandsocioculturalperspectives;(2)sociologicaltheoriesandresearcharebroughttobearontheproblemsofdefinitionandevidence,accesstohealthcare,thesocialorganizationofthehealthcaresystem,andthenewfrontiersofhealthsociology.Lectureswillprovideadditionalbackgroundonthehistoryofmedicine,disparitiesinaccesstocare,thepoliticaleconomyofhealth,theoriesofriskandhealthpromotion,recentchangesinhealthcaredeliveryinCanada,andnewperspectivesontheroleofpharmaceuticalsinhealthcare.Readingsandlectureswillbesupplementedbyopendiscussions,in-classactivities,quizzes,andgroupassignments.Readingsandlectureswillfocusonkeyconceptsandexemplarsinresearch,whilein-classactivitiesandassignmentswillemphasizenovelapplicationsofthecoursematerial.Upongraduation,sociologistspursuingemploymentinhealthcareandhealth-relatedserviceswilllikelyfindthemselvesworkingwithresearchersandpractitionersfromdiverseacademicandprofessionalbackgrounds.Thiscoursewillpreparestudentsforworkinginthesesettingsandsocialcontextsbyofferingthemacriticalperspectiveonboththeirparentdisciplineandthedisciplinesoftheirpartnersinotherhealthcarefields.

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COURSEOBJECTIVESThiscoursefocusesondevelopingbothanempiricalandtheory-informedgraspofthesociologyofhealth&illness.Thelearningobjectivesare:

• Toprovidestudentswithanintroductiontothesocial,economic,andpoliticalfactorsthatshapemedicineasaninstitutionandtheexperienceofhealthandillness;

• Tointroduceclassicalandcontemporaryworksinmedicalsociology,andtoappreciatethewaysthatsociologistshavetreated“medicine”asanobjectofstudy;

• Tomethodologicallyevaluateevidenceandclaimsabouthealthandhealthcare;• Tofosterrespectfuldiscussionandtoencouragestudentstotakeacriticalperspective

bychallengingtaken-for-grantednotionsofmedicine,includingdominantand“alternative”conceptionsofwellness,illness,andhealthcareservicedelivery;

• Toimprovestudents’skillsatreading,writing,criticalanalysis,notetaking,andsynthesizingsociologicaltheoryandresearchintoacademicwritinganddiscussion.

COURSEREADINGSWewillusethefollowingbooksavailableattheLUBookstore:

• Strohschein,LisaandRoseWeitz.2014.TheSociologyofHealth,Illness&HealthCareinCanada:ACriticalApproach.Toronto:NelsonEducation.

• Armstrong,PatandHughArmstrong.2016.AboutCanada:HealthCare,2ndEdition.Halifax:FernwoodPublishing.

• AdditionalreadingsareuploadedtotheD2Lcoursewebsite.COURSEEVALUATIONANDSUMMARYOFTESTSANDASSIGNMENTS:Description DueDate ValueTest1(inclass) 20October 15%Test2(inclass) 24November 15%GroupPresentation 29November/01December 10%Test3(inclass) 14February 15%Test4(takehome) 30March 15%OnlineQuizzes 10inFall/10inWinter 20%Participation - 10%ExtraCredit seeschedulebelow TBDTestsarecomprehensiveandincludemultiplechoice,shortanswer,andessayquestions.Testquestionsaredesignedtoevaluatestudents’abilitytoapplykeyconceptsasopposedtorotememorizationofmaterials.Therearenomake-uptestsexceptwithappropriateauthoritativedocumentation(e.g.,noparents,partners,etc.);make-uptestsareessayformat.

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TheGroupPresentationisdesignedtohavestudentscriticallyengagewithacontemporaryhealthissue.Groupswillprovidea10-minuteanalyticpresentationtotheclass.WeeklyOnlineQuizzesmustbecompletedpriortotheTuesdaylecture.Quizzesconsistofmultiplechoicequestions.Quizzesaskbasicreadingcomprehensionquestions.Asperuniversitypolicy,studentsareexpectedtohavecomputerandInternetaccess.Thiscoursereliesonweeklyparticipation.Studentsareexpectedtoreflectonreadingsinadvanceofclassandbringquestionstolectureforopendiscussion.Yourparticipationgradewillreflectthedegreeofparticipationandpreparationyoushowthroughouttheyear.StudentshavetheoptionofcompletingfourExtraCreditassignmentsthroughouttheyear.Duedatesarelistedbelow.Eachassignmentisworthupto1pointtowardthefinalgrade.Studentswhocompleteallfourassignmentswillbeawardedanadditionalpoint!Anoptionalcoursepaper(approx.10-15pages)canbecompletedattheendoftheyear.Thecoursepaperisintendedtoreplacethelowestgrade.Studentsmustmeetwithmeinadvanceoftheendofthetermtodiscussthisoptionandreceivespecificguidelines.Allworkmustbecompletedwithacademicintegrity.PleasereviewtheLUpolicyonplagiarismandacademicdishonesty;itcanbeaccessedfromtheLUhomepageorthecourseinformationmoduleofthecoursewebsite.Pleasediscusswithmeanyquestionsorconcernsaboutthispolicypriortohandinginassignmentsortakingthetests.Accommodations:LUiscommittedtoachievingfullaccessibilityforpersonswithdisabilities.Thiscommitmentincludesarrangingacademicaccommodationsforstudentswithdisabilitiestoensuretheyhaveanequitableopportunitytoparticipateinalloftheiracademicactivities.Ifyouthinkyoumayneedaccommodations,youareencouragedtocontactStudentAccessibilityServices(SAS)asearlyaspossible.Pleasevisit:http://studentaccessibility.lakeheadu.caGENERALPOLICIESEtiquette:Commoncourtesygoesalongway.Thisincludespayingattentioninclass(i.e.,notmultitaskingwithsocialmedia/email),listeningtowhatothershavetosaywithoutinterrupting,andpromotingacivilandconstructivelearningenvironment.Trytobemindfulthatsomeofyourclassmateswillhavedeeplypersonalexperienceswithmattersofhealthandillness.Email:StudentsmaycontactmethroughD2L/mycourselink.Pleasenotethecourseinthesubjectline.Iwillrespondtoemailduringofficehours.Emailsshouldbecourteousandbrief,requiringonlya1-2lineresponse.Lengthierinquiriesshouldbebroughttomyofficehours.Grades:Idonotdiscussgradesbyemail.Gradeinquiriesmustbeinpersonduringofficehoursorbyappointment.

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FALLTERMSCHEDULE∗UNIT1:Webeginwithabriefhistoryofdiseaseandmedicineinthewesternworld;studentsareintroducedtokeyconceptsinthesociologyofhealth&illnessandsocialepidemiology.Week1.Welcome!TheSociologyofHealth&IllnessandWhyItMatters

• 06Sept:SHIHCCh.1,“SociologyofHealth,Illness,andHealthCare”• 08Sept:D2L,“MedicalSociology”(Hafferty&Castellani)and“MedicalModel”(Bury)

Week2.SociologicalApproachestoHealth&Illness

• 13Sept:SHIHCCh.2,“TheSocialSourcesofDiseaseandDeath”and“EbolaandtheConstructionofFear”(Sternheimer)

• 15Sept:D2L,“MethodologicalToolsforaSociologicalAnalysisofHealth,Illness,andHealthCare”(Wadeetal.)and“FoodFaithsandDietReligions”(Hall)

__________UNIT2:Studentsareprovidedwithasystematicoverviewofwhatisknownabouttheinfluenceofsocialfactorsonthehealthofthepopulation.Week3.SocialFactorsandHealth&Illness

• 20Sept:SHIHCCh.3,“SocialDeterminantsofHealthandIllness:Age,Sex,andRace”

• 22Sept:D2L,“NWACReport”

Week4.SocialFactorsandHealth&Illness(con’t)

• 27Sept:SHIHCCh.4,“SocioeconomicInequalitiesinHealth”• 29Sept:D2L,“SocialClass”(Scambler)

Week5.SocialFactorsandHealth&Illness(con’t)

• 04Oct:SHIHCCh.5,“WorkandFamilyLife”• 06Oct:D2L,“EmotionalLabor”(Theodosius)• ExtraCredit#1due06October2016beforelecture

∗Fallschedulesubjecttochange

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Week6.ReadingWeek• 11Oct:Nolecture(awisestudentwouldbeginstudyingforTest1)• 13Oct:Nolecture

Week7.SocialFactorsandHealth&Illness(con’t)andTest

• 18Oct:SHIHCCh.6,“IllnessandDeathintheDevelopingWorld”andtestreview• 20Oct:Test1(inclass)

_________Unit3:Weshiftgearstothesocialconstructionofhealth,thatisthewayssocietyframesandrespondstomattersofwellnessanddiseaseaswellashowpeoplemakesenseoftheexperienceofbeingill.Week8.TheMeaningandExperienceofHealth&Illness

• 25Oct:SHIHCCh.7,“TheSocialMeaningsofIllness”• 27Oct:D2L,“Socio-CulturalVariationsintheExperienceofHealthandIllness”(Wadeet

al.)and“Medicalization”(Gabe)Week9.TheMeaningandExperienceofHealth&Illness(con’t)

• 01Nov:D2L,“SocialDimensionsofMentalIllness”(Wadeetal.)• 03Nov:D2L,“IsADHDaMentalHealthCrisis,oraCulturalOne?”(Lunau)

Week10.TheMeaningandExperienceofHealth&Illness(con’t)

• 08Nov:SHIHCCh.8,“TheExperienceofDisability,ChronicPainandChronicIllness”• 10Nov:D2L,“Stigma”(Monaghan&Williams)

Week11.TheMeaningandExperienceofHealth&Illness(con’t)

• 15Nov:SHIHCCh.9,“TheBodyandthePursuitofHealth”and“MedicalizationofBeauty”(Sternheimer)

• 17Nov:D2L,“SexualitiesandHealth”(Barry,Yuill&Todd)Week12.Test2

• 22Nov:Testreview,andworkongrouppresentations• 24Nov:Test2(inclass)

Week13.GroupPresentations

• 29Nov:Grouppresentations• 01Dec:Grouppresentations• ExtraCredit#2due01December2016beforelecture

__________

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WINTERTERMSCHEDULE∗Unit4:Webeginanewsectiononthesociologyofhealthcaresettingsandprofessions,payingparticularattentiontotheCanadianhealthcaresystem.Week1.HealthCareSystems,Professions,Settings,andTechnologies

• 10Jan:SHIHCCh.10,“TheHistoryofHealthCareinCanada”andSHIHCCh.11,“HealthCareinOtherCountries”(pp.258-274)

• Recommended:“KitchenTablePolitics:TheCostandQualityofHealthCareintheUS”Accessibleat:http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/kitchen-table-politics-the-cost-and-quality-of-health-care/

• 12Jan:D2L,“HealthCare”(Maioni)Week2.HealthCareSystems,Professions,Settings,andTechnologies(con’t)

• 17Jan:AboutCanada:HealthCare,Chapters3-4• 19Jan:AboutCanada:HealthCare,Chapters5-6• Recommendedfilm:CBC,TheFifthEstate:“RateMyHospital”(2013,45min)

Accessibleat:http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2394113115/Week3.HealthCareSystems,Professions,Settings,andTechnologies(con’t)

• 24Jan:SHIHCCh.12,“HealthCareProfessions”• 26Jan:TBD

Week4.HealthCareSystems,Professions,Settings,andTechnologies(con’t)

• 31Jan:SHIHCCh.13,“HealthCareSettingsandTechnologies”• 02Feb:TBD

Week5.HealthCareSystems,Professions,Settings,andTechnologies(con’t)

• 07Feb:D2L,“ComplementaryandAlternativeHealthCare”(Easthope&Hornosty)• 09Feb:CritiquesofCAM

Read:“AHarrisPollon‘AlternativeMedicine’,”accessibleat:https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-harris-poll-on-alternative-medicine/Read:“WeShouldAbandontheConceptof‘AlternativeMedicine’,”accessibleat:https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/we-should-abandon-the-concept-of-alternative-medicine/

• Testreview• ExtraCredit3due09Februarybeforelecture

∗Winterschedulesubjecttochange

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Week6.Test• 14Feb:Test3(inclass)• 16Feb:Nolecture(beginreadingbreakearlywithmycompliments!)

Week7.ReadingWeek

• 21Feb:Nolecture• 23Feb:Nolecture

_________Unit5:Weconcludebyapplyingwhatwe’velearnedtosocialanalysesofpharmaceuticals.Weexaminehowhealthsociologistsorienttodrugsasobjectsofinquiryandposequestionsaboutsocial,cultural,andpoliticalrelationsthroughresearchontreatmentsandclinicaltrials.Week8.MovingForward:Bioethics,Pharmaceuticals&Genetics

• 28Feb:SHIHCCh.14,“IssuesinBioethics”• 02Mar:TBD

Week9.Pharmaceuticalsandthe“Social”

• 07Mar:D2L,“TheMedicalizationandPharmaceuticalizationofSociety”(Wadeetal.)• 09Mar:D2L,“SocialLivesofMedicines”(Whyteetal.)

Week10.ThePoliticalEconomyofthePharmaceuticalIndustry

• 14Mar:D2L,“ThePharmaIndustryandHealthCanada”(Lexchin)

• 16Mar:TBDWeek11.PharmaceuticalsandtheConstructionofNewMarkets

• 21Mar:D2L,“PotencyinalltheRightPlaces”(Mamo&Fishman)

• 23Mar:D2L,“Sex,Drugs,andPolitics:TheHPVVaccine”(Casper&Carpenter)Week12.PharmaceuticalsandPublicHealth:StudiesofHIV

• 28Mar:D2L,“ConfiguringtheUsersofNewHIV-PreventionTechnologies”(Holt)• 30Mar:TBD• Test4(takehome)distributedinclass(duedateTBD)

Week13.Conclusion:TheGlobalizationofPharmaceuticalResearchandMarketing

• 04Apr:D2L,“ClinicalTrialsOff-Shored”(Petryna)• 06Apr:TBD• ExtraCredit#4due06April2017beforelecture

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RECOMMENDEDRESOURCESCBCNews,HealthReportshttp://www.cbc.ca/news/healthCanadianInstituteforHealthInformation(CIHI),QuickStatshttps://www.cihi.ca/en/quick-statsHealthCanadahttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.phpHealthyDebatehttp://healthydebate.caMentalHealthNews,Canadahttp://globalnews.ca/tag/mental-health/StatisticsCanada,HealthReportshttp://www5.statcan.gc.ca/subject-sujet/theme-theme.action?pid=2966&lang=eng&more=0Science-BasedMedicinebloghttps://www.sciencebasedmedicine.orgEverydaySociologyBloghttp://www.everydaysociologyblog.comSkeptoidPodcast(canbestreamedthroughiTunesoratwebsitebelow)https://skeptoid.com/