units

HSC2062

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 25 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
OfferedCaulfield First semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Ms Micaela Drieberg

Synopsis

Students will critically analyse the structure, politics and role of the mass media (public relations, news, advertising, advocacy, popular culture) in constructing public health issues. Throughout the unit, students will critically review a range of recent communication campaigns and case studies of contemporary issues. The unit will cover health communication skills for a range of audiences and purposes, including presentation and report writing, developing health communications materials, social marketing, working with the mass media, e-health and the internet, and advocacy for policies, programs and resources. Various applications in rural and minority communities will be explored.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss and critically reflect on theoretical models of communication, social change and marketing in relation to health and their application in medical, behavioural and socio-environmental approaches to health promotion;
  2. critically analyse the role of the media in the construction of health issues;
  3. describe, compare and contrast different approaches to health communication and explain their strengths and limitations;
  4. critically review a range of local and international health communication campaigns as well as a range of health communication materials (print-based, electronic and web-based);
  5. identify key stages in designing a communication campaign and apply them to a selected health issue;
  6. demonstrate practical skills for working with the media (obtaining media coverage, writing press releases, conducting interviews, using the Internet);
  7. demonstrate oral and written presentation skills for a range of professional and lay audiences including low literate audiences; and
  8. develop an understanding of the role and principles of public health advocacy in the strategic use of the media and community action to influence decision makers and public opinion.

Assessment

Essay (2,000 words) (30%)
Group oral presentation (20 minutes) (20%)
Report and advocacy package (3,000 words) (50%)

Hurdle: 80% attendance at tutorials.

Workload requirements

1 hour lecture and 2 hours tutorial per week plus 9 hours of private study.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Micaela Drieberg

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Health science

Prohibitions

PBH1102.