6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Chief examiner(s)
Associate Professor Mark Davis
Coordinator(s)
Associate Professor Mark Davis
Unit guides
Prerequisites
Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.
Prohibitions
ATS2717, HSC2022, AZA2717, AZA3717
Synopsis
The unit examines the sociological aspects of health. Seminar topics include: media representations of health and illness; public campaigns on smoking, alcohol and obesity; the turn to popular culture in health communications, including the CDC's popular 'zombie preparedness' campaign; responses to 21st century pandemics, including swine flu, SARS and Avian flu; the social and psychological impact of new biotechnologies to prevent and treat diseases, and; reproductive and sexual health. Students will gain knowledge of the contribution of sociology and related disciplines to the advancement of public health policy and communications in changing and complex societies.
Outcomes
All students completing this unit will be able to:
- Identify and describe key social science perspectives on medicine and health care in contemporary society.
- Discuss the implications of medicine and health care for individuals and communities.
- Apply critical arguments to current problems, debates and controversies.
- Identify implications for public policy.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 100%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information