PBH2003 - Culture, society and health - 2018

This unit will explore how individual and population experiences of health are shaped by culture and society.

The unit draws on key sociological, anthropological, political and philosophical theories to reveal various relationships between health and the larger socio-cultural realities in which people live.

Students will be encouraged to foster skills in critical deconstruction of Western representations of culture to arrive at an appreciation of various 'ways of knowing,' including Indigenous scholarship. Examples will be drawn from healthcare and economic systems in Australia and overseas.

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

1. Apply key principles of sociological and anthropological thought to the lived experience of individuals and populations
2. Apply the themes associated with the sociological imagination to examine the social production, construction and organisation of health locally and globally
3. Apply sociological theories as analytical tools to critically examine cultural, social, political and economic factors influencing health
4. Critically examine and evaluate aspects of culture and society with which they are familiar (as well as historical representations) in order to extend their understanding of the socio-cultural structures, institutions and processes relevant to health globally.

• Individual journal (900 words) (15%)
• Media analysis (1,800 words) (30%)
• Group presentation - oral (15 minutes) (15%)
• Individual essay (2,400 words) (40%) (Hurdle)

Hurdle:

80% attendance at tutorials

80% participation in weekly online tasks.

1 hour lecture, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours of directed online student learning activities, plus 6 hours of self-directed study per week.

See also Unit timetable information

Health science

Public health