Leture/seminar: 4 hours/week
Methods of instruction may include some or all of the following:
- Lecture
- Tutorials
- Small and large group discussion
- Case studies
- Research studies (participant observation, interviews, autoethnography)
- Debates
- Online activities
Course Content:
1. Sociological imagination in exploring health and the body in broader historical, social and political contexts
2. Sociological theories exploring health and the body
3. Social structures, institutions and discourses influencing health and health inequities
3.1. Canada鈥檚 Health Care System
4. Understanding health
4.1. Historical and contemporary models of health
4.2. Experiences of health & illness (health discourses, health as cultural expression)
4.3. Dimensions of health and wellness
5. Social conditions influencing health and health inequities (economic, political, social, cultural)
5.1. Social determinants of health
5.2. Media as a social institution impacting health
6. Social constructions of health and the body
6.1. Healthy bodies
6.2. Gendered bodies and health
6.3. Racialized bodies and health
6.4. Healthy, aging bodies
6.5. Dis/ability and bodies
6.6. Digital health technologies (wearables; apps; digital fitness culture)
7. Researching health using qualitative methods
On completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Identify and apply sociological theories and models of health to understand health-related situations
2. Critically assess and discuss the complex ways social, political, economic and cultural conditions impact the health of individuals and communities.
3. Identify and critically discuss the relationship between social determinants and health inequities.
4. Identify health dimensions and wellness (e.g., physical, social, emotional, mental, spiritual) and explain how they are interrelated as well as impacted by the social conditions in which we live.
5. Critically discuss the Canadian health care system and its impact on individual and community health.
6. Critically discuss how the body is shaped by the social and cultural conditions in which we live.
7. Critically discuss and assess how the cultural beliefs and social practices of sport, exercise and physical activity shape our experiences and understandings of health and 鈥渉ealthy鈥 bodies.
8. Apply research literacy skills of interpretation, synthesis, and application of peer-reviewed, health-related research studies.
9. Explore qualitative research methods such as participant observation, interview, autoethnography, and content analysis.
10. Demonstrate clarity of written and oral expression (literacy).
Means of Assessment:
Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the 榴莲视频 Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation may include the following:
| Individual research activity | 0-25% |
| Group research project | 0-25% |
| Contemporary case analysis | 0-20% |
| Quizzes | 0-20% |
| Tests (midterm &/or final) | 0-30% |
| Contribution & Participation | 0-10% |
| Total | 100% |
Consult the 榴莲视频 Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
Research-based journal articles available through the 榴莲视频 Library (online); Research-based book chapters (linked online).