Social & Cultural Perspec in Public Hlth

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The social and behavioural sciences are important theoretical influences and resources and tools for grounding public health practice. This subject will explore the multi-disciplinary partnerships between public health and the social science disciplines including sociology and anthropology with particular attention to the ways in which cultural beliefs and practices shape population risks for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and how social factors such as social status, ethnicity and gender impact on health inequalities. The subject will begin with an historical journey, drawing on the work of key social scientists have laid the foundations for contemporary sociological and anthropological theory, research and practice of importance to public health and social epidemiology. The second part of this subject will focus on the contemporary contributions of social and behavioural science to public health theory and practice including social psychology (e.g. social networks and socials status); medical geography (e.g. place and health); and medical anthropology (e.g. refugee health). The third and final part of this subject will critically examine how key public health challenges in Australia and more globally (for example the human genome project, global public health threats of terrorism and newly emerging diseases, and Indigenous health) can be understood using the social and political sciences. Thus this subject will provide students with a solid grounding in understanding the different ways in which the social sciences contribute to public health theory and practice.

None

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Level: 400

Subject Coordinator: Dr Greg Rumbold