Social Analysis in Health 2

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

120 hours

This subject can be taken concurrently

None

None

505-508 Key Concepts in Social Health

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

This subject builds on the understandings developed in the Social Analysis in Health 1 subject through engagement with key social science theory (for example feminism, Marxism, post-modernism). We will pay particular attention to the places where social theory has informed or challenged population health practice. For example, we will explore how social and cultural understandings of gender, sexuality, health and illness play a role in the HIV pandemic, and we will consider how the social construction of gender, race and class mediate health outcomes for marginalised populations in our communities. Students will learn how to draw on key theories to better understand and respond to health challenges in economically developing and developed countries.

At the completion of this subject, students should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Apply different theoretical approaches from the social sciences to health practice.
• Critically analyse population health issues using a range of social science theories
• Critically analyse the relationship between the theoretical bases of social science and health policy and health care practice
• Understand the potential and limitations of social science theories to understanding key population health challenges
• Critically examine the ways in which social understandings of health and illness shape responses to population health challenges.

One in class presentation of 20 minutes (equivalent 1000 words) (20%); Critical analysis of 1000 words (20%), due week 10, One 3,000 research essay (60%) due at the end of the semester.

Students will have access to electronic copies of relevant readings.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of this subject a student should have:

• Advanced written and oral communication skills
• Advanced skills in cross-disciplinary analysis
• Advanced skills in reading critically within and across a range of academic disciplines
• Advanced skills in critical analysis of academic theories.