Medical Sociology
Study Course Implementer
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
Preliminary Knowledge
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.As a result of learning the study course, students are able to define the concepts of health and disease, describe biomedical and biopsychosocial health models, describe the social causes of diseases and factors affecting health, medicalization, professionalization, describe health and aging process strategies, sociology of doctor-patient relations, sociology of the body, health promotion strategies.
Skills
1.Students will be able to identify the most important sociological theories that explain health behavior, evaluate the advantages of various health and medical sociological research methods, describe the problems of illness experience and stigmatization, analyze the sociological aspects of the doctor-patient relationship, explain the quality of life factors influencing a specific health lifestyle, evaluate various health care system models.
Competences
1.Cognitive competence – the ability to distinguish the essential from the non-essential in writing (summaries) and orally, and communicatively verbal – the ability to make presentations and participate in discussions on the topics of the seminars.
Assessment
Individual work
Examination
Study Course Theme Plan
-
Characteristics of sociological science and sociology of medicine. Methods of sociological research.
-
An overview of the history of medical sociology and a description of theoretical perspectives.
-
Interpretations of the concept of health and disease.
-
The concept of culture in sociology. Socialization and internalization theories, deviance and social control. Stigmatization.
-
Concept of social stratification and mobility. Social inequality and exclusion.
-
Social changes and contemporary challenges in medicine.
-
Sociological science answers to medical questions.
-
Interpretation of mental illness in sociology.
-
Understanding the Body in Sociology. The experience of illness and pain. Palliative care.
-
Sociological interpretation of lifestyles, social determinants of health behavior.
-
Manifestations of social inequality in medicine. Analysis of social factors.
-
Manifestations of social inequality in medicine. Analysis of social factors.
-
Social aspects of alternative medicine.
-
Healthcare systems. Access to health care.
-
Modern challenges in health care and medicine I.
-
Modern challenges in healthcare and medicine II.
Bibliography
Required Reading
Annendale, E. (1998). The Sociology of Health and Medicine: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Bowling, A. (2002). Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Cockerham, W. C., (1999). Health and Social Change in Russia and Eastern Europe. London: Routledge.
Davis, K., (1995). Reshaping the Female Body. The Dilemma of Cosmetic Surgery. London: Routledge.
Lupton, D. (2003). Medicine as Culture. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications.
Nettleton, S. (2006). The Sociology of Health and Illness, 2nd ed. Cambridge: PolityPress.
Nettleton, S. and Gustafsson, U. (eds.) (2002). The Sociology of Health and Illness Reader. Cambridge: PolityPress.
Sīlis, V. (2006 b). Rūpes par veselību un dzīves kvalitāte. Grām.: Dzīves kvalitāte Latvijā. Rīga: Zinātne, 179.–216. lpp.
Additional Reading
Burdjē, P. (2004). Praktiskā jēga. Rīga: Omnia Mea.
Vēbers, M. (1905/2004). Reliģijas socioloģija. Rīga: FSI.
Other Information Sources
RSU bibliotēkas materiāli.