Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description

Medical Sociology

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
HZK_003
Branch of Science
Sociology and social work
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Medicine
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Structure Unit Manager
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts

Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv

About Study Course

Objective

Help students connect medical theory with sociologists' empirical data on individual and social factors that influence health behavior and lifestyle choices.

Preliminary Knowledge

Not necessary.

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

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.
Individual work
-
-
Preparing for the seminars by reading the seminar texts before the seminars start. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.

Examination

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.
Examination
-
-
Knowledge is assesed on a 10-point scale: answers in seminars - 60%, examination - 40%.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Semester 1
  1. Characteristics of sociological science and sociology of medicine. Methods of sociological research.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. An overview of the history of medical sociology and a description of theoretical perspectives.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Interpretations of the concept of health and disease.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. The concept of culture in sociology. Socialization and internalization theories, deviance and social control. Stigmatization.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Concept of social stratification and mobility. Social inequality and exclusion.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Social changes and contemporary challenges in medicine.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Sociological science answers to medical questions.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Interpretation of mental illness in sociology.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Understanding the Body in Sociology. The experience of illness and pain. Palliative care.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Sociological interpretation of lifestyles, social determinants of health behavior.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Manifestations of social inequality in medicine. Analysis of social factors.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Manifestations of social inequality in medicine. Analysis of social factors.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Social aspects of alternative medicine.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Healthcare systems. Access to health care.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Modern challenges in health care and medicine I.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
  1. Modern challenges in healthcare and medicine II.

EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Class/Seminar
On site
Auditorium
2
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

Annendale, E. (1998). The Sociology of Health and Medicine: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press.

2.

Bowling, A. (2002). Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

3.

Cockerham, W. C., (1999). Health and Social Change in Russia and Eastern Europe. London: Routledge.

4.

Davis, K., (1995). Reshaping the Female Body. The Dilemma of Cosmetic Surgery. London: Routledge.

5.

Lupton, D. (2003). Medicine as Culture. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications.

6.

Nettleton, S. (2006). The Sociology of Health and Illness, 2nd ed. Cambridge: PolityPress.

7.

Nettleton, S. and Gustafsson, U. (eds.) (2002). The Sociology of Health and Illness Reader. Cambridge: PolityPress.

8.

Sīlis, V. (2006 b). Rūpes par veselību un dzīves kvalitāte. Grām.: Dzīves kvalitāte Latvijā. Rīga: Zinātne, 179.–216. lpp.

Additional Reading

1.

Burdjē, P. (2004). Praktiskā jēga. Rīga: Omnia Mea.

2.

Vēbers, M. (1905/2004). Reliģijas socioloģija. Rīga: FSI.

Other Information Sources

1.

RSU bibliotēkas materiāli.

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