Accessibility statement

Health and Illness - SOC00067I

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  • Department: Sociology
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Karl Atkin
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

The module will highlight the social determinants of health inequalities and how the organization of healthcare has developed over time at a global level and how the role of medical professionals has changed along with an appreciation of decision making in health care provision.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

How do we make sense of experiences of health and illness and the place of medicine in society? In this module you will develop an insight into sociological concepts and theoretical perspectives relevant to understanding health, illness, medicine and healing. You will compare and contrast social and medical models of disease, health and illness and appreciate the contested and culturally specific understandings. The module will highlight the social determinants of health inequalities and how the organization of healthcare has developed over time at a global level and how the role of medical professionals has changed along with an appreciation of decision making in health care provision.

Module learning outcomes

Articulate and apply core sociological concepts and theories of health and illness

Demonstrate in-depth understanding of sociological research concerning significant aspects of healthcare including social and biomedical models of health outcomes

Evaluate research concerning ‘lay beliefs’ and illness experience in global contexts

Analyse how different social and political influences shapes the type of health care that is available to populations globally

Demonstrate critical thinking and data analysis in written formats

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay : Essay working with real life data		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay : Essay working with real life data		 N/A 100

Module feedback

For formative work - Core Concept - students will receive written or verbal feedback on how to improve their skills in areas that will contribute towards their summative assessment. The formative assessment provides practice for the summative task, which is in line with MLO 1 &5.

For summative work - Essay - students will receive an overall mark and grading according to clearly defined criteria for assessing their knowledge, skills and abilities in line with MLO 1-5. They will also receive written feedback showing areas in which they have done well, and those areas in which they need to improve that will contribute to their progress.

Indicative reading

Annandale, E. (1998) The Sociology of Health and Medicine Cambridge, Polity Press

Blaxter, M. (2004) Health, Cambridge, Polity Press

Brown, N. and Webster, A. J. (2004) New Medical Technologies and Society: Reordering Life Cambridge, Polity Press

Cockerham, W. (2009) The New Blackwell Companion to Medical Sociology London, Wiley-Blackwell

Gabe, J. and Monaghan, L.. (2013) Key Concepts in Medical Sociology London, Sage. Second edition.

Kelleher, D., Gabe J. & Williams, G. (eds) (2006) Challenging Medicine.London: Routledge. Second edition.

Nettleton, S. (2013) The Sociology of Health and Illness (d ed.) Cambridge, Polity Press. Third edition.

Lupton, D. (2012) Medicine as culture illness, disease and the body in western societies. London, Sage. Third edition


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.