SOC 319---Medical Sociology

Study of the social causes and consequences of health and illness. Consideration will be given to topics such as epidemiology, social demography of health, illness as deviance, social effects of acute and chronic illnesses, socialization of health care providers, social policy and health care, and bioethics.

If you have a disability of some sort, I encourage you to contact the Disability & Learning Services in Baxter Hall. The phone numbers are (503) 370-6471 / (503) 375-5383 (TT).

"The mission of the Disability & Learning Services office is to facilitate reasonable accommodations for those students with a qualifying disability or temporary medical condition and to provide academic assistance on an individual basis to any undergraduate or graduate student who requests it."

You are required to have an E-Mail account for this class. There will be times I will want to contact you individually or as a class. If you don't already have one, please get one as soon as possible. Then, please email me at socshop@yahoo.com (it can simply be a blank message or you can say whatever you want...but please include your NAME because not all usernames identify the individual). Please email me soon so I can put your address in my address book.

You will be asked to use the Internet fairly extensively in this course...for general purposes, particular assignments, and to become familiar with my website, The Sociology Shop (TSS). If you need assistance using a computer or surfing the Internet, there is plenty of help available at Willamette University, online tutorials, and me. Don't hesitate to ask for help.

You will need to pick a "CODE NAME" to use when you post...a name known only to you and me. Pick something that doesn't utilize a known nickname so anonymity can be maintained and thus, a feeling of security in terms of your identity. Please put it on the Class Infomation Sheet. NOTE: You will NOT be required to include an email address when you post (You CAN if you want, though).

In addition to the three required posts, I encourage you to post replies to what others have said...as well as posting anything you want as it relates to the course (i.e. response to lectures, class comments, readings, news, etc.). This type of "participation" could come into play when assigning a course grade...in instances where averages are borderline between one grade and another.

You will be required to TYPE your assignments...extremely dire emergencies will be considered, however.

As indicated above, you will have articles from the Conrad reader and some other articles/items online...coordinated with the chapters in the Weitz textbook. What does this mean? What do I expect in terms of "required readings?" Part of reading required materials is to come to class prepared to comment on or question what you have read. Although not required as an official assignment, I expect that for each additional required selection you will come to class with 3-4 questions/comments/insights/critiques about the article...and be ready to share these with the class. There will be times that I will randomly call on someone to share their ideas...and although you won't be downgraded for not being prepared, being unprepared before others is no fun, right? Right.

A..........94-100 (Excellent)
A-.........90-93 (Good/Excellent)

B+........87-89 (Very Good)
B..........83-86 (Good)
B-.........80-82 (Fair/Good)

C+........77-79 (Fair)
C..........73-76 (Fair/Basic)
C-.........70-72 (Basic)

D+........66-69 (Poor/Basic)
D..........60-65 (Poor)

F..........??-59 (Needs More)

We will be following the sequence of chapters and subjects in the Weitz textbook...with particular issues and topics integrated into this sequence. The following schedule and coverage dates is a "best guess" at this point, but at least it gives you a general idea of where we're going. We may spend a longer time on some chapters and a shorter time on others...this will emerge as we progress.

9/4-6
General Introduction of Course/Syllabus/Instructor/The Sociology Shop

9/9-11-13
Overview and Critical Sociological Concepts (Weitz 1)

9/16-18-20
Social Sources of Illness (Weitz 2)

9/23-25-27
Social Distribution of Illness in U.S. (Weitz 3)

9/30 10/2-4
Illness Elsewhere in World (Weitz 4)

10/7-9-11-14
Social Meaning of Illness (Weitz 5)

10/16-18-21
Chronic Illness and Disability (Weitz 6)

10/23-------MID-TERM EXAM

10/25-------Mid-Semester Day...NO CLASS

10/28-30 11/1-4
Mental Illness (Weitz 7)

11/6-8-11
U.S. Health Care System (Weitz 8)

11/13-15
Alternative Health Care (Weitz 9)

11/18-20-22
Health Care Settings (Weitz 10)

11/25-27
Profession of Medicine (Weitz 11)

11/29-------Thanksgiving...NO CLASS

12/2
Profession of Medicine cont.

12/4-6
Other Health Care Providers (Weitz 12)

12/9-11-13
Bioethics (Weitz 13) and Conclusion

12/17-------FINAL EXAM DUE (8-11 AM)

The Sociology of Health, Illness, and Health Care, 2nd Edition, by Rose Weitz

-----Chapter Outlines can be found HERE
-----Major Terms/Concepts from each chapter can be found HERE

The Sociology of Health and Illness, 6th Edition, by Peter Conrad

Online Materials

This is the schedule of required readings...with articles from the Conrad Reader and some Online materials coordinated with the chapters in the Weitz textbook. You should utilize this list with the “Schedule of Topics and Dates.”

Chapter Outlines of Weitz can be found HERE
Major Terms/Concepts from each Weitz Chapter can be found HERE Weitz...................Conrad (C#) Article or Online (O) Reading

1..........................General Introduction (C) and Sociological Concepts in TSS (O)

2..........................C#1 “Medical Measures and the Decline of Mortality”

3..........................C#2 “Social Class, Susceptibility, and Sickness”
............................C#4 “What Do We Know about Causes of Sex Differences in Mortality?”

4..........................Social Inequalities & Emerging Infectious Diseases (O)

5..........................C#38 “Medicine as an Institution of Social Control”
............................C#39 “The Medicalization and Demedicalization of American Society”
............................C#35 “A Mirage of Genes”

6..........................C#14 “The Remission Society”

7..........................Mental Illness is Still a Myth (O)
............................ Being Sane in Insane Places--Summary (O)
............................ Being Sane in Insane Places--Original Writing (O)

8..........................C#21 “The US Health Care System”
............................C#26 “A Century of Failure: Health Care Reform in America”

9..........................C#45 “Comparative Models of ‘Health Care’ Systems”

10........................TBA

11....................... C#15 “Professionalization, Monopoly, and the Structure of Medical Practice”
........................... C#17 “Corporatization and the Social Transformation of Doctoring”

12....................... TBA

13........................C#30 “Social Death as Self-Fulfilling Prophecy”
........................... Death with Dignity National Center (O)

Analysis Papers
There will be two (2) Analysis Papers...one at the beginning and one at the end of the course

Discussion Board
You will be required to post three (3) responses to Prompts provided by me

Discretionary Assignment
You will be able to choose the type of assignment you like best...on topics which interest you the most

Internet Assignment
An in-depth search for and analysis of websites on a topic of your choice

Final Exam
A Take-Home Essay Exam

Analysis Papers Topics HERE
Minimum Length is 2 pages typed (double-spaced) and Maximum is 4 pages

Discussion Board Instructions are HERE
The link to the Discussion Board is at the end of the MENU at the top of this page

Discretionary Assignment Instructions are HERE
As you will see when you read the Instructions, you have a number of choices (including a "Student Suggestion" category) from which to pick. Also note, in order to avoid the piling up of papers at the end of the Semester, half (50 points worth) of this assignment is due in October (14th) and the other half (the other 50 points worth) is due in November (18th).

Internet Assignment Instructions are HERE
You can choose to do this assignment on ONE topic of interest to you...OR...on a mixture of topics from the course.

09/08.............Discussion Prompts Begin

09/16.............AP #1 Due

10/14.............1st 50 pts D.A. Due

11/01.............2nd 50 pts D.A. Due

11/15.............3rd 50 pts D.A. Due

12/02.............4th 50 pts D.A. Due

12/11.............Internet Assignment Due

12/11.............Pass out take-home Final

12/13.............All Discussion Posts Due

12/17.............AP #2 & Final Due (between 8-11 AM)

Analysis Papers (40 pts)
Discussion Board (60 pts)
Discretionary Assignment (200 pts)
Internet Assignment (100 pts)
Final Exam (100 pts)

TOTAL POINTS IN COURSE (500 Points)

Analysis Paper #1

In light of the Sociological Concepts we've been covering, the short section of Weitz Chapter 1 called "A Critical Approach" (pp8-9), and Conrad's comments in his General Introduction on pp. 3-4 ("Critical Perspectives on Health and Illness"), analyze what Weitz says in her Preface on page xii:

"The critical approach, as I have defined it, means using the "sociological imagination" to question previously taken-for-granted aspects of social life. For example, most of the available textbooks in the sociology of health, illness, and health care in essence have examined the issue of patients who do not comply with prescribed medical regimens through doctors' eyes, starting from the assumption that patients should do so. More broadly, previous textbooks have highlighted the concept of a sick role---a concept that embodies medical and social assumptions regarding "proper" illnesses and "proper" patients and that downplays all aspects of individuals' lives other than the time they spend as patients."

Analysis Paper #2

You will be asked to write a SELF-evaluation of your performance and learning in the course. Details will be provided near the end of the semester.

Your assignment will be to post responses to three (3) prompts provided by me, starting Sunday evening, September 8, and continuing every other Sunday evening through 12/1...a total of seven (7) prompts from which to choose. You can pick any three you choose...going back and doing one you originally passed over, if you desire. You must have all three responses posted no later than 12/13.

How? The Discussion Board is fairly simple to use...no login, just go to it and post. You can "reply" to the Prompt I've posted...or...you can post a "new" message with "Response to Prompt# ??" in the subject line. Either way, please use your CODE NAME only. No email address is required...but you can provide one if you desire.

Expectations? I expect serious responses...analyzes or points of view which are well thought out and spelled out. Length is a difficult issue, but it's fair to say that short "in and out" responses...to just "get it done"...won't garner many of the 20 points each response is worth. This is an opportunity to let others know what you're thinking...with the security of anonymity...as well as to hear what others have on their minds. We often think we're the only one thinking this or that...and Boards like this help us to dispell that notion. So, do a serious job and I'll recognize it.

Finally, You can post anything about anything...any time you want. You can respond to required posts by your classmates, but you can also post whatever you want...apart from your required posts. In other words, while the Board is for a class assignment, it is also there for general communication about class-related ideas and topics.

REALLY Finally: You may be reading some ideas you strongly disagree with or think are "wrong," "silly," or even "offensive." That's fine...critique them thoroughly if you want. However, do NOT engage in "ad hominem" attacks. These are posts which attack the individual rather than the individual's ideas. It is an all-too-fairly-common practice in our society...we discredit ideas by discrediting the idea-haver, often inferring judgments about the individual on the basis of their ideas expressed (Think of the standard procedure used in "american politics" today and you'll get the point I'm making here). So, lets avoid "ad hominem" attacks, shall we? Again, tear apart an idea...not the idea-haver.