| Effective Term: | 2025/02 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Sociology of Health and Illness |
| Unit ID: | SOCIO3200 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (SOCIO2200) |
| ASCED: | 090301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit provides a sociological perspective on the experience of health and illness in contemporary society. This unit explores a range of issues relevant to understanding health and illness, including the expansion of medical discourse, the individualization of health, changing patterns and practices of death and mourning, and the social determinants of health and illness in Australia and internationally. This unit will also examine cultural representations of health and illness and analyse changing public policies. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | |  | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Appraise an array of issues in the sociology of health and illness at an advanced level |
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| K2. | Examine how health and illness are culturally constructed |
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| K3. | Appraise the conceptual and theoretical frameworks for understanding the social determinants of health and illness at an advanced level |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Develop advanced sociological research, writing and referencing skills |
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| S2. | Critique at an advanced level relevant theories and policies regarding the production and representation of health and illness |
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| S3. | Identify, contextualise and analyse experiences of health and illness |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply advanced critical thinking skills to key debates regarding health and illness |
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| A2. | Employ sociological theories to analyse health and illness in contemporary society |
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| A3. | Identify links and tensions between issues, debates, policies and perspectives relating to health and illness |
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| Unit Content: |
- Sociological approaches to health and illness
- The body and medical knowledge
- Medicalisation and pharmaceuticalisation
- Gender and health
- Health inequalities
- The individualisation of health
- Mental health
- Rural health
- Drugs and addiction
- Alternative healing and spirituality
- Death and dying
- Grieving and mourning
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2, A3 | Through the policy report, students analyse theories and policies on health and illness, relevant to a contemporary case study and professional context | Policy report | 30-40% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Through the research essay, students develop skills in research and analysis of academic and professional sources and the construction of an informed and substantiated argument | Research essay | 30-40% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Periodic online assessment tests understanding of the unit content and relevant professional terminology through online quizzes | Periodic online assessment | 20-30% |
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