CQUniversity Unit Profile
SOCL19070 Health and Medical Sociology
Health and Medical Sociology
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The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Employing the concepts and theories of contemporary social theorists, this unit analyses the medical model of health - both historically and comparatively. Topics covered include the reasons for the expansion of western medicine or medicalisation of society, the body and mind distinction in medical science - its consequences for health, the professionalisation of medicine, and the political economy of medicine.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 2
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Student to have completed 36 credit points.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2018

Distance

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Website

This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Regional Campuses
Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Metropolitan Campuses
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

CQUniversity Policies

All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

You may wish to view these policies:


This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student unit evaluation moodle site

Feedback

Prefer smaller quizzes scheduled throughout the teaching term.

Recommendation

Review the timing and type of the unit assessment items to support students' learning and engagement with the unit resources.

Feedback from Student emails sent to the unit coordinator at the end of the unit. Student unit evaluation moodle site.

Feedback

Unit enjoyable and challenges students. The unit content was found to be relevant to students' degree and supported a variety of learning styles.

Recommendation

The unit coordinator will continue to support students in their studies and create spaces for discussion and debate on the topics and issues covered during the term

Feedback from Student unit evaluation moodle site

Feedback

Portfolio assessment, supporting readings and videos helped with learning the content. A lot of resources offered and teacher supportive.

Recommendation

The unit coordinator will continue to offer key resources to support student learning, and to regularly update readings and other learning materials.Additional introductory sociology resources will be made available to students who are taking a sociology unit for the first time.

Feedback from Student unit evaluation moodle site

Feedback

Prefer interactive lectures not pre-recorded.

Recommendation

More interactive online tutorial sessions that will build on the lectures through the use of a study guide and tutorial activities (individual and group tasks).

Feedback from Student unit evaluation moodle site

Feedback

Devise an assessment to cover student participation to increase student engagement in the discussion forums and online tutorials.

Recommendation

Action to improve student engagement with the unit material and other students in the unit will be undertaken through online tutorial sessions and weekly discussion forums with material linked to the assessments. Strategies to promote learning communities within the unit and interaction between students for online peer learning will be focused on.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. understand and articulate explanations of the medicalisation of society
  2. describe the consequences for health of medical dominance
  3. explain the sociological meanings of body, health and illness.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Written Assessment - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Written Assessment - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology

Edition: 5th edn (2013)
Authors: Germov, J (ed)
Oxford University Press
South Melbourne South Melbourne , Vic , Australia
ISBN: 9780195520149
Binding: Paperback

Additional Textbook Information


View textbooks at the CQUniversity Bookshop

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Shane Hopkinson Unit Coordinator
s.hopkinson@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 05 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

A sociological perspective AND The models of health, illness & wellness

Chapter

Germov Ch.1 & 3, & pp. 164-167

Willis (2011) - CRO

Details of all prescribed readings are also on the unit Moodle.site

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 12 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

History of medicine AND Economic interests & power in health care

Chapter

Willis (1989) - CRO

Germov pp. 288-292 & pp. 370-380

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 19 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

Theorising health - social, economic & political

Chapter

Germov Ch.2 & pp. 171-172

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 26 Mar 2018

Module/Topic

Medical dominance in health care & the challenges

Chapter

Germov Ch.20 & 22

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 02 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Professionalisation & the division of labour

Chapter

Germov Ch.23

Willis (1994) - CRO

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 09 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 16 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Doctor - patient interaction AND the 'Sick Role' 

Chapter

Freund, McGuire & Podhurst (2003) Ch.10 - CRO

Germov pp. 26-27 & 226-227

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 23 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

Medicalisation in society & of deviance

Chapter

Germov Ch. 12

Busfield (2017) e-journal

Events and Submissions/Topic

Portfolio (2,000 words) Due: Week 7 Monday (23 Apr 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
Week 8 Begin Date: 30 Apr 2018

Module/Topic

The social meanings of the body & illness

Chapter

Lupton (1994) - CRO

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 07 May 2018

Module/Topic

Goffman's Theory of stigmatisation & labelling of illness & bodies

Chapter

Germov pp. 256-257, 271-272 & 285-285

Williams (1987) - CRO

Alonzo & Reynolds (1995) e-journal

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 14 May 2018

Module/Topic

The post-modern theory of power/knowledge & the body

Chapter

White (2009) - CRO

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 21 May 2018

Module/Topic

Chronic illness & the ageing body in society

Chapter

Germov Ch.14 & 16

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 28 May 2018

Module/Topic

Sociological insights on death & dying

Chapter

Walter (2012) e-journal

Germov, pp. 313-314


Events and Submissions/Topic

Essay (2,000 words) Due: Week 12 Wednesday (30 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 04 Jun 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 11 Jun 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

To be eligible to pass this unit all assessment items must be submitted for marking.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Portfolio (2,000 words)
Task Description

The purpose of the portfolio is to get you to make connections between the unit material and real life application and issues surrounding health and medicine. You are required to answer four (4) short answer questions, each of 500 words in length. A portfolio template is available on the unit Moodle site for you to use for the answers and reference list.

Each answer needs to: address the question, use relevant sociological concepts, reference sociological literature, show understanding of issues and key concepts, and provide a meaningful critique of the topic or issue. You need to demonstrate that you have engaged with, and understood, the unit materials. Avoid repeating back information given in the lecture notes, study guide and set readings.

Portfolio questions cover weeks 1-6. You are required to complete and submit responses to only four (4) portfolio questions. If you submit more than four answers the first four are marked and used to make your final assignment mark. Each response must be 500 words in length and must contain a word count at the end. You are encouraged to use examples where possible in the answers to illustrate your understanding. To develop a better sociological understanding of the topic areas you need to read beyond just the set readings for the unit.

Question 1.
What are the advantages and limitations of the social model of health in relation to the biomedical model? (in your answer think in relation to individuals, social groups and society)
Question 2.
How do capitalism and economic interests in health care benefit western society? (explain who benefits and why)
Question 3.
Using the theoretical perspectives discussed by Germov (2014) in ch.2 that focus on health inequality, explain what they contribute to our sociological understanding of health and illness. (look to the broader societal explanations and not individual blame).
Question 4.
Select a health care profession and explain how they have managed encroachment on their occupational territory and the strategies used to attain medical dominance.
Question 5.
In the process of professionalisation of complementary alternative medicine what discourses have been used to challenge the dominance of biomedicine? (use material from media sources to inform examples).
Question 6.
From your understanding what are the three most significant criticisms of Talcott Parsons’ sick role?

Instructions to students
The aim of this assessment is for you to demonstrate learning outcomes and facilitate online discussion and interaction amongst other students. You are encouraged to discuss the questions with other students in the Assessment Forum in order to expand your knowledge and learn from your peers. Through use of the discussion forums you will receive guidance and input from the unit coordinator on your sociological thinking and academic writing style prior to submission of the assignment. You are asked not to post drafts of your work to the discussion forum but to bring ideas, examples and an inquiring mind. Please do not unsubscribe from the discussion forums or else you risk missing on useful information.

You are expected to utilise the electronic databases available through the library website to access peer-reviewed sociology journal articles and newspaper articles. Other useful sources include government reports and good (reputable) internet sites. Use reputable and quality sources and references to complete your assignment. Look to use references that are: current (less than five years old), objective/unbiased, relevant and from authority sources.

Failure to use any references in each of your answers will result in zero marks. Correct referencing using one of the two listed referencing style must be used to acknowledge information sources and any direct quotes. Do not quote or use the lecture notes and study guide. This is a sociology assessment and you are required to source sociological references (not psychology or medical references).

Marks will be deducted for exceeding the set word limit, using bullet points or numbered lists, not using and citing references, not using correctly either the APA or Harvard (author-date) referencing style.

The word count is measured from the first word of the answer to the last word of the answer and includes in-text referencing. The reference list is not included in the word count. A 10% leeway is permitted on either side of the word count. When answering the question you do not need to restate it at the beginning of your answer.

Include a Title page at the front with:
- student name
- student number
- unit code
- unit name
- term date and year
- names of unit coordinator
- name of assignment
- due date for submission (if an approved extension has been given, include the new submission date)
- your final word count.

Within the portfolio you are required to:

- Write in the third person (e.g. do not use ‘I’, ‘me’)

- Use double-line spacing and Arial 11-point font

- Include a reference list correctly formatted to APA 6th Edition (2010) or Harvard (author-date) (Term 1 2017 Edition) referencing style


Submit your assignment by the due date and allow several minutes for submission to be completed. Contact your unit coordinator if you are in doubt about your submission upload and include a copy of your assignment in the email as proof of completion

Upload with the file named in the following format: Surname_ First name_ Student number_ A1.

Assessment Due Date

Week 7 Monday (23 Apr 2018) 11:55 pm AEST

Monday, 23 April 2018

Return Date to Students

Week 9 Monday (7 May 2018)

Monday, 7 May 2018

Weighting
50%
Assessment Criteria

In the Assessment block on the unit Moodle site you will find the assessment criteria, along with a number of other resources to assist you with completing your assignment to the required academic standard.

Assessment criteria are the features that your assignment will be evaluated against and they are presented in a table format. Please refer to this table while preparing your assignment and prior to submission.

Below are the three criteria and their weightings:
- Structure and design (20%)
- Approach and argument (60%)
- Referencing (20%)

Please contact the unit coordinator if you have any questions or are uncertain of what is required for the assessment. While the unit coordinator can not read and give comment on a draft assignment they can discuss with you the arguments, ideas and theories used in the preparation of your assignment.

Referencing Style
Submission
Online
Submission Instructions
Students must submit their assignment as a Word file to enable marking and comments to be added.
Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • understand and articulate explanations of the medicalisation of society
  • describe the consequences for health of medical dominance
  • explain the sociological meanings of body, health and illness.

Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Essay (2,000 words)
Task Description

The task involves researching and writing a sociological essay on the question provided. It is expected that you will demonstrate your familiarity with key sociological concepts, relevant themes and sociological theories explored through the unit. It is important to base your essay on a sociological analysis of the topic. This means you are expected to show evidence of critical thinking, which means moving beyond obvious explanations or surface understandings of the topic area to show a more complex, multifaceted grasp of the issues.

Question
How are society’s meanings about the body, health, illness and death constructed and also influenced by medicalisation? Look at the dominant discourses in contemporary society that can be found in the media. Explain what are the implications of these social constructions for power?
You may select to cover one or all of the topic areas (body, health, illness, death) in your essay. In your essay it is important to use examples to inform your discussion and support key points.

Instructions to Students
You are expected to utilise the electronic databases available through the library website to access peer-reviewed sociology journal articles and newspaper articles and magazines. Other useful sources include government reports and good (reputable) internet sites. Use reputable and quality sources and references to complete your assignment. Look to use references that are: current (less than five years old), objective/unbiased, relevant and from authority sources. Identify and properly reference the media sources you have used to inform your discussion whether they be newspaper, magazine, advertisements, video, television etc.

The word count is measured from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion and includes in-text referencing. The reference list is not included in the word count. A 10% leeway is permitted on either side of the word count.

Include a Title page at the front with:
- student name
- student number
- unit code
- unit name
- term date and year
- names of unit coordinator
- name of assignment
- due date for submission (if an approved extension has been given, include the new submission date)
- your final word count.

Within the essay you are required to:
- Write in the third person (e.g. do not use ‘I’, ‘me’)
- Use double-line spacing and Arial 11-point font
- Include a reference list correctly formatted to APA 6th Edition (2010) or Harvard (author-date) (Term 1 2017 Edition) referencing style
- Submit your assignment by the due date and allow several minutes for submission to be completed. Contact your unit coordinator if you are in doubt about your submission upload and include a copy of your assignment in the email as proof of completion
- Upload with the file named in the following format: Surname_ First name_ Student number_ A1.

Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Wednesday (30 May 2018) 11:55 pm AEST

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Return Date to Students

Exam Week Wednesday (13 June 2018)

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

Weighting
50%
Assessment Criteria

In the Assessment block on the unit Moodle site you will find the assessment criteria, along with a number of other resources to assist you with completing your assignment to the required academic standard.

Assessment criteria are the features that your assignment will be evaluated against and they are presented in a table format. Please refer to this table while preparing your assignment and prior to submission.

Below are the three criteria and their weightings:
- Structure and design (20%)
- Approach and argument (60%)
- Referencing (20%)

Please contact the unit coordinator if you have any questions or are uncertain of what is required for the assessment. While the unit coordinator can not read and give comment on a draft assignment they can discuss with you the arguments, ideas and theories used in the preparation of your assignment.

Referencing Style
Submission
Online
Submission Instructions
Students MUST submit their essay as a Word file to enable marking and comments to be added.
Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • understand and articulate explanations of the medicalisation of society
  • describe the consequences for health of medical dominance
  • explain the sociological meanings of body, health and illness.

Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?