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2024 unit offering information will be available in November 2023

Unit description

Provides an overview of sociological concepts and perspectives on health and illness, whilst focusing primarily on Australian society. Examines the causes, nature and outcomes of key health inequalities as well as the main attempts to rectify them. The social, cultural and political consequences of health inequalities are illuminated.

Unit content

Module 1. Sociological approaches to the study of health and illness and the Australian health care system
Module 2. The social distribution of health and illness in Australian society: class, gender, indigeneity and ethnicity
Module 3. The social organisation of health care: rural health, medical dominance, nursing and alternative medicine
Module 4. The social context of mental health and disability
Module 5. Health promotion and illness prevention
Module 6. Health, politics and social change
 

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1critically analyse sociological perspectives on health and illness
2recognise how health, illness and the healthcare system are outcomes of the ways in which society is organised
3identify the social, economic, political and cultural aspects involved in reproducing or changing health inequalities in Australian society
4critically evaluate health status in relation to stratification concepts of class, gender, ethnicity and regionality.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. critically analyse sociological perspectives on health and illness
  2. recognise how health, illness and the healthcare system are outcomes of the ways in which society is organised
  3. identify the social, economic, political and cultural aspects involved in reproducing or changing health inequalities in Australian society
  4. critically evaluate health status in relation to stratification concepts of class, gender, ethnicity and regionality.

Teaching and assessment

Notice

Intensive offerings may or may not be scheduled in every teaching period. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Southern Cross University employs different teaching methods within units to provide students with the flexibility to choose the mode of learning that best suits them. SCU academics strive to use the latest approaches and, as a result, the learning modes and materials may change. The most current information regarding a unit will be provided to enrolled students at the beginning of the teaching period.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees

International

Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

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