SOC 5530 Health and Social Justice

This course examines the role of social and economic injustices as root causes of the uneven distribution of disease across population groups according to class, race, and gender. Students are exposed to the research documenting the strong relation between social and economic disparities and health disparities. Students learn the crucial importance of civic engagement in determining policy directions, and therefore determining the health of the society they inhabit. By the end of the course, students become familiar with sociological theories of health and illness; sociological theories on class, race, and gender; inequality in health status and health outcomes; current public health issues; the process for influencing policy; and the skills to effectively advocate for health and social justice.
Credits: 3.0