SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS
Class meets Mondays at 4:00 to 6:30 pm in RH 408
Instructor: Dr. Anna Zajacova
Email:
Office: 421 Ross Hall
Office hours: ______
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This seminar provides a graduate-level introduction to Sociology of Health and Illness, also referred to as Medical Sociology. We will focus on the most fundamental and sociologically relevant topics in this field. The topics can be divided into two broad groups: social determinants of health and illness, and social responses to health and illness. The first group of topics, covered during the first half of the semester, will introduce the notion of health as socially influenced, as opposed to determined individually as is the typical perspective in the medical model. The second part of the class, starting in week 7, will discuss how people construct the notions of health and illness, how sick individuals perceive their illness and navigate health care, and finally the U.S. health care system. For this last topic, we will consider the broad political-economic context that gave rise to the American health-care system and also compare the U.S. system to other countries’ health care delivery structures.
Naturally, there are numerous interesting topics in medical sociology we won’t have time to cover within these two broad areas; we therefore leave the last two weeks for additional topics chosen by you (the students) where you become an expert and teach the class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
· To understand how social factors influence health and shape health inequalities in populations.
· To consider the complex social responses to health and illness issues
· To strengthen the ability to read complex theoretical and empirical papers and incorporate their arguments into a unified understanding of discussed topics.
· To improve students’ writing skills through systematic writing exercises and final research paper.
· To develop critical thinking and evaluation skills to analyze complex social arrangements related to health and medicine.
· To gain expert knowledge in one (student-selected) topic of interest, and the ability to transmit this knowledge to colleagues at the graduate level.
COURSE STRUCTURE:
This graduate seminar requires attendance during all class sessions. The classes will be mostly discussion-based; therefore, students are expected to complete all required reading prior to class in order to fully participate. Students will be asked to summarize papers, integrate their arguments with discussed materials, and pose questions from the readings. The instructor will provide brief lectures to supplement reading materials.
REQUIRED BOOKS:
1. Clark, David P. (2010). Germs, Genes, and Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today. Pearson.
2. Abraham, Laurie K. (1994). Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. University Of Chicago Press
3. Fadiman, Anne. (2012). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Farrar, Straus and Giroux
4. Starr, Paul. (1982). The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry. Basic Books.
5. Gruber, Jonathan, and Nathan Schreiber. (2011). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works. Hill and Wang.
GRADING:
· Regular (about weekly) “prep” writing (15%). To help you read new material and prepare for the class discussion, I will email you some questions to answer during the week before class. These will be relatively straightforward questions and their point will not be to demonstrate mastery of the material but rather to begin thinking about it and incorporate the new material to older topics.
· Class participation (25%). Attendance during all class sessions is an important part of this seminar. Moreover, you will be called on to actively participate. That means you will have had to do all reading beforehand so you can pose questions, actively talk through difficult issues, etc.
· Regular (about weekly) “reaction” writing (25%). After class, I will assign more complex items and questions for you to discuss. These will be about 3-6 pages long mini-papers or homeworks, if you will. Their aim is to solidify your understanding of the material we’ve discussed in class, as well as to practice writing skills.
· Independent research project, presentation, and paper (35%). At the end of the semester, each student will become an expert on one topic of their choice. Students will select readings, learn about the topic, prepare about 20-30 minute lecture to present in class, and in parallel prepare a paper (12-20 pages) on this topic. We will begin discussing these topics mid-semester. Everything will be done in steps and I will keep providing regular feedback throughout the process.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Please note: the schedule and readings are subject to change.
CLASS 1 (8/26): INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS.
Overview of the course; introduction to the field of medical sociology (approaches, areas of interest, history of).
· Bird, Chloe E., Peter Conrad, and Allen M. Fremont. (2000). “Medical Sociology at the Millennium.” Pages 1-10 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 5th edition. Prentice-Hall.
· Weiss, Gregory L., and Lynne E. Lonnquist. (2012). The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness. Pearson. Chapter 1, pages 1-10.
· Cockerham, William C. (2012). Medical Sociology, 12th edition. Pearson. Chapter 1, pages 1-13.
· Syme, S. Leonard, and Irene H. Yen. (2000). “Social Epidemiology and Medical Sociology: Different Approaches to the Same Problem.” Pages 365-376 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 5th edition. Prentice-Hall.
o Focus on the introduction and discussion sections; scan the rest.
Supplemental reading.
· House, James. (2001.) “Understanding Social Factors and Inequalities in Health: 20th Century Progress and 21st Century Prospects.” Journal of Health and Social Behaviors 43:125-143.
PLEASE NOTE: SEPTEMBER 2 IS LABOR DAY; CLASSES ARE EXCUSED
CLASS 2 (9/9): EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRANSITION; MEASURING HEALTH
· Omran, Abdel R. (1971). The Epidemiologic Transition: A Theory of the Epidemiology of Population Change. The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 49(1): 509-538.
o Pay special attention to Propositions 2, 3, and 4.
· Fries, James. (1980). “Aging, Natural Death, and the Compression of Morbidity.” NEJM 303(3): 130-135.
· Clark, David P. (2010). Germs, Genes, and Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today. Pearson.
o We will discuss chapters 1, 3, 4, 10, and 11.
· Mirowsky, John, and Catherine E. Ross. (2003). Education, Social Status, and Health. Aldine De Gruyter.
o Section on measuring health, pages 32-49.
Supplemental reading.
· Idler, Ellen, and Yael Benyamini. (1997). “Self-Rated Health and Mortality: A Review of Twenty-Seven Community Studies.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 38(1): 21-37.
CLASS 3 (9/16): SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
· Link, Bruce. G., and Jo Phelan (1995). “Social Conditions as Fundamental Causes of Disease.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Extra Issue): 80-94.
· Ross, Catherine, and John Mirowsky. (2010). “Why Education Is the Key to Socioeconomic Differentials in Health” Pp. 33-51 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 6th edition, Chloe E. Bird, et al. Vanderbilt University Press.
· Marmot, Michael. (2004). “Introduction.” In The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity.” Holt Paperbacks.
o Only selected pages.
· Abraham, Laurie K. (1994). Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. University Of Chicago Press, chapters 1, 2, 8, 9
Supplemental readings
· Phelan, Jo C., Bruce Link, Ana Diez-Roux, Ichiro Kawachi, Bruce Levin. 2004. ’Fundamental Causes’ of Social Inequalities in Mortality: A Test of the Theory”. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 45:265-285.
· Link, Bruce G., Jo C. Phelan, Richard Miech, and Emily L. Westin. (2008). “The Resources That Matter: Fundamental Social Causes of Health Disparities and the Challenge of Intelligence.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 49:72-91.
CLASS 4 (9/23): SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: SEX AND RACE
GENDER
· Rieker, Patricia P., Chloe E. Bird, and Martha E. Lang. (2010). “Understanding Gender and Health: Old Patterns, New Trends, and Future Directions.” Pp. 52-74 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 6th edition, Chloe E. Bird, et al. Vanderbilt University Press.
· Verbrugge, Lois M. (1989). “The Twain Meet: Empirical Explanations of Sex Differences in Health and Mortality.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 30:282-304.
RACE
· Williams, David R. and Chiquita Collins. (1995). “US Socioeconomic and Racial Differences in Health: Patterns and Explanations.” Annual Review of Sociology 21:349-386.
· Williams, David R., and Chiquita Collins. (2001). “Racial Residential Segregation: A Fundamental Cause of Racial Disparities in Health.” Public Health Reports 116: 404-416.
· Abraham, Laurie K. (1994). Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. University Of Chicago Press, chapter 12.
Supplemental reading.
AGE
· Himes, Christine. 2002 “Elderly Americans.” Population Bulletin Vol.56, No.4. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau.
· Lynch, Scott M. 2003. “Cohort and Life-Course Patterns in the Relationship Between Education and Health: A Hierarchical Approach.” Demography 40(2):309-331.
RACE
· Hummer, Robert E. 1996. “Black-White Differences in Health and Mortality: A Review and Conceptual Model.” The Sociological Quarterly 37:105-125.
· Bamshad, Mike. 2005. “Genetic Influences on Health: Does Race Matter?” Journal of the American Medical Association 294:937-946.
CLASS 5 (9/30): SOCIAL STATUS, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, LIFE STYLES, AND HEALTH
· Centers for Disease Control. (2013). Health Behaviors of Adults: United States, 2008-2010. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_257.pdf.
o Read only the introductory text to each chapter.
· William C. Cockerham. 2005. “Health lifestyle Theory and the Convergence of Agency and Structure.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46: 51-67.
· Lantz, Paula M., James S. House, et al. (1998). "Socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, and mortality: results from a nationally representative prospective study of US adults." JAMA 279(21): 1703-1708.
· Pampel, Fred C., Patrick Krueger, and Justin T. Denney. (2010). “Socioeconomic Disparities in Health Behaviors.” Social Science and Medicine 53: 29-40
· Marmot, Michael. (2004). “Men and Women Behaving Badly?” In The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity.” Holt.
o Focus primarily on pages 43-47; scan the previous pages.
Supplemental reading
· Pampel, Fred. C., and Richard G. Rogers. (2004). “Socioeconomic Status, Smoking, and Health: A Test of Competing Theories of Cumulative Advantage.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 45:306-321.
· Stewart MJ, Greaves L, Kushner KE, et al. (2011). “Where There Is Smoke, There is Stress: Low-Income Women Identify Support Needs and Preferences for Smoking Reduction.” Health Care for Women International 32(5):359-83.
CLASS 6 (10/7): STRESS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND HEALTH
· Pearlin, Leonard I. (1989). “The Sociological Study of Stress.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 30:241-56.
· Turner, R. Jay, Blair Wheaton, and Donald A. Lloyd. (1995). “The Epidemiology of Social Stress.” American Sociological Review, 60(1): 104-125.
o Focus only on intro and conclusions
· Sapolsky, Robert M. (1998.) Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. W.H. Freeman and Co. Chapter 15, “The View from the Bottom,” pages 287-308.
· Cohen, Sheldon, William J. Doyle, David P. Skoner, Bruce S. Rabin, and Jack M. Gwaltney. (1997). “Social Ties and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.” JAMA 277:1940-1944.
· Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, Timothy J. Loving, Jeffrey R. Stowell, et al. (2005). “Hostile Marital Interactions, Proinflammatory Cytokine Production, and Wound Healing.“ Archives of General Psychiatry,62(12):1377-1384.
Supplemental reading
· Parker-Pope, Tara. (2010.) “Is Marriage Good for Your Health?” New York Times, April 18 2010.
CLASS 7 (10/14): THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS
· Armstrong, Elizabeth M. (1998). “Diagnosing Moral Disorder: The Discovery and Evolution of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.” Social Science & Medicine 47:2025-2042.
· Lantz, Paula M., and Karen M. Booth. (1998). “The social construction of the breast cancer epidemic.” Social Science & Medicine 46:907-18.
· Conrad, Peter and Kristin K. Barker. “The Social Construction of Illness: Key Insights and Policy Implications.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 51(1):S67-S79.
· Fadiman, Anne. (2012). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Chapters 1-5, pages 3-59.
Supplemental reading
· Brown, Phil. 1995. “Naming and Framing: The Social Construction of Diagnosis and Illness.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Extra Issue): 34-52.
CLASS 8 (10/21):: SICK ROLE, MEDICALIZATION
· Parsons, Talcott. (1951.) “Social Structure and Dynamic Process: The Case of Modern Medical Practice.” Pages 428-465 in The Social System. The Free Press.
· Conrad, Peter. 1992. “Medicalization and Social Control.” Annual Review of Sociology 18:209-232.
· Zola, Irving K. (1972.) “Medicine as an Institution of Social Control.” Sociological Review 20:487-504.
· Conrad, Peter. (2005). “The Shifting Engines of Medicalization.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 46:3-14.
CLASS 9 (10/28):): BEING A PATIENT, PATIENT-DOCTOR INTERACTION
· Leventhal, H. (2001). “Illness Behavior and Care Seeking.” Pp. 7185-7190 in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Editors-in-Chief:Neil J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes
· Mechanic, David. (1992). “Health and Illness Behavior and Patient-Practitioner Relationships.” Social Science and Medicine 34 (12): 1345-1350.
o Read pages 1345-47; briefly scan the rest
· Rier, David A. (2010). “The Patient’s Experience of Illness.” Pp. 163-178 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 6th edition, Chloe E. Bird, et al. Vanderbilt University Press.
· Conrad, Peter, and Stults, Cheryl. (2010). “The Internet and the Experience of Illness.” Pp. 179-191 in Handbook of Medical Sociology, 6th edition, Chloe E. Bird, et al. Vanderbilt University Press.
· Trillin, Alice S. (1981). “Of Dragons and Garden Peas: A Cancer Patient Talks to the Doctors.” New England Journal of Medicine 304(12): 699-701.
· Fadiman, Anne. (2012). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Chapters 6-9, pages 60-118.
Supplemental reading
· Mechanic, David, and Sharon Meyer. (2000). “Concepts of Trust among Patients with Serious Illness.” Social Science and Medicine 51:657-668.
CLASS 10 (11/04): TRAJECTORY OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION