- Course Catalog Description:
- Health care is a fundamental right, but access to it is not shared evenly by all. This course considers women's and men's health needs, and how health systems assign priority to those needs. The course also covers how differences in health policy, national medical systems, levels of wealth, and cultural contexts around the world affect women's health and treatment and their experiences of wellness and illness. Women are taking an active role in shaping healthy societies. The final portion of this course looks at the goals and successes of women's movements in the health sphere. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on how sociological approaches to health differ from medical or epidemiological approaches, the advantages of the sociological approaches, and the respective advantages and disadvantages of qualitative versus quantitative approaches to studying women's health. Pre-req: Soc majors and minors must register A-F; Soc 1001 recommended.
- Class Notes:
- Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?boyle014+SOC3241+Fall2021
- Class Description:
This course takes a sociological and global approach to gender, health and illness. It begins by distinguishing sex from gender. We consider how gender expectations vary around the world and over time, and the implications for health. We review global goals (Sustainable Development Goals) for improving health, and ideas to reach those goals. Throughout the course, there is attention to the relative advantages of qualitative and quantitative approaches to studying gender and health. Students are introduced to, and learn to interpret, global health data.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- Sociology, Global Studies, and Political Science majors. Students getting a Public Health or Population Studies minor. Students interested in learning how to work with global health data.
- Learning Objectives:
-- Develop a sociological understanding of sex, gender, and health
-- Consider how policies, resources, and culture influence the priority given to women's health
-- Learn the relative advantages of qualitative versus quantitative approaches to studying health
-- Become acquainted with important resources to study health globally
- Grading:
This may change a bit:
Online reading quizzes (10) 20%
Exams (2) 20%
Country report on women's health based on qualitative sources 15%
Country report on women's health based on quantitative data 15%
Peer reviews (2) 10%
Group presentation of country report 10%
Participation/Attendance/In-class Assignments 10%
- Exam Format:
- Short answer, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank questions with one longer essay question.
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/22905/1219
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 8 April 2021