Singapore University of Social Sciences

As a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of health and healthcare, SOC319 Sociology of Health and Healthcare will examine the social causes, patterns and consequences of health and healthcare. This course will provide a contrasting sociological view from the biomedical perspective. The central topics will include the social construction of health and illness, the political economy of healthcare systems, the social determinants of healthcare access and health outcomes, the experience of illness, health of vulnerable groups (e.g. women, older persons, migrants/refugees, and persons with disabilities), the medical professions, mental health, and complementary and alternative medicine. Throughout the course, we will draw insights from sociological scholarship as well as related disciplines, such as public health and health economics, provided by concrete examples from different countries including Singapore.