Course aims are:
- Understanding of the important role of social factors in the health and wellbeing of individuals, social groups and populations;
- Knowledge of the major perspectives, theories and research regarding health outcomes and behaviours highlighting the interplay between individual, social and structural factors;
- Understanding of sources of inequality in health between and in contemporary societies and main explanations of these inequalities;
- Familiarity with social policy and other interventions to address social and structural influences on health;
- Ability to critically analyze and discuss theory and research regarding social and structural influences on health behaviours and outcomes;
- Ability to apply theory and research regarding social and structural influences on health to research and intervention regarding contemporary health issues.
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Good health in many ways is a critical asset and enabler that allows people to live productive and satisfying lives. Life expectancy has increased dramatically in the past century, in particular in high-income countries in the 'global north', and behaviours and lifestyle now play a dominant role in (preventable) ill health. Health and wellbeing are however unequally distributed and inequities related to social and structural factors play out between and within countries. In addition to socio-economic differences, health inequities are increasingly noted in relation to various other social factors, such as gender, culture and sexual orientation. This course will provide students with an exciting opportunity to strengthen their understanding of the role of social and structural factors in health and how more distal drivers of inequity interact with more proximal individual determinants of health outcomes and behaviours. In addition to highlighting contemporary theories and research that take an ecological approach to public health, the course will showcase key examples of contemporary health issues affected by broader social and structural factors, such as social stigma of specific groups. The course will also encompass an overview of social and structural approaches to public health and health promotion, such as through social policy and environmental change, complementing well-known education and counselling approaches.
Relation between aims and examination
The aims of the course numbered 1, 5 and 6 will be tested in exam 1, exam 2, project report, and presentations and assignments
The aims numbered 2, 3 and 4 will be tested in exam 1 and exam 2.
Academic skills
For exam 1 and 2:
Intellectual abilities
Studying and analyzing information
Social/cultural context
Academic context
For presentations and assignments:
To evaluate activities and presentations (of oneself and of others)
To present: prepare, perform and evaluate a plea
To discuss/debate
For the project report:
To synthesize and structure information
To write (in general): to plan, write, rewrite and complete distinct text types
To collaborate with others, to work in teams
To work along a plan
To prepare/design research
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