The Health of Communities
SOC 315
Fall 2018
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
SISP 315 |
| Certificates: Civic Engagement |
| Course Cluster: Health Studies, Service Learning |
Our focus will be on understanding the role of social factors (e.g., income, work environment, social cohesion, food, transportation systems) in determining the health risks of individuals; considering the efficacy, appropriateness, and ethical ramifications of various public health interventions; and learning about the contemporary community health center model of care in response to the needs of vulnerable populations. We explore the concept and history of social medicine, the importance of vocabulary and the complexity of any categorization of persons in discussions of health and illness, ethical issues related to the generation and utilization of community-based research, the role of place and the importance of administrative and cultural boundaries in the variability of health risk, and the idea of just health care. Enrolled students serve as research assistants to preceptors at the Community Health Center (CHC) of Middletown. |
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| Credit: 1.25 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS SOC |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CIVI-MN)(ENVS-MN)(ENVS)(HRAD-MN)(IDEA-MN)(IDEA)(SOC)(STS) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Starr, THE SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN MEDICINE
Metzl and Kirkland, eds. AGAINST HEALTH: HOW HEALTH BECAME THE NEW MORALITY
Kawachi and Berkman, eds. NEIGHBORHOODS AND HEALTH
Sered and Fernandopulle, UNINSURED IN AMERICA
Marmot and Wilkinson, eds., SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Farmer, PATHOLOGIES OF POWER
Course packet or e-reserve readings with shorter works, including memoir and journal articles.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Regular attendance and informed participation in discussion; weekly one-page informal written responses to assigned readings; an ongoing journal of field notes; three short graded commentaries on assigned readings;and a final research paper and presentation linked to a course topic. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Must apply and be interviewed to take this course. Open to majors in any discipline. Preference to juniors and seniors, and not open to first-year students. Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor through WesPortal during Add/Drop. Please request an application and course details during pre-registration from the instructor by e-mail: and click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request.
Enrolled students work with CHC of Middletown staff members in the design and implementation of research projects that document and/or support efforts to improve the health of our local community. The service component of this course requires a 3-4 hour/week commitment through April 2019 with the exception of students planning to be abroad during the Spring 2019 semester. Previous CHC research projects to which students have contributed include: analysis of embedding a "convenient/urgent care" clinic in a primary care medical home; evaluation of dermatological e-consults in primary care setting; investigation of health disparities in pain care; survey of community health center patients regarding anxiety and dental care; development and implementation of a pediatric trauma screen for use in primary care settings; and a study of HIV/AIDS best practices research and assessment. |
| Instructor(s): Carey Best,Peggy Times: ....R.. 01:20PM-04:10PM; Location: RSCSEM; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 12 | Permission of instructor will be granted during the drop/add period. Students must submit either a ranked or unranked drop/add request for this course. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 1 | 1st Ranked: 1 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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