The Health of Communities
SISP 315
Fall 2022
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
SOC 315, CSPL 314 |
| Course Cluster and Certificates: Health Studies, Community-Engaged Learning, 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. In this overview, we explore the history of social medicine, the importance of language in public health efforts to conceptualize and frame health concerns, 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: Student Option |
| 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
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; field note postings in Moodle; three short graded commentaries on assigned readings; and a final research paper and presentation linked to course topics. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Must apply and meet with the instructor to learn more about the course format and commitment required. 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: pcbest@wesleyan.edu. 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 2023, with the exception of students planning to be abroad during the Spring 2023 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; improving intimate partner violence assessment and intervention in primary care; identifying predictors of missed appointments in a safety net healthcare system; evaluation of dermatological e-consults in primary care setting; investigation of health disparities in pain care; evaluating the role of genetics in primary care; barriers to utilization of family health history in primary 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: ..T.... 01:20PM-04:10PM; Location: FISK403; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 12 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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