HLSC/SOC 2700
HEALTH and SOCIETY
Lecture info:
FALL 2009
TH 6:00 - 8:50 pm
AH - 175
Professor info:
Professor Ferzacca
Office: AH 114
Phone: 329-2489
steven.ferzacca@uleth.ca
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday 9:00 - 12:00
COURSE TEXTS


Health and Canadian Society: Sociological Perspectives by David Coburn, Carl
D'Arcy, and George M. Torrance (available in the bookstore)
Additional reading assignments and course materials posted to the class website:
http://classes.uleth.ca/ClsDsp?cls=200903hlsc2700n
You should read the reading assignments. The reading assignments function as both foundation
and supplement to the lectures. You are responsible for assigned readings on exams.
EXAMS
There are THREE in-class essay exams, each worth an equal portion (1/3) of your final mark.
For each exam you are responsible for material presented in lectures and assigned readings.
Exams are not cumulative; each will cover only material presented since the last exam. Consult
your syllabus for exam dates.
Anyone who needs to miss an exam must have prior consent of the instructor. If you miss an
exam due to illness or family emergency, a medical certificate, doctor=s note, or other official
documents will be required. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
GPA system used to represent exam marks. Final grade is the average of the exam marks, and is
given as a letter grade.
THE COURSE
Society is the structured network of social relations and institutions in which human action
occurs. Health and the behaviors associated with it, resources marshaled, tasks and associations
evoked constitute such action. In this course we adopt such a vantage on human health in order to
examine the specific relationships between health (wellness and illness), medicine, and society.
The Canadian context receives special attention, although other societies will be evoked from
time to time for comparative purposes. While germs and microbes, antibodies and cells are
central health, the circulations of these biological and all other features of health are always
shaped by society.
DATES
TOPICS/READINGS/EXAM DATES
Sept. 10
INTRODUCTIONS
Sept. 17
THE SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 3, 17, 33
Sept. 24
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AS SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 1, 19, 20
Oct. 1
IN-CLASS EXAM
Oct. 8
SOCIAL FACTORS IN HEALTH
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 4, 12, 15
Oct. 15
SOCIAL FACTORS IN HEALTH: GENDER
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13
Oct. 22
SOCIAL FACTORS IN HEALTH: ETHNICITY
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 6, 7, 8
Oct. 29
SOCIAL FACTORS IN HEALTH: AGE
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 9, 16, 22
Nov. 5
SOCIAL FACTORS IN HEALTH: CLASS
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 5, 14, 23, 24
Nov. 12
IN-CLASS EXAM
Nov. 19
IDEOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Readings:
TEXT: Chapters 18, 21, 25, 31
Nov. 26
POLITICAL ECONOMY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Readings:
TEXT: 2, 26, 30, 32
Dec. 3
IN-CLASS EXAM
Dec. 10
CLOSINGS
Grading Breakdown:
The grading system for this course is consistent with that established in the Faculty of
Health Sciences, effective May, 2002.
Letter
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
GPA
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
Percent
95 - 100%
91 - 94.9%
87 - 90.9%
83 - 86.9%
79 - 82.9%
75 - 78.9%
Letter
C+
C
CD+
D
F
GPA
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0
Percent
71 - 74.9%
67 - 70.9%
63 - 66.9%
59 - 62.9%
55 - 58.9%
0 - 54.9%
Plagiarism Statement:
The University of Lethbridge subscribes to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection service. Please
be advised that student work submitted for credit in this course may be submitted to this system
to verify its originality. Students must be able to submit both electronic and hard copy versions of
their work upon request.
Accommodations for Students with a Disability:
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. If you
have been diagnosed with a disability, there is no need to face the challenge of University
without support. Please contact the Counselling Services/Students with Disabilities Resource
Centre at 329-2766 http://www.uleth.ca/ross/counselling/index.html to set up an appointment.
After registering with the Disabilities Resource Centre, your instructor will be notified by a
formal letter of any accommodations you require. In addition, students are responsible for
requesting accommodations from the instructor at least *two weeks* in advance of the
evaluation date. The instructor and student are jointly responsible for arranging the resources
needed for the evaluation process.