Expand+SOC20270 Sociology Health & Inequality
Academic Year 2021/2022

The intersection of health and inequality is a core concern of any society. Who has access to adequate healthcare and at what cost is a fixture of social and political debate, permeat...

Hide-SOC20270 Sociology Health & Inequality
Academic Year 2021/2022

The intersection of health and inequality is a core concern of any society. Who has access to adequate healthcare and at what cost is a fixture of social and political debate, permeating recent elections in Ireland, the Brexit vote and the expansion of private health insurance under “Obamacare” in the US. To the extent that affluence and relative deprivation determine the health of a society, the implication for health of economic and social inequality is clear. In other words, it is no accident that health disparities are intimately related to other forms of inequality such as income and, in particular, wealth.

This module intends to provide a theoretical lens through which the link between health and inequality more broadly can be understood and interrogated. Students will explore the core theoretical models underpinning how sociologists understand (1) the social determinants of health, (2) the two-way street of health and wealth, (3) the role of public policy in the provision of healthcare and (4) the intersection of health and social mobility. Throughout, an effort will be made to link abstract theory with concrete examples. Given that foundational work in health inequality emerged from comparing multiple country contexts, an international comparative perspective will be maintained. The intention is for each student to leave the classroom with the ability to understand at the macro- and micro-level how inequality determines health and vice versa.

Learning Outcomes:
The broad goal of this module is that students leave the classroom with the ability to understand at the macro- and micro-level how inequality determines health and vice versa.

Learning outcomes for this module aspire to the following goals:

• Demonstrate ability to critically analyse sociological theories of the social determinants of health.

• Show capacity to critically apply theories and concepts of health and inequality to selected case-studies.

• Exhibit personal, social and communication skills needed to contribute to group project;

• Demonstrate critical writing ability to construct, support and summarise argument that links concepts and cases of
comparative social change.

Indicative Module Content:
The module will be organised around the following themes, which will correspond to lectures, readings and group work:

(1) Introduction – Social Determinants of Health
(2) Inequality
(3) Work
(4) Education
(5) Drugs, Sex and Violence
(6) Gender, Race and Ethnicity
(7) Diet, Nutrition and Health
(8) Neighborhoods, Communities and Immigration
(9) Life course, Early Life and Aging
(10) Health – Ireland from a Global Perspective
(11) Toward a Healthier Tomorrow