SOCI 469 Home Page

Welcome to Medicine and Society! This upper-level sociology course provides a unique opportunity for you to appreciate and understand the health care system from both a theoretical and an analytical viewpoint. Health care has become one of the primary political issues of our society, and this topic lends itself to a wide variety of public opinion research, health outcomes data, media campaigns, political debate, international comparison, and theoretical (and economic) justification. Whether your interest in health outcomes or health care is piqued from personal or professional interests (perhaps both), I think you will find that sociology can offer a useful paradigm to benefit your understanding of the history, current trends, and future of health and health care in the United States!

In terms of course content, it is a fundamental observation that in any society, some people are healthy and others are not. What does sociology have to say about health and illness, the health professions, and the organization of health care? Perhaps more than you would expect! Health is a relatively scarce and highly valued commodity, which, like wealth or education or power, is socially--and very unequally--distributed in this country (as well as others). The same can be said for health care (or health insurance) in the United States.

Health behavior, like all other behavior, is a product of social norms and cultural traditions. What people eat, how much they exercise, how they perceive and react to pain, their willingness to adhere to doctor's orders--none of these occur independently of social forces. Thus, issues of health and illness are by no means exclusive to the traditional medical professions; social science is now recognized as a critical tool needed to understand individual and population health patterns, and to determine the best and most efficient way to distribute health care in our society.

Some of the questions we will tackle in class include: Who gets sick? What do they do about it? How do patterns of health and illness reflect social structure? What are the problems with the present health care system? What reforms can be made … and what are the social consequences of those changes?

Course Goals

The overall goal for this course is to give you an understanding and appreciation of the social as well as the biological aspects of medicine, including the meaning of health, illness, medical diagnoses and treatments, and issues concerning the health care system. When the course is finished, you should be able to do the following:

Required Textbooks

The following required textbooks can be purchased through Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center in person, online, or by printing out and mailing or faxing in a book order form.

For the fall and spring semesters, you are required to have the six texts listed below:

Electronic Reserves and E-Journals: Throughout the semester you will access a number of assigned readings free online through the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries Web page. Some of these readings are listed as "e-reserve," and you can access them through the library electronic reserves system. Other readings are contemporary journal articles, listed as "e-journal," and they are available through the library's electronic subscriptions. Both types of articles will be in PDF format, so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the articles. It is installed on most computers, but If you do not have it, you can download it for free.

Course Requirements

This course requires a number of writing assignments. Typically, you do not need to do much outside research to complete these assignments, but they rely heavily upon course materials and topics. For any assignment, I expect you to use proper citation for materials. The UNC Writing Center is an excellent resource if you have any questions. (You may use any of the citation formats discussed on the Writing Center's Web site.)

Lesson Assignments

Each lesson includes a graded assignment designed to help you to incorporate readings and personal opinions into a context of the sociology of health and illness. Many of these assignments will require you to use the Internet to find examples of ideas or concepts discussed in the class. These assignments are designed to make you aware of the plethora of resources and information available in the public domain.

Reaction Papers

There are two "reaction" papers due during the semester. The paper assignments will appear in the Reaction Papers section of Blackboard on the date indicated in the course schedule.

These papers are not a literature review; rather, you will be expected to draw from the materials and discussion in this course and use sociology in understanding, explaining, and finding resolution to issues related to health and illness in society (see guidelines). I will provide a few potential topics to help guide you through the course material, but I encourage you to create a topic that you find interesting. (Part of your grade is based upon creativity, so if you can generate your own topic, it illustrates critical and creative thinking!) I require that you submit a thesis statement (or idea) to me for approval to ensure that your topic meets the assignment criteria. Each reaction paper should be four to five pages. You may turn in drafts of these papers to me, but you must do so in enough time for me to review and respond.

Discussion Forum

You will have a discussion forum assignment in each lesson. You will be required to post comments on two separate days during each lesson. Your grade for the discussion forum will be an “average” of the two posts:

Initial post: Post your responses to each of the assigned questions by the middle of the lesson period. This post should answer the question(s), but not merely “review” or repeat the lesson notes or reading. It is often helpful to include an example!

Final post: Respond to at least one of your classmates' comments on each question by the last day of the lesson period. This is where you “discuss” the material with your classmates. I will also include questions after the initial posts are completed to help stimulate conversation!

To make the discussions more manageable, the class will be divided into two discussion groups. To access the discussion groups:

Please be respectful and sociological in your postings--by that I mean that you should keep in mind that sociology is a science. Personal experiences are welcome topics for discussion, but keep in mind that one experience does not constitute a sociological trend! Furthermore, the topics for this semester include material that may have personal meaning for some of you, so be certain to "think" before you post. Your opinions are encouraged, but be informed! I will contribute to these discussions, as needed, as well as monitor the progress of the discussion. If class size changes, you will all be put into one discussion group. However, I’ve found that maintaining separate groups can allow for better discussions and less confusion. You will, however, be able to read the posts on each forum, even though I ask you to post in only one group forum!

Final Exam

The final exam for the course is designed to challenge you to synthesize the material you learn throughout the semester. The exam will be essay format (and you will have some choice as to which questions you answer). You should answer each question in less than two pages.

The final exam will draw upon the specific examples of sociological research (micro and macro perspectives) in the final lesson, and will require you to apply what you’ve learned throughout the course. So, the exam is comprehensive in the sense that you may be asked to discuss concepts or trends outlined earlier in the semester, but the topics are focused on the issue of health care, which is the concentration for the final few weeks of the semester.

A link to your final exam will be available in the Final Exam section of the Blackboard site during the time period specified in the course schedule below. For information on how to access the Blackboard site, see Course Mechanics.

Submitting Assignments for Grading

For all graded written assignments (Lesson Assignments, Reaction Papers, Final Exam), you are required to do the following:

Please submit all assignments as attachments in MS Word format, using the appropriate section on the Blackboard site.

Put a title page on the last page of your assignment. So that I can grade "blindly," be sure to put your identifying information on the final page. Please include your name, PID number, and the Honor Code pledge statement: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment." (Typing this statement on each assignment that you submit constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the Honor Code. I will not grade assignments that do not include the Honor Code pledge.)

Please include page numbers on all assignments--but do not include your name in a header or footer.

You will receive an e-mail confirmation when I have downloaded your assignment from Blackboard. I will also post all grades and feedback for your work online using Blackboard. This information will be available to you in Blackboard's Gradebook section.

Due Dates and Expectations for Students

As an instructor, I respect extenuating circumstances that may arise for you throughout the course, but I also expect you to consider my position in making decisions about what is an acceptable excuse. Be proactive about the decisions you make and be responsible for the consequences of your choices. If you need to discuss an assignment due date with me, do not assume that I have received your message unless you get a response from me. The material for this course builds upon each consecutive lesson. I urge you to stay on top of the material and deadlines.

Late work will be penalized 5 percent of your grade for each day it is late. So, if you have an assignment due at 11:30 pm on Friday, you will lose 5 percent if you turn it in after 11:30 pm on Friday but before 11:30 pm on Saturday --or 10 percent if you turn it in after 11:30 pm on Saturday but before 11:30 pm on Sunday--and so on. I need all assignments before I begin grading (to ensure that grades are done blindly) or post answer keys, so your classmates are dependent upon you to be prompt. I will not accept assignments that are more than 48 hours late unless we have discussed your submission prior to the assignment due date listed in the course schedule.

I expect you to spend a minimum of nine hours a week on this course. (For those of you who are not familiar with sociology, you may find yourself putting in a bit more effort in the beginning of the semester). If you are concerned about your performance, please feel free to contact me at any time … if I am not aware of your concerns, I cannot help! (This applies for graded materials, reading assignments, or any issue related to the course materials.) I will make myself as available as possible to help guide you through the semester.

Expectations for the Instructor

All of your assignments will be graded in a timely fashion. When applicable, I will post an "answer key" or an example of an assignment that received a high score to help you to understand my evaluation of student work and to help you with future assignments. If you are unclear about assignment guidelines, be sure to ask questions with enough time for me to respond. (I do check my e-mail daily, but typically not after 8 pm. If I am going to be away from my desk or out of town for an extended period, I will let you know in advance. )

I will post answer keys for assignments if I feel this is helpful beyond the individual feedback you will receive for each assignment. I also list a schedule of online office hours in the Announcements section of Blackboard. Office hours will be held for each lesson using Blackboard's online chat feature, and I can also schedule individual meetings using this format. A transcript of all online office hour sessions will be maintained in the chat archive, so if you cannot make the session, please be sure to review what you missed. You can access the chat by clicking the "Office Hours Chat" button in Blackboard.

I will add one point to your final exam grade for each lesson in which you participate in an office hours session, up to a total of five points. Keep in mind that logging on and not participating in the discussion will not earn you any bonus points—I consider office hours an opportunity for you to chat with your classmates (or me) about lesson materials or about topics related to the lessons that you encounter in the media or current literature.

Honor Code

Participation in this course is governed by full observation of the University Honor Code for all exams, papers, and discussion forum assignments. Please be sure to read the provisions of the Honor Code and ask any questions … have pride in your own work! The Faculty Council and Student Congress agreed to revisions to the Instrument of Student Governance, effective July 1, 2003. Please be sure you are aware of these changes--the following link will provide you with a review of the changes.

Because the Honor Code is in effect at all times during this course, you must include the pledge on all written work by stating: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment." Again, writing this statement on each assignment you submit constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the Honor Code. Any assignment you submit that does not include the Honor Code pledge is considered incomplete.

Plagiarism is a serious violation of the Honor Code, so be sure to understand the correct citation of published materials, whether they are text or Internet sources. Proper citation guidelines are available from the Writing Center's Web site. (This site includes links to information on plagiarism, MLA citation format, and APA citation format. You may choose to use any formal citation method that is most appropriate for your career plans, but I will not accept any work that is not properly cited.

Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Some of your class components (discussion forums, exams, and announcements) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to login to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the "SOCI 469" link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left side of the screen labeled Announcements, Discussion Groups, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:

If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.

If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.

If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.

If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.

If you can't locate an exam or discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.

If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and E-reserves

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves.

If you are using an off-campus computer, you will need to enter your Onyen and password to access the readings that are available through the e-reserve system. The UNC library staff is available to assist any students who have difficulties accessing online library resources. If you encounter difficulties, please report your problem by visiting this Web page for reporting a problem.

Using E-mail

You will receive e-mail messages regarding the course at your UNC e-mail address. Students using off-campus computers can access their UNC e-mail account using Webmail. You can have your UNC e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking "Forward e-mail" at the Onyen Web site.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses "blind carbon copy" to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than Hotmail for this course.

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me. If I don't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy. You should not need to e-mail any assignments to me because you will submit your assignments using the Assignments function of Blackboard. However, if you need to submit something by e-mail, you need to keep a copy of the e-mail, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted it on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to me, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to me and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

SOCI 469: Medicine and Society

Course Overview

Introduction