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ANTH43815: Society, Health and Wellbeing

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Open
Level 4
Credits 15
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Anthropology

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide students with a range of theoretical perspectives and approaches within the social sciences which they can apply to a range of issues concerning health and wellbeing.

Content

  • Indicative content is listed below and will be taught with reference to health and societal-level problems/scenarios:
  • Key theories and approaches within the social sciences applied to health.
  • The social and political determinants of health and health inequalities.
  • Using the above to examine critically a range of contemporary health issues, primarily in industrial and post-industrial societies.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • By the end of the module students will have a working knowledge and understanding of concepts in the following areas:
  • Key theories and approaches within the social sciences and health.
  • Overview of key contemporary issues and debates within the social sciences and health.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Ability to critically evaluate and apply social science theories to a range of contemporary health issues.
  • Ability to synthesise, critically evaluate and present data, models and theoretical arguments and materials.

Key Skills:

  • Ability to engage critically with a range of literature.
  • Ability to communicate succinctly and clearly in both oral and written format.
  • Ability to bring together and contrast different disciplinary perspectives on key contemporary health and wellbeing issues

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Contributing teaching staff introduce theoretical concepts and approaches, topics and key issues, followed by student-led discussion. Students have the opportunity to read, synthesize and present recent primary references and major reviews within the social science literatures. Students prepare presentations individually and collaboratively thus students are brought into contact with up-to-date research, are encouraged to evaluate it critically, and gain practice in presenting relevant materials to others and in learning collaboratively.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Seminars9Every 1-2 weeks1.5 hours13.5 
Preparation and Reading136.5 
Total150 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Essay2500 words100 

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will be a ten minute group or individual Powerpoint presentation and an essay plan of 500 words.

More information

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our Help page. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the Help page, or a query about the on-line Postgraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.