PROMISE OF HEALTH

Marcella Benson-Quaziena, Ph.D.	Joan Bantz, MPA   introduction
L3211, (360) 867-6593	L3213, 360-867-5095
e-mail: bensonm@evergreen.edu	e-mail: bantzj@evergreen.edu

WINTER SYLLABUS 
SPRING SYLLABUS                                 WebCT 

Class Sessions:

Winter Quarter:
January 12; 26&27; February 16&17; March 9&10, 2002

Spring Quarter:
Friday April 5 (6-9 pm)*; April 6; April 20&21; May 11&12; May 25&26, 2002

*Mandatory Orientation for those entering the class Spring Quarter

You MUST be present at the first class to be considered registered. All class sessions will run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. WebCT participation will be a required part of this class.

Prerequisites: Junior standing. Students are required to have access to the Internet and a word processing program.

Is health care a right or a privilege? When an individual has an injury or disease how is it socially defined? How has the physical functioning of the human body been interpreted by the scientific community?  How have these interpretations shaped the type and quality of medical treatment available?   What is the impact of a person's gender, race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientations on the quality of the health care they receive? How does our cultural perception of healing, illness and wellness impact our relationship to our health care system? This two-quarter course is designed for students would like to enhance their understanding of the social, cultural, and psychological factors that has influence health and health care in the United States.

The focus of the 1st quarter will be making meaning of how we define and construct health care in our society. We will examine the US system of medical care from a sociological perspectives; particular emphasis will be placed upon the structure and organization of health care institutions and societal response to problems of illness and disease.  The program will acquaint students to the socio-behavioral dynamics that are a vital part of health care, healing and the experience of illness. A central question for this quarter will be: How does our social frameworks and structures effect our expectations of health and our health care delivery system?

The focus of the 2nd quarter will be how our collective understanding of health shapes our mental construction and our reaction to disease. Particular attention will focus on how these constructs impact specific communities (communities of color, ethnicity/culture, women, gays and lesbians). This quarter is an overview of the cultural dimension of human systems, including worldview, kinship and social organization, and healthcare beliefs. The central question for this quarter will be: How do we work with the wide variety of culture rules and norms that are often present in providing systems of care for diverse populations.

This program fits pathways in Body, Mind and Health. Credit will be offered in health and social psychology.
 

In addition to the basic text, readings will be drawn from relevant journals. Collaborative learning will be emphasized through work groups, seminar, case studies, and group and individual exercises.
 
 
 

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