2017-2018 Academic Catalog

Nov 28, 2024

2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

SOC 277 - Social Determinants of Health and Public Policy

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The importance of social factors as underlying causes of health has been well documented. The public policy focus on individual lifestyle factors has made it difficult to develop interventions and policies that can effectively address upstream social determinants with the goal of improving health of vulnerable populations. In this class, we focus on the social determinants of health and health inequalities in order to understand the links between social inequality and its impact on health of the US population. We will review empirical evidence available on race, ethnicity, social class and gender inequalities. We will discuss the theoretical frameworks proposed to explain how social conditions impact health.

Prerequisites: SOC 200 or SOC 241 or SOC 250

Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically