SOCI 405 - Social Epidemiology

3 Credits

(Every Spring semester)
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology; SOCI 215 Introduction to Medical Sociology. Ever wonder why people avoid going to the doctor? Before COVID, have you thought about how your social behavior and interactions might have affected how disease spreads in a given population? These questions are addressed in studying Social Epidemiology. The objective of Social Epidemiology is to understand how social behaviors, and demographics impact who will more likely be susceptible to health ailments. To answer the previous questions, this course will trace patterns of illness based on how social influences impact people’s health. To understand why African-Americans avoid and distrust medical professionals, we will read how the historical medical malpractice on Black bodies has influenced this view by reading from Harriet Washington’s Medical Apartheid text. Also, mental health is becoming a more open subject for public discussion and this course study issues related to mental health protective measures, and treatments. Lastly, this course will provide you insight into how to study the prevalence rates of illness in a society that will allow you to understand basic health statistics.