SH5052 Health And Illnesses Defined By Society Sociology Assessment Brief

Module Overview

To pass the module, you must achieve an overall minimum mark of 40%. If you pass the module on reassessment, the component you resit will be capped at a pass mark level of 40%

The assessment for the SH5052 module is designed to support student learning and demonstrate the achievement of the following learning objectives in this assessment:

• Discuss key social science theories and sociological interpretations about contemporary issues in health and illness
• Analyse the impact of social, cultural and economic contexts on conceptualisations of health and illness and service provision and practice.
• Describe the relations between health professionals, patients and those around them, and how these social relationships may affect the patient's condition.
• Evaluate key data relating to diverse outcomes of ill-health and/or social circumstances to identify relationships between outcomes and social status.

Assessment Questions (Select only one for your assessment)

Q1. How do lay perspectives contribute to our understanding of health and illness? Discuss concerning sociological explanations and apply concepts to a particular disease/condition. 

Q.2. How might stigma impact a person with mental health problems? How can services improve to address stigma-associated issues?

Q.3. Why do patients not adhere to treatments? Discuss about sociological explanations and apply concepts to a particular disease/condition.

One of the aims of the module is for students to develop critical thinking and analysis on contemporary health issues. However, a generic template is provided for students to follow. To enhance inclusivity and help demonstrate learner understanding and engagement, students are encouraged to follow a more open and flexible (innovative) approach in completing their coursework essays by describing, discussing, analysing and evaluating (where and when required) the different aspects of any one of the above questions whilst ensuring all of the criteria are still being met. 

Formative support provided for assessment by allowing some time towards the end of sessions from week 9/10 for students to work on their papers 
and a tutorial near the end of the term, Final Session/ Tutorial (prior booking via email required).

The template:

Title: Simply type your chosen question. 

1. Introduction: signpost the reader about the content of your essay: which topics you will discuss, which theories/authors/concepts you will use, and how you will apply notions (specific disease/ services) as part of your analysis. 

2. Analysis: 

• Critically engage with the sociological literature and evidence: Start by describing key definitions and key concepts about your chosen question
• Apply concepts and theories to specific diseases, conditions and/or healthcare contexts in the UK (NHS, patients/service users, other services). Include relevant and recent statistical/demographic/epidemiological/research data for evaluation.  

3. Conclusion: conclude by answering the question and justifying your answer. You may also consider the implications of your analysis and further relevant questions