SOC4007 Sociology of Health CW1 Assignment Brief 2025/26 | BNU

SOC4007 Assignment Brief 2025/26

Assignment task

Read each of the case studies below and write 500 words [+/-10%] on each one. Write your answers in sentences and paragraphs [not bullet points].  Each case study is different and will require you to draw on theories and concepts that are appropriate to that case study.

In your answer, discuss material that is relevant to the sociology of health and illness, including for example:

Social class, deprivation, inequality and its impact on health and illness
Gender, health and illness
Race/ethnicity, health and illness
Stigma, mental health and illness
Older age, chronic illness and disability
Role of professionals in the management of health and illness
Health care organisations and access to health care

You will need to decide which of the above topics covered in the module are relevant to each case study. 
 
Apply this material to each case study and support your discussion with in-text references.  Write a short reference list of the resources you have used at the end of each answer. 

You should avoid writing using “I”, “you” or “we”. Aim to develop a scholarly writing style in your essay.

You must submit your assessment as a MS Word document.

Case study 1 

Marise 

Marise is 78 years old and she was diagnosed with arthritis 20 years ago. In the early years after her diagnosis, her doctor prescribed different medications which were not always effective or they had unpleasant side-effects [e.g. feelings of being bloated, dry mouth, lack of energy].  Eventually, she was prescribed tablets that did help with the symptoms of her arthritis and the side-effects were minimal.  Marise felt that this medication enabled her to continue with her work as a primary school teacher and keep doing other activities that she enjoys, such as swimming and flower arranging. She liked to feel like she was still an active member of her community and didn’t like the idea of being a burden on others.  After her diagnosis, Marise joined a local charity that supports people with arthritis.  She found it very helpful to speak to other people with the condition to understand what worked for them and learn more about how best to manage her symptoms. Marise has been active in this group for some years and goes to their monthly meetings.  She sometimes gives talks to raise awareness of arthritis and explain the importance of low-impact exercise.  She also meets people in her area who have been recently diagnosed to answer their questions about the condition.  

At her recent hospital check up, Marise’s doctor recommended a new tablet which has only just become available on the NHS.  Her doctor said that research showed that this new medication was proving very effective in slowing the progression of the condition. Marise agreed to try the new pills and come back to the doctor in three months’ time to review her progress.  After she had been taking the new pills for a couple of months, however, Marise felt that the old side effects had returned.  She was tired all the time and was finding it difficult to have conversations as her mouth was so dry.  Marise’s friend told her that she should follow the doctor’s advice as doctors are the experts and she should keep taking the new tablets, but Marise wasn’t convinced that this new medication was the right approach.  At the review meeting, Marise told her doctor that she wanted to return to her previous medication.  The doctor tried to persuade her to try the new tablets for another month, but Marise was adamant that the new tablets did not work for her and the doctor agreed that she should return to her previous medication.  
 
Write 500 words in 3-4 paragraphs that explains the concept of the “sick role” and evaluates its strengths and weaknesses.  Apply your discussion to the case study about Marise.  Consider the extent to which the sick role concept is a useful way of explaining Marise’s experience with her arthritis, her awareness of how to manage her health condition and her relationship with her doctor.  Use relevant concepts and theories we have covered during the module [see above].  Ensure that your paragraphs include in-text references and there is a short reference list at the end of your answer. In-text references are included in the word count but the reference list is not.

Case study 2 

Carla and Michael 

Carla lives with her son, Michael [aged six years] in a flat in a deprived area of a large city.  They moved into the flat when Michael was a toddler.  Their flat is near some factories and it overlooks a very busy road.  When Carla and Michael moved into the flat, there were a few shops within walking distance on the main road where Carla could buy fruit and vegetables. However, they have closed down and been replaced with takeaways.  Getting to the food shops is now a bus ride away. 

At first the flat seemed nice but, over the years, the condition of the flat has worsened.  The heating doesn’t always work, there is a leak in the bathroom and some of the windows don’t open. Carla has asked the landlord several times to do the repairs.  At first, the landlord did attempt to repair things in the flat but, when the repairs didn’t put things right, he just stopped answering Carla’s messages.  Carla’s friends have told her that she needs to complain to the council about the state of the flat, but she is frightened that if she complains too much, the landlord will evict her.  She knows that there is a very long waiting list with the council for housing and renting another flat from a landlord would probably cost more than she pays now. The shifts that Carla works in a nearby cafe cover the rent for the current flat but she couldn’t afford to pay a higher rent.  Carla thinks that if she Michael lose this flat, they would be homeless and may end up in a hostel for homeless people on the other side of the city, far from the area where her friends live. Carla has also heard stories that drug dealers hang around these hostels and she doesn’t want to end up living there with Michael. 

The flat has become damp and although Carla does her best to keep the flat free of mould, she knows she is fighting a losing battle.  Michael can no longer sleep in his bedroom because of the mould and he now has to sleep on the settee in the living room.  Carla feels very sad that Michael doesn’t have a room to himself where he can play and keep his toys.  It’s becoming hard to keep their belongings from becoming damp and mouldy.  Last week, she had to throw out some of Michael’s toys because they had mould on them that Carla was unable to clean off. 

Michael has developed a bad cough which means he doesn’t always have a good night’s sleep and he’s tired and grumpy during the day.  One night a few weeks ago, Michael had a very bad asthma attack. Carla had to take him to the hospital and he was admitted to the children’s ward overnight.  Now he has medication to help with his breathing and reduce the risk of another asthma attack.  Carla also finds it hard to sleep now because she lies awake listening to Michael’s breathing, to check he is not having another attack.  There have been some days where Michael’s cough is so bad and he is so tired that he’s not been well enough to go to school.  Carla is now worried that he is falling behind with his schooling.  If Michael is off school, Carla can’t work her shift at the cafe.  She constantly feels anxious about losing her job, Michael’s health and the conditions they are living in. 
 
Write 500 words in 3-4 paragraphs that discusses the relationship between social class, deprivation and inequalities in health.  Apply your discussion to the case study about Carla and Michael.  Consider the cause of the health problems they face and the impact these are having on their health.  Use relevant concepts and theories we have covered during the module [see above]. Ensure that your paragraphs include in-text references and there is a short reference list at the end of your answer. In-text references are included in the word count but the reference list is not.

Case study 3

Hamza 

Hamza and Nadira moved to England from Pakistan in the 1970’s. Hamza had a job has a bus driver and Nadira worked in a care home.  They had two children and were happy with their lives.  Hamza and Nadira had lots of friends and their house was always full of visitors.  Two years ago, Nadira died after a short illness and Hamza now lives alone in their house.  Although their son, Umar, lives close by and visits his father most evenings, Hamza spends a lot of his time alone.  Hamza used to enjoy reading and going out to meet his friends in a nearby café, but now he doesn’t have the energy to do anything.  Whenever Umar visits, Hamza seems to be staring at the wall and finds it hard to engage in conversation with his son.  Hamza only leaves the house once a week to go to the mosque. Even shopping for food feels too much.  There is little food in the kitchen and Umar has had to throw food away because it was going mouldy.  Hamza doesn’t want to see his old friends and was even reluctant to visit Umar and his family when it was his granddaughter’s birthday last week.  
 
Hamza keeps complaining of tiredness and says that, since Nadira died, there’s no point to anything.  Umar is becoming increasingly worried about his father’s health.  He can see how unhappy his father is and has noticed that Hamza is losing weight.  Umar has tried to persuade his dad to speak to the doctor, but his dad keeps refusing.  Hamza knows that all is not well and that he needs some help but he is frightened of speaking to his doctor.  He knows that it can be difficult to get an appointment with the doctor and sometimes doctors only want to talk to people on the phone, not face to face.  Hamza is worried in case he won't be able to hear the doctor clearly over the phone and the doctor won’t listen to him as the appointment will be very short because there are so many patients for the doctor to contact.  Even worse, Hamza fears that the doctor will give him pills that make him more unwell as he has heard stories about black minority ethnic people being given medicine by their doctors that were part of an experiment and not intended to make them better.   Although Hamza’s English is good, he is worried that he won’t get the words right when he’s with the doctor to explain what is troubling him.  

Umar has offered to try to get a face-to-face appointment and go to the doctor with his dad, but Hamza does not want his son to listen to him talk about how sad he is feeling.  Umar has heard that there is a group that meets in a room at the community centre where older people who’ve been bereaved can talk about their feelings and support each other.  He thinks it would be good for Hamza to go to this group but Hamza is worried that other people in the neighbourhood will find out that he is not coping, especially if he cries during one of the meetings.  When he was younger Hamza was the one that other people came to see if they were having problems in their family or with their work. He would listen and always gave good advice.   Now Hamza is the one that needs help and he would feel ashamed if other people knew that he wasn’t coping.  

Write 500 words in 3-4 paragraphs that discusses the barriers to mental health support that black and minority ethnic [BME] people can experience. Apply your discussion to the case study about Hamza.  Consider the problems that Hamza faces with his health and why he might be reluctant to seek help from health professionals.  Use relevant concepts and theories we have covered during the module [see above]. Ensure that your paragraphs include in-text references and there is a short reference list at the end of your answer. In-text references are included in the word count but the reference list is not. 
 
If you are registered with the Disability and Inclusion Services or have a disability, please contact your module leader to discuss how your reasonable adjustments will be applied to this assignment.

Learning Outcomes:

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO1 Describe main theories in sociology of health and illness
LO2 Understand the role of the State and professions in the management of health
LO3 Analyse the cultural and societal influences related to the social construction of health
LO4 Understand the concept of the sick role and its application in the management of health and illness

SOC4007 Assessment Criteria – Level 0 to Level 6