soc2min mind,
MIND, "MADNESS" AND SOCIETY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS
SOC2MIN
Not currently offered
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
The apparent rise in mental illness is a significant contemporary problem. In Australia, public attention focuses on the epidemic of anxiety and depressive disorders; high rates of suicide amongst males in rural areas; the mental health of Indigenous people, refugees, and youth; and the effects of illicit drug-use, especially ice. Can we claim that people are more distressed today, than in times past? If so, is this linked to particular changes in our social and material conditions, or is it a consequence of how we define and respond to mental illness and emotional suffering? This subject provides an introduction to sociological perspectives on mental illness. Topics include social responses to mental illness, namely asylum building, deinstitutionalization and community care; the growth of psychiatry and other mental health professions; structural inequalities in mental health related to class, gender, ethnicity; the micro-politics of service provision; the rise of therapy culture; and subjective experiences of mental illness.
SchoolSchool of Humanities & Social Sciences
Credit points15
Subject Co-ordinatorAnne-Maree Sawyer
Available to Study Abroad StudentsYes
Subject year levelYear Level 2 - UG
Exchange StudentsYes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites SOC1SAC
Co-requisitesN/A
Incompatible subjects SOC2SHI SOC3SHI
Equivalent subjectsN/A
Special conditionsN/A
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. Apply sociological concepts to understanding mental health and illness.
- Activities:
- Online quizzes; a 2,000-word essay exploring a topic in the sociology of mental health and illness.
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)
02. Explain key concepts and theories in the sociology of mental health and illness.
- Activities:
- A 800-word preliminary assignment based on key research articles from the literature on sociology of mental health and illness; a 2,000-word essay exploring a topic in the sociology of mental health and illness; tutorial worksheets.
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)
03. Summarise research and arguments on a specific topic in the sociology of mental health and illness.
- Activities:
- Tutorial worksheets; online quizzes; a 2,000-word essay exploring a topic in the sociology of mental health and illness; a 800-word preliminary assignment based on key research articles from the literature on sociology of mental health and illness.
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Inquiry/Research)
- Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)
Subject options
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