There are two new online Spring courses in the Social Science Program!
Are you curious about how society makes us sick? Confused about the healthcare system? Concerned about the health and well-being of your community and relational partners?
Do you want to learn skills to improve your own health communication?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out these new online courses.
Sociology 330: Sociology of Health and Healthcare with Professor Weatherford Darling.
This course introduces the core concepts, perspectives and methods of medical sociology. The course uses critical sociological perspectives to explore five core areas of medical sociology:
- organization of healthcare institutions,
- the development of health policies,
- the uses of biomedical technologies,
- diverse social experiences of health, illness, and disability, and
- the causes and consequences of health inequities.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or any other 100-level Social Science Course.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- gain skills to tackle a health issue in your community.
- identify structural barriers to health (Structural Competency).
- de-mystify health insurance.
- understand how social inequalities impact our health.
Communications 320: Health Communication with Professor Rubinsky.
This course examines messages, theories, models, and research in health communication to explain, apply, and analyze current communication practices in organizational, interpersonal, mass, and mediated contexts.
This includes health campaigns, patient-provider communication, family communication about health, caretaker communication, intimate partner communication, and communication in healthcare organizations.
Prerequisite: Any 100-level COM class.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- understand approaches to health campaigns and
interventions - learn about health negotiation needs of different communities
- gain skills to discuss your own health with healthcare providers and relational partners.
We welcome students from all programs, especially those interested in pursuing health-related careers including public health, nursing, dental health, social work, or medicine.
In addition, save the date for the Spring Health Equity Speaker Series, Thursdays from 12-1 pm during the Spring ’20 semester. Health equity is a justice principle that means that everyone has a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The Health Equity Speaker series aims to build an interdisciplinary campus community with a shared commitment to health equity in Maine. Open to all UMA students, faculty, staff and community members interested in health inequities.
E-mail your suggestions for speakers or topics to katherine.darling@maine.edu.