| Course Type | Course Code | No. Of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Elective | SC0832 | 4 |
Semester and Year Offered: 2nd Semester & Every year
Course Coordinator and Team: Oinam Hemlata Devi and Rinju Rasaily
Email of course coordinator: hemlata[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in
Pre-requisites: NA
Course Description:
Summary:
The emerging health issues and challenges in India and across the globe have brought us to the realization that it is high time for understanding and studying health from a holistic approach as it involves various cross-cutting issues. This course will orient the learners about the basic ideas of day to day health and social determinants of health issues. The transaction of the course primarily will include engaging learners through discussions on /around, emerging health problems, the role of surrounding environment and participation of community members and other stakeholders in facilitating care at the individual as well as societal level. Broadly, the course covers a conceptual/situational /socio-cultural/ scientific/theoretical domain of human well-being and health through the perspective of cross-cultural studies of different societies/communities bringing the importance of cultural competence and various factors of social change. It can also mould the students toward community studies and research for a better society.
Course Outcomes:
Brief description of modules/ Main modules:
Module 1: Introduction to the concept of health and society
This module deals with the concept of health which is more understood from the perspectives of sociology of sickness and illness considering it as key to the wellness of a society; notion of improving health through behavioural changes of the individual members of society and available measures. An overview of health and mortality analysis will help in understanding a society at large.
Module 2: Historical perspectives of Medicine and health
This module will discuss the historical perspectives of understanding health and its measures or the genesis of medicine in the form of different medical systems. How different medicine has been developed and studied at different space and time.
Module 3: Dimensions of Health
This deals with the specific dimensions mentioned in the definition of health provided by WHO. The cube model of health will be discussed to understand the details of dimensions and elements present within it. The network of the elements or factors present, addition of new elements will also be discussed to deal with the expanding horizons of health.
Module 4: Determinants of Health
This will study the factors which influence health at individual and societal level. The interactional process of such factors and the resultant effect to the health of individuals or communities will be discussed using case studies.
Module 5: Perspectives of Health and Society
This will include ways of understanding health and society from the clinical perspectives, epidemiological and public health perspectives, or socio-cultural perspectives using multidisciplinary approach.
Module 6: Health Care systems
This module deals with various health care systems of curing and caring the patients particularly focusing on the Indian Health care systems. It will include both traditional and modern methods of health care systems and the relationships established in a medical system. A comparative analysis of health care systems and performance record will help in exploring the attitudes, behaviours and understanding of different societies.
Module 7: Diet, Nutrition and Social sanctions
This module will focus on the meaning of healthy body provided that everyone follows certain norms sanctioned by the society. The cultural classification of dietary habits or foods based on religion or region will highlight a great connection of food, medicine and diseases in the social structure and organisation. This will be related with the science of food using information such as nutrients and toxins.
Module 8: Lifestyle changes and health
This will relate to the illicit actions of drinking alcohols, tobacco chewing and smoking, drug addicts resulting into physical and mental abnormalities showing inability to prevent and fight from certain illnesses and diseases. An effort will be made to advise the students to collect available national level data of such actions and reactions for classroom discussion.
Module 9: Socio-economic status and Environmental Health
This module deals with the varied range of socio-economic status of members of society and its effect on health particularly through environmental exposures. How environmental health is understood from socio-economic status and inequalities pertaining to the level of exposures to ecological hazards. Health inequalities will also be discussed pertaining to gender and ageing.
Module10: Cross cultural studies of health
Case studies of different societies based on the social structure and health care systems available will be discussed to interpret and understand the network of relationships and existing health care systems. This will also incorporate the nature of change or system of medicine accepted by different communities to adjust with the changing world.
Module 11: Global Health and emerging issues
This will discuss about the spread of diseases at global level due to industrialization, climate change and other issues of gender inequality, disability, violence and fear. Some of the diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, hepatitis will be discussed along with their preventive measures.
Module 12: Health care policies
This module will provide an intensive way of looking at the existing health policies where, students need to think critically about the defined law and policies and its implication on society(ies), to provide an adequate strategy in matters of individual and public health issues. For this, major focus will be given to the health policies of India.
Assessment Details with weights:
There will be three assessments
Reading List:
