Sawbones and the Social Construction of Health and Illness

Abstract

This short paper assignment from an undergraduate medical sociology class evaluates student understanding of basic concepts related to the social construction of health and illness by asking them to apply these ideas to the history of a particular disease or medical treatment, as related in an episode of the medical history podcast Sawbones.

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Medical Sociology

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

College 300

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

This assignment serves as the cumulative exercise for the first portion of a course in medical sociology. I have found it useful to review the key terms from this unit of the course with students before they embark on writing the paper, particularly the term "medicalization." I suggest particular episodes of the podcast and require students to get...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students will demonstrate understanding of concepts related to the social construction of health and illness.
2. Students will apply those concepts to the history of a particular disease or medical treatment.
3. Students will display strong writing skills.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. In a 4-6 page paper, students are assessed on the understanding of concepts related to the social construction of health and illness that they display through their use of terms and ideas from the course. (see attached rubric item 3)
2. In a 4-6 page paper, students are assessed on applying those concepts to the history of a particular disease or medical treatment based on how they describe the podcast and relate it to the concepts from the class. (see attached rubric items 2 and 4)
3. In a 4-6 page paper, students are assessed on their writing skills based on their spelling and grammar and whether or not they effectively communicate with their intended audience. (see attached rubric item 1)