Course Description
This course examines both the compatibility and conflict between religious perspectives and the scientific foundations of public health. Emphasis will be focused on the cultural influence of religion on individual and community attitudes toward health care practices and how these influence achieving and maintaining public health goals.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
- Examine the historical and contemporary relationship between religion and public health.
- Evaluate the positive and negative contributions of religious beliefs and practices toward achieving and maintaining public health goals.
- Identify and assess the role of integrating religion/spirituality into interdisciplinary efforts to promote a holistic approach to medical practice and global health policy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of factors that contribute to physical and/or mental health.
- Analyze the connection(s) of different aspects of wellness (i.e. choices or actions to achieve health/well-being) to the overall health of an individual or population.
- Synthesize information from multiple sources to support arguments and/or inform decisions.
- Integrate and cite sources accurately and correctly.
- Keep up with the assigned reading for each week and complete all assignments on time in an online course format.
- Engage with guided reading assignments and lecture slides provided through Canvas and demonstrate accountability through writing assignments and tests.
- Utilize online office hours by appointment for instructor interaction.
Course Grading Information:
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| Current Events | 9% |
| Reading Responses | 25% |
| Tests and Papers* | 66% |
*You will have two tests and two short papers due throughout the course of the semester. You will be allowed to drop your lowest grade among these four assignments, so only your highest three grades on Tests and Papers will count toward your final grade.
Grading Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93-100% | A |
| 90-92% | A- |
| 86-89% | B+ |
| 83-85% | B |
| 80-82% | B- |
| 76-79% | C+ |
| 73-75% | C |
| 70-72% | C- |
| 66-69% | D+ |
| 63-65% | D |
| 60-62% | D- |
| <60% | F |
Attendance/Participation:
Since this is an online class, there is no formal attendance policy. However, frequent participation and timely submission of class assignments will be necessary for success in this course.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
Gary R. Gunderson and James R. Cochrane, Religion and the Health of the Public: Shifting the Paradigm (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.