Health and Society

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Explain key sociological theories of health and medicine (social determinants; fundamental cause; structural violence; medicalization vs. criminalization).
• Analyze how law and policy shape health outcomes and disparities.
• Evaluate empirical research and policy briefs; communicate findings to public and policy audiences.
• Collaborate on a concise, well‑evidenced white paper briefing tied to a contemporary sociolegal health issue.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
In-Class Exams (2 @ 20% each, 40% total)	40%
In-Class Exercises (10 @ 4% each, 40% total)	40%
Health Policy White Paper & Briefing	20%

I use the following grading scale for final grades. Grades are not rounded up.

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
≥93.0	A
90.0 – 92.99	A-
87.0 – 89.99	B+
83.0 – 86.99	B
80.0 – 82.99	B-
77.0 – 79.99	C+
73.0 – 76.99	C
70.0 – 72.99	C-
67.0 – 69.99	D+
63.0 – 66.99	D
60.0 – 62.99	D-
≤59.99	F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance is not graded. That being said:

I do not post lecture slides on Canvas. If you miss class, you are responsible for getting notes from a classmate. If you miss class, you cannot make up any missed in-class assignments. If you have an excused absence, email me and we can discuss access to the slides or class materials in a view-only format (not downloadable).

I also offer extra credit to incentivize regular attendance and handwritten note-taking. Choose your path:

Option 1: I don’t want extra credit / I won’t attend regularly. There is no direct penalty for missing class. However, in-class assignments make up a substantial proportion of your grade. You cannot make them up. You will also not be eligible for the handwritten notes extra credit or have access to lecture slides unless you have an excused absence. But you’re an adult—you can decide to come to class or not.

Option 2: I want extra credit Research suggests students retain more when they take notes by hand. I offer 5 extra-credit points per exam to students who: 1) Take notes by hand, and 2) Turn in those handwritten notes at the exam covering that unit, with notes for all (or all but one) class meetings in the unit. I will check that you have handwritten entries for the relevant class days. Verbatim transcriptions of slides will not receive credit. I may also take attendance at random points during the term to verify eligibility.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.