Introduction to health and social care Assignment

The task is a 1500 word essay on one of the following - Choose one of the essay topics and discuss in your group how you might tackle the topic - put together a rough plan.

1. Using examples, discuss the ways in which a person's socio-economic class and his/her social situation can have an impact of his/her health. 

It is important in your introduction to tell the reader exactly what you are focusing on e.g. if you are looking at socio-economic class and health, you will not be able to cover all aspects so make sure in your introduction you tell the reader what aspects you are focusing on. You might mention a number of different factors but then say which particular one/ones, you are going to discuss. That way the reader isn't left thinking as they read...why hasn't X or Y been discussed? THIS IS TRUE FOR ALL THE ESSAY TOPICS.

Define key terms e.g. socio-economic-class - can form part of your introduction or be part of the first paragraph of the main body of your essay.

Look at how socio-economic status impacts on health - Areas you could focus on: Poverty, Housing, Employment, Environment Or any other area you want.

2. Feminists argue that gender stereotyping and medicalisation have historically had a negative impact on women's health. Discuss.

Define key terms e.g. medicalisation & gender stereotyping

History of how women socially constructed - madder, sickly, weaker sex

Medicalisation of women's health/bodies  e.g. puberty, menstruation, pregnancy & menopause - prone to mental illness

How has this history affected women's health and the way women are treated?

3. In what ways can constructions of masculinity and gender stereotyping impact on men's health?

Define key terms e.g. Gender stereotyping.

History of how men socially constructed in opposition to how women socially constructed e.g. strong, mentally stable, not sickly, not emotional/don't task about emotions.

Impact on men's health - not accessing health care, not able to be mentally ill, alcohol and risky behaviours and so on.

4. Appropriate access to health and social care requires more than simply providing services. Discuss this argument in relation to equitable access to services for black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in the UK.

Define key terms - what do you mean by ethnic minority.

Factors that affect health e.g. (un)employment, Housing, deprivation, etc.

Barriers to accessing services - institutional racism, language barriers, cultural barriers, lack of familiarity with health service systems and so on.

How these affect health.

5. In what ways is an approach which is informed by the social model of disability rather than the medical model the logical way to meet disabled people's personal requirements?

What are the differences/similarities between?

How medical model constructs disability as due to impairment & solution to 'fixing' problem - how this relates to type of care and support given?

How social model constructs disability as due to society and solution to 'fixing' problem - how this relates to type of care and support given i.e. a rights based approach e.g.. Right to choose, right to have equal access, and so on?

6. A life-course perspective suggests that many of the risk and protective factors children encounter relating to health do influence health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Discuss.

What is a life-course perspective - explain?

What are the risk and protective factors children encounter related to the health and wellbeing. How might the risks impact on health?

How might protective factors impact?

Think about how childhood health inequalities may have a longer term impact on health i.e. health in later life and how this links to a life-course approach to health?

The essay must include -

• A title -
• An essay introduction -
• A conclusion -

Suggested reading as a starting point:

Annandale, E. (2014) The sociology of health and medicine: a critical introduction, 2nd edn., Cambridge: Polity Press

Barry, A-M. & Yuill, C. (2016) Understanding the Sociology of Health: an introduction, 4th edn., London: Sage

Nettleton, S. (2013) The sociology of health and illness, 3rd edn., Cambridge: Polity Press

White, K. (2017) Introduction to the sociology of health and illness, 3rd edn., London: Sage

Attachment:- Assignment File.rar