Sociology analyses the social determinants of health and utilises a number of concepts and theories in order to understand health and illness. Draw on two sociological theories to explain the social...

Sociology analyses the social determinants of health and utilises a number of concepts and theories in order to understand health and illness. Draw on two sociological theories to explain the social determinants of health and discuss how this differs from the medical model.
Preparation:
Students should read widely prior to completing the essay.
This includes all required readings but should move beyond these to include some other sources.
Typically a good strategy is to use the set readings to cover the key sociological concepts and ideas and then if you are using an example issue (e.g. eating disorders or the effects of alcohol) do some further reading so that you have evidence relating to your chosen example.
Presentation:See details in Unit Outline and Lecture PowerPoint week 4Assessment Criteria:
The essay will be assessed against the following criteria:
1.    Demonstrated understanding and application of appropriate sociological theories, concepts and perspectives
2.    Critical reflection on the key ideas and concepts
3.    Evidence of wide reading
4.    Essay reads well and is clear and concise
5.    Adherence to academic conventions of essay writing (e.g. APA referencing; writing style)
What Feedback can You Expect?
It is important the assignments provide you with knowledge and skills that will inform your practice (whether this is in clinical or broader health settings). As such, your lecturer will provide personalised feedback for each of the two essays in this unit. There are two main focus areas for feedback that you can expect to receive feedback around:
1.    The quality of the writing. Academic writing is about more than just satisfying some dry conventions on how to express ideas, rather it is good practice for the precision in communication that you will need in many workplace settings. Small errors may lead to a funding application being rejected or the dosage for a patient being incorrectly administered, for example. So, when you receive your essay feedback try to pinpoint ways in which you can be more disciplined and precise in the way you express written ideas.

2.    Your ideas, thinking and critical reflection. The difference between a Pass grade and the higher grades like Distinction and High Distinction is much more connected to the way students think (as represented by clear engagement with the topic) than their ability to edit their work. Your ability to connect social issues to health concerns is a powerful way in which you can contribute to the improved health of patients and people you work with. As such, you can expect your lecturer to give you good feedback on how you have made connections between the theories and ideas in the readings and the practice settings that you might work in.
The essay will be returned to you within three weeks from the due date (we will aim for a quicker turnaround if we can).