Ginny Garcia-Alexander

Health, Health Care and Health Disparities

Understand medicine as a social institution. Understand the causes and consequences of health disparities by race, class, and gender. Understand the causes and consequences of health care disparities by race, class and gender.

Introduction to Sociology and Socio-Cultural Impacts on Health

Recognize importance of socio-cultural impacts on health Define social determinants of health Introduce and define basic concepts in sociology and major theoretical perspectives

Social Interaction, Socialization, and Group Influence

Part 1: Social Interactions and Socialization: will discuss the ways we interact with each other, types of communication, and the socialization process Part 2: Group Influence and Dynamics: will discuss the distinction between PSY and SOC (outside influences versus inner), sociologically define groups, and consider the micro- and macro-level study of groups

Social Research Methods: Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills in Social Science

Learn the major concepts and methodologies in social science Understand how scientific data is used and presented in social science research Evaluate research in social science critically Become a better informed user of the many social science studies that shape health policy

Self-Concept and Identity Development

Introduce sociological perspectives on the development of self-identify and its stages Discuss the role of social processes in identity formation and self-presentation Understand how self-concept and identity influence human behavior

Social Inequality and Stratification

Introduce basic concepts and theories of stratification Examine the ways in which inequalities are distributed within societies and by social class, gender and race/ethnicity

Demographic Structure and Processes

Develop a basic understanding of population dynamics and structures Understand the size and composition of various groups Define and discuss major demographic processes: fertility, mortality, and migration Consider major shifts related to globalization and urbanization Understand how patients’ backgrounds contribute to their perceptions of disease, health care, and treatments

Social Structure and Institutions

Describe how education reflects and reproduces culture and social inequality. Describe changes in family arrangements in twenty-first century. Describe the modernization of religion in America. Describe the influence of each of the social institutions on health.