Topics in Sociological Analysis (376-0-20)

Topic

Gender, Health, & Medicine

Instructors

Rebecca Rose Ewert
Dr. Rebecca Ewert is an Instructional Professor in the Sociology department. Her teaching and research interests include gender — especially masculinity — inequality, culture, mental health, environmental disasters, and qualitative methods. She received her BA from the University of California, Davis and her MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-415: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

In this course, we will examine the way gender organizes health and medicine, as well as how
the medical system and health practices create and organize gender. Using interdisciplinary
research with a focus on sociological studies, we will interrogate the social, institutional, and
biological links between gender and health. We will discuss health inequalities between women,
men, and trans* individuals from different race, ethnic, and class backgrounds, using
sociological research to understand why these inequalities and forms of difference emerge and
are sustained. We will explore how modern Western medicine views male and female bodies and defines their health and illnesses accordingly. Students will complete two short research projects
over the term in which they use different data sources (interviews and media content) to examine
gendered perceptions of health, health behaviors, help-seeking behaviors, and experiences with
medical institutions.