Course Description

This course describes the ways in which society shapes the mental health of its members and further shapes the lives of those who have been identified as mentally ill. With regard to the social origins of mental illness, two distinct approaches are reviewed: One seeks to understand the social conditions and forces that contribute to the kinds of behavior, emotions and thoughts that society identifies as mental illness, whereas the other probes the way in which the concept of mental illness is socially constructed around those behaviors and psychic phenomena. The course also considers the social consequences of mental illness, including the ways in which these responses affect the lives of persons with mental illness and their families.

Course Objectives

1. To understand basic conceptualizations of mental health and their implications for individuals, social groups, society and public health.
2. To identify the social distribution of psychiatric disorders, its origins and its ramifications.
3. To explore the impact of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and age on the risk of disorder and its consequences.

Class Format: Combined lecture and seminar.

Course Requirements

1. Attendance and participation are essential. Participation includes completing all assigned readings prior to class and bringing thoughtful questions that serve as starting points for discussion. Over the course of the quarter, each student will present at least one reading assignment to class and lead discussion of that reading. (45% of grade)

2. A term paper of 15-20 pages in length (double-spaced). The substance of this paper is the student's choice within the broad area of sociocultural aspects of mental health. Students are required to present topics in week 3 and a 1-page outline of their paper to the class at mid-quarter. This presentation will include a clear and concise statement of the goals of the paper, the literature to be reviewed, and the major themes that will be developed in the paper. You should plan to read bibliography that is approximately equal in length to the reading for the class. (55% of grade).

TERM PAPER DUE MONDAY OF FINAL'S WEEK, 6/12/06, 3:00 PM.

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