Scatterplot – the unruly darlings of public sociology



SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL HEALTH SOC 283-QLFall 2019Instructor:Teaching Assistant:Magdalena Szaflarski, Ph.D.TBADepartment of SociologyE-mail: szaflam@uab.edu *Office: Heritage Hall (HHB) 460Q Office hours: By appointment*Use Canvas email for course communication, as instructed below.COURSE DESCRIPTION Just as with physical health, mental health and well-being are essential to successful functioning in human societies. In modern times, mental illness has received increased attention because millions of people worldwide suffer from a mental disorder – many have been diagnosed, but many remain in isolation, and, overall, few receive care and support that they need to carry on their lives. This course will review key sociological aspects of mental health and illness including definitions and social construction of mental health and illness; causes and treatment of mental illness; and, social epidemiology of mental disorders (distribution of mental disorders in a population according to sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, or race/ethnicity). In addition, the course will examine individuals’ experiences of mental illness, community responses, mental health policies and systems, and comparative/cross-national approaches to mental health care. Toward the end of the course, several special topics in mental health and illness will be covered, such as global mental health and the role of religion and spirituality in mental health. COURSE OBJECTIVESThe overarching goal of the course is to ground students in major aspects of the sociology of mental health and illness including theory, methods, and applications. The specific objectives of the course are:To define the problem of mental illnessTo examine types, causes, and social approaches to mental disordersTo understand social epidemiology of mental disordersTo discuss people’s experiences of mental illnessTo review community, public policy, and global approaches to mental health and illness.COURSE STRUCTUREThis course will be delivered and completed online using the Canvas platform. The course schedule, weekly study material, and links to online discussions, assignments, and tests/exams can be accessed under the Modules tab and item-specific tabs (Discussions, Assignments). Power-point slides provide an overview of the reading material and emphasize key concepts and content that need to be studied. Discussions will allow an opportunity to review and critically assess the course content while engaging with other course participants. In addition, discussions will provide a platform to share current news/media items that address social or sociological (science-related) aspects of mental health and illness. Students are also assigned a term paper addressing a selected mental health issue from the sociological perspective, incorporating course material and information from other sources. Further course assessment will be done via regular, module-based quizzes and two exams (midterm and final).REQUIRED BOOKSThere should be used copies of the following books available at the university bookstore or via online vendors:Cockerham, William. 2017. Sociology of Mental Disorder, 10th edition. Routledge. ISBN: 978-1-138-66840-9.Karp, David A. and Gretchen E. Sisson. 2010. Voices from the Inside: Readings on the Experiences of Mental Illness. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-537045-4.OTHER REQUIRED READINGSA few additional required readings will be posted on Canvas under Modules (list below). Some of them will be part of lecture materials (briefs, commentaries). Others will be journal articles that address special topics covered in the second half of the course. Also, current, short media items related to mental health may also be shared on Canvas (sometimes as a Discussion item), either as a required or supplemental/optional reading. Mental Health Research ExamplesWnnerstrom, Ashley et al. 2011. “Community-Based Participatory Development of a Community Health Workder Mental Health Outreach Role to Extend Collaborative Care in Post-Katrina New Orleans.” Ethnicity and Disease 21(3 0 1): S1-45-51.Shepherd, Andrew et al. 2015. “Using Social Media for Support and Feedback by Mental Health Service Users: Thematic Analysis of a Twitter Conversation.” BMC Psychiatry 15:29.Mental Health PoliciesSzaflarski, Magdalena. 2014. “Mental Health Policies, International.” The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society, First Edition. Edited by William C. Cockerham, Robert Dingwall, and Stella R. Quah. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. WHO MIND Project. 2010. “Best Practices: Mental Health Policy and Planning.” World Health Organization.Global Mental HealthWHO. 2012. “The Global Burden of Mental Disorders and the Need for a Comprehensive, Coordinated Response from Health and Social Sectors at the Country Level,” WHA65.4. World Health Organization.Hock, Rebecca, S. et al. 2012. “A New Resolution for Global Mental Health” (comment). The Lancet 379: 1367-8.Collins, Pamela Y. et al. “Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health” (comment). Nature 475: 27-30.Lund, Crick et al. 2012. “Poverty and Mental Disorders: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Low-Income and Middle-Income countries.” PRIME Policy Brief 1 (July).Maj, Mario. 2011. “The Rights of People with Mental Disorders: WPA Perspective” (comment). The Lancet 378: 1534-5.Watters, Ethan. 2010. “The Americanization of Mental Illness.” The New York Times. January 8.Religion, Spirituality, and Mental HealthLake, James. 2012. “Spirituality and Religion in Mental Health: A Concise Review of the Evidence.” Psychiatric Times, March: 34-35.Koenig, Harold. 2009. “Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54(5): 283-291.Other Required MaterialsAmerican Psychiatric Association. 2013. “Cultural Concepts in DSM-5.” (fact sheet)National Alliance on Mental Illness. 2013. “Health Reform and Mental Health.” (fact sheet)Goldsmith, SK et al. 2002. “Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative.” National Academies Press. Chapter 6: Society and Culture.FURTHER RESOURCES (for papers, discussions, etc.)The State of Mental Health in AmericaJournal: Society and Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthThe World Mental Health SurveyCDC Mental HealthCOURSE REQUIREMENTSDiscussionsEach week one or more discussion questions addressing the course material will be posted under Discussions (20% of the course grade). During the course of the week, students are required to post their answers in essay form and respond to at least one other student’s post - evaluating and extending it and posing one or more questions for further discussion. A grading rubric will be provided, listing specific grading criteria. Please review each grading rubric carefully before beginning each discussion assignment. Note that extra points can be earned by actively engaging with multiple other course participants during the course of discussion.The discussion questions will be based on the reading material and external sources. For example, occasionally students will be asked to report a news story addressing social aspects of mental health and illness. At other times, students may be asked to review a website or online statistical source to identify and report specific information regarding mental health and illness.Each discussion will be open for one week and then closed, so students should make sure that they participate in a timely matter. Please pay attention to assignment availability and due dates. Students are allowed to skip two discussions during the course of the semester without penalty - or have their two lowest scores on all discussions dropped from the total discussions grade. It is expected that everyone participating in discussions will respect the rights of others and help provide a good learning environment. Offensive language, discriminatory remarks, etc. will not be tolerated, and grades will be lowered for such behavior accordingly, if necessary.QuizzesQuizzes (10% of the final grade) are assigned almost every week, except for a few quizzes that combine material from a couple of weeks (see Course & Reading Schedule, last column, for details). The quizzes will cover readings and slides for the particular week(s). These quizzes will be short, consisting of 3-5 questions, typically multiple choice, true/false, or short answer, and can be taken multiple times, until you’re satisfied with your score. Students are allowed to skip two quizzes during the course of the semester without penalty - or have their two lowest scores on quizzes dropped from the total Quizzes grade.ExaminationsThere will be two online exams: Midterm (25% of the final grade) and Final (25% of the final grade); see Course & Reading Schedule for exam dates/times. Exams will consist primarily of multiple-choice questions; a couple of short essay questions may also be included. Exam review/guidance will be provided before each exam. Exams will have a specific allotted time frame and must be completed/submitted in one sitting. Please review exam availability and due dates.Term PaperA short research paper on a mental health issue of student’s choice is required (20% of the final grade) and will be due the last week of the course. The paper guidelines and grading rubric are posted on Canvas. A few weeks into the course, students must submit a paper topic with a brief description and have it approved. Papers submitted without the initial approval will not be accepted. Due dates for the topic and complete paper are listed in the Course & Reading Schedule.EXTRA CREDITThere may be extra credit opportunities offered throughout the semester. Stay tuned.SUMMARY OF GRADED WORKThe weighted distribution of the final grade based on the course requirements will be as follows:Discussions20% *Quizzes10% *Midterm exam25%Final exam25%Term paper20%Total 100%* Two lowest scores will be dropped. COURSE GRADESCourse grades will be computed according to the following scale:90-100%A80-89%B70-79%C60-69%DBelow 60%FMISSED WORKAssignments not submitted on the due date will receive 0% credit unless you have an official written excuse (e.g., medical) and/or have made special arrangements with the instructor. Missed exams will receive 0% credit unless you have an official written excuse (e.g., medical) and have made special arrangements with the instructor. Makeup exams will be administered only in cases of officially documented illness and/or officially documented personal/family tragedy. In cases where a student may miss an exam, he or she is responsible for contacting the instructor as soon as possible, preferably before the exam. The instructor reserves the right to make decisions about extenuating circumstances for missed exams and other deadlines on a case-by-case basis.ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICYCanvas-based email will be the main route for communication in this course. In addition, course materials, assessments, and grades will be posted on Canvas. Assignments will be submitted via Canvas Discussions, Exams, and Paper assignment links; instructions will be provided for each required course item.Please communicate with the instructor and the TA by using Canvas email. Only if Canvas is unavailable, use regular UAB email. Please email the TA first. The TA should be able to help you with most of your inquiries or course needs. However, please feel free to contact the professor directly if there is something that is best to be addressed with the professor directly. The instructor or TA will check their email daily Monday through Friday (and weekends, most of the time, but not always) for communication with students and respond, if needed, within 24 hours (except when not available due to illness, conference attendance, etc.).WITHDRAWAL, PASS-FAIL, & AUDIT POLICIESSee University guidelines (UAB website) for withdrawal, pass-fail, and audit policies. Specifically, consult the Registrar’s office () and the Academic Calendar 2019-2020 for important dates – link here. ACADEMIC INTEGRITYThe University rules, including any codes of conduct, and other documented policies of the department, college, and university related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the severity of the misconduct. Please consult the UAB Student Conduct Code for details – link here.DSS Accessibility UAB is committed to providing an accessible learning experience for all students. If you are a student with a disability that qualifies under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and you require accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) for information on accommodations, registration and procedures. Requests for reasonable accommodations involve an interactive process and consist of a collaborative effort among the student, DSS, faculty and staff. If you are registered with Disability Support Services, please contact DSS to discuss accommodations that may be necessary in this course. If you have a disability but have not contacted DSS, please call 934-4205 or visit or Hill Student Center Suite 409. Title IX The University of Alabama at Birmingham is committed to providing an environment that is free from sexual misconduct, which includes gender-based assault, harassment, exploitation, dating and domestic violence, stalking, as well as discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you have experienced any of the aforementioned conduct we encourage you to report the incident. UAB provides several avenues for reporting. For more information about Title IX, policy, reporting, protections, resources and supports, please visit for UAB’s Title IX Policy, UAB’s Equal Opportunity, Anti Harassment Policy and Duty to Report and Non-Retaliation Policy.MODIFICATIONSThis syllabus represents a tentative plan and may be subject to modification by the instructor. Adequate prior notice of any modifications will be given. More detail on specific items in the syllabus may be available under other Canvas items.See COURSE & READING SCHEDULE below.SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL HEALTH (SOC 283-QL)Fall 2019COURSE & READING SCHEDULEWeekDateTopic/ActivitiesRequired ReadingsOther Assignments18/26-8/30Introduction and course overviewDiscussion: IntroductionsProblem of mental disorder and social responsesCockerham, chapter 1 Karp & Sisson, Editor’s IntroductionQuiz 1 (Syllabus content)29/2LABOR DAY HOLIDAY9/3-9/6Types of mental disordersCockerham, chapter 2The mental illness experienceKarp & Sisson, Part I, Introduction through The Eden Express (story #3)Discussion 1Quiz 2 (weeks 1-2 content)39/9-9/13Acting mentally disorderedCockerham, chapter 3Mental disorder: causes and curesCockerham, chapter 4The mental illness experience (cont.)Karp & Sisson, Part II, stories #4 through 6Discussion 2Quiz 3 (week 3)49/16-9/20Mental disorder as deviant social behaviorCockerham, chapter 5Mental disorder: social epidemiologyCockerham, chapter 6Caregivers speakKarp & Sisson, Part II, stories #7-8Discussion 3Quiz 4 (week 4)59/23-9/27Mental disorder: the role of social classCockerham, chapter 7Mental disorder: the role of age, gender, and marital statusCockerham, chapter 8Patient experiences: HospitalizationKarp & Sisson, Part III, stories #9-10Discussion 4Quiz 5 (week 5)69/30-10/4Mental disorder: urban versus rural living and migrationCockerham, chapter 9Mental disorder: the role of raceCockerham, chapter 10Midterm exam reviewPaper topic researchDiscussion 5710/7-10/11Help-seeking behavior and the prepatient experienceCockerham, chapter 11Midterm exam review (cont.)Discussion 6:Midterm ReviewQuiz 6 (week 6-7 content)810/14-10/18MIDTERM EXAM (online via Canvas)Sunday, 10/13 through Tuesday, 10/15, 11:59 p.m.The mental hospital patientCockerham, chapter 12The meanings of medicationKarp & Sisson, Part IV, stories #11-12Paper topic research (cont.)Paper topic & description dueSunday, 10/20 by 11:59 p.m.No discussion or quiz910/21-10/25Residing in the communityCockerham, chapter 13Community care and public policyCockerham, chapter 14The reality of suicideKarp & Sisson, Part V, story #13Special reading: Reducing suicide (see Canvas module)Discussion 7Quiz 7 (week 8-9 content)1010/28-11/1Mental disorder and the lawCockerham, chapter 15Mental health research methodologies: examplesResearch examples/readings (see Canvas module)The stigma of mental illnessKarp & Sisson, Part VI, stories #14-15Discussion 8Quiz 8 (week 10 content)1111/4-11/8Mental disorder and public policy in selected countriesSpecial reading/s on cross-national comparisons (see Canvas module)Mental disorder and public policy in selected countries (cont.)Cockerham, chapter 16Discussion 9No quiz (see Quiz 9 content)1211/11-11/15In the communityKarp & Sisson, Part VII, stories #16-17Term papers Q&ADiscussion 10Quiz 9 (weeks 11-12 content)1311/18-11/22Special topic in mental health:Global mental healthGlobal mental health readings (see Canvas module)Recovering from mental illnessKarp & Sisson, Part VIII, stories #18-19Final exam reviewDiscussion 11Quiz 10 (week 13 content)1411/25-11/29FALL BREAK /HAPPY THANKSGIVING!1512/2-12/6Special topic in mental health:Religion/spirituality in mental healthReligion/spirituality readings (see Canvas module)Course conclusionFinal exam review (cont.)Discussion 12: Final exam reviewQuiz 11 (week 15 content)Paper due Friday, 12/6 by 11:59 p.m.1612/9-12/13FINALS WEEK:FINAL EXAM (online via Canvas)Tuesday, 12/10 through Thursday, 12/12, 11:59 p.m.***Note: Discussions and quizzes typically run from Saturday to Sunday of the following week, except during exam preparation or exam weeks, when the timeframe is synced with the exam review and exam dates. Please review exact dates/times for each discussion and quiz in Canvas.*** ................
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