Social Anthropology of Health
Courses
Cod: 41057
Department: DCSG
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Health Sciences
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

This course aims to understand health and disease as cultural and social constructions. The learning process goes through the analysis of the roles and the social logic of institutions linked to the illness. The relationship between health and society is analyzed through theoretical perspectives on social inequalities in illness and death and through the framing of subjective experiences of individual health and disease in the cultural and social context. The theoretical approach is rooted in sociological and anthropological studies and is complemented with practical examples.

1 - Health, Society and Culture
2 - Medical Institution
3 - Social inequalities in health
4 - lay rationalities of health and illness

In accordance with the objectives, it is intended that at the end of this Course, the student has acquired the following competencies:
- interpret and analyze sociologically health and disease, health organizations, health-care systems and a plurality of rationalities, etc.;
- Understanding health / disease as social and cultural fact;
- see medicine as a social institution;
- reflect critically about data on health and disease;
- understand the attitudes and behaviors of health and illness in social and cultural context.

Concepts of health and disease
 Medicine as a modern institution
 Social inequalities in health
 Life Experiences with Health and Disease/ The cultural context in relation to health / disease
 Popular knowledge as a cultural system and Lay Rationalities


 

ALVES, Fátima (Org); Silva, Luisa; Fontes, Breno; Luz, Madel Terezinha (Coord). (2013). Saúde Medicina e Sociedade: uma visão Sociológica. Lisboa: Pactor, Lidel.
ALVES, F. A doença mental nem sempre é doença – racionalidades leigas sobre saúde e doença mental. Porto: Edições Afrontamento, 2011.
ALVES, F.; Backstrom, B. (2012). Saúde & Multiculturalidade. Revista Forum Sociológico, CESNOVA, FCSH-UNL, Serie II, nº 22, ISSN 0872-8380
ALVES, F.; Backstrom, B., (2012). “Lidar com a doença mental – a pluralidade de sistemas de cuidados e de itinerários terapêuticos: análise comparativa de dois estudos efectuados junto de duas populações residentes em Portugal”, Saúde e Sociedade, São Paulo, vol.21, n.3, pp. 543-557. ISSN 0104-1290.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902012000300003.
CARAPINHEIRO Graça (2005), ?Do Bio-Poder ao Poder Médico?, Revista Estudos do Século XX-Ciência, Saúde e Poder, nº. 5, pp. 383-398.

CARAPINHEIRO, G. (1993). Saberes e Poderes no Hospital: Uma Sociologia dos serviços Hospitalares. Porto: Edições Afrontamento
NETO, Cecília; Alves, Fátima (2012). “A Experiência Subjectiva com a Doença Mental Crónica: Estudo exploratório com sujeitos diagnosticados com depressão crónica”. In Revista Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas, N.º70 , Setembro, 2012, pp. 111-129. DOI:10.7458/SPP2012701213, Lisboa, ISCTE. Disponivel em: http://sociologiapp.iscte.pt/pdfs/10300/10445.pdf
SILVA, L.; Alves, Fátima (2011). Compreender as racionalidades leigas sobre saúde e doença, in Physis Revista de Saúde Coletiva, Rio de Janeiro, 21 (4): 1207-1229.
ROSA, Rosário; Alves, Fátima; Ferreira da Silva; Luisa (2011). Protagonismos alternativos em saúde – contexto teórico de uma pesquisa compreensiva. In RECIIS – R. Eletr. de Com. Inf. Inov. Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, v5, n.4, Dez., [www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br] e-ISSN 1981-6278  DOI:10.3395/reciis.v5i4.554pt
SILVA, Luísa Ferreira da, Sócio-Antropologia da Saúde - Sociedade, Cultura e Saúde / Doença, Lisboa, Universidade Aberta, 2004.


 

E-learning.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 or 3 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a presence-based final exam (p-folio) in the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final presence-based exam (100%).

It is crucial that students consult frequently the couse in:
 www.moodle.univ-ab.pt/moodle/ .