Chapter 19 Projects

Project Assignment

Purpose

Medical sociologists study the effects of health and medicine on societies. The purpose of this project is to give you a better understanding of pandemics and how they change societies and their health systems.

Directions

Part 1

Separate into groups of four or five. Each group will be assigned a pandemic or epidemic that has occurred in the last two hundred years to research. Some pandemics or epidemics that might be assigned are smallpox, cholera, the Spanish flu, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19.

Once the groups have their assigned pandemics, all group members will research in order to answer the following questions:

• When, where, and how did the pandemic begin?

• When did it end, if it ended?

• What were the symptoms?

• Which countries or parts of countries were affected? Why?

• What segments of the population were hit the hardest? Think about gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, etc.

• How many lives were lost?

• How was the pandemic researched and approached medically?

• How was the pandemic researched and approached socially?

• How did the type of health care system in place affect treatment strategies?

• How was the pandemic discussed politically?

• How was the pandemic discussed by the media?

• How did nationality, politics, and media coverage affect treatment strategies?

• For those who survived after contracting the disease, what were the lingering health issues, if any?

• How did the medical field change due to the pandemic?

• How did society as a whole change due to the pandemic?

• How did society's view of people hit the hardest by the pandemic change, if it did?

Once the group members have gathered all their research, the group will incorporate all research into one presentation. Consider using videos, images, and graphics to create a more engaging presentation.

Part 2

All groups will present their information to the class. When your group is not presenting, pay attention to the other presentations, and make note of anything that you didn't know before or that you found interesting.

Part 3

After all the groups have presented, gather back into your original groups and discuss what you have learned from the other presentations. Brainstorm ways to stop another pandemic from occurring along with any social, political, and health care practices that you believe need to be changed.

Materials

Access to sources on pandemics; presentation software

Checklist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Writing Assignment

Purpose

Society and culture can dictate how illnesses are classified and how those affected are treated. The purpose of this writing assignment is to gain insight into how societies view and treat people with mental health issues.

Directions

First, choose one of the following groups of conditions:

• Anxiety and agoraphobia

• Depression and bipolar disorder

• ADHD and schizophrenia

Next, conduct research on the pair of conditions you have chosen. Make sure to address each of the following questions:

• How has society and the medical profession historically approached treatment for people living with these disorders?

• How does society today view people living with each disorder, and how are medical professionals currently treating their patients? Why?

• How does popular culture present people living with these disorders?

• Were people living with these disorders stereotyped or stigmatized, and are they still today?

• How might popular culture affect treatment strategies?

• Does a person's gender, race, socioeconomic status, and/or sexual orientation affect how a society views and treats individuals living with these disorders? How so?

• What do you know about people living with these disorders, and what have you assumed about the people that have them?

• How has your views about people living with these disorders changed after researching?

Finally, write a three- to four-page paper in APA style that includes what you found during your research as well as a personal reflection about the people living with the disorders you have chosen (i.e., what you previously thought and what you have learned). Make sure your work is free from spelling or grammatical errors, and all sources are cited correctly.

Materials

Access to sources on mental health disorders; word processing software

Checklist