340.628.98 SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY

Provides students with a systematic and selective overview of conceptual approaches and research findings related to the impact of social context on the health of various populations. Each session highlights a different area of research on the frontier of this emerging field. Among the social processes examined are 1) social inequalities (including social class differences as well as the effects of income inequality per se), 2)social capital and social cohesion, 3) social networks and support, 4) neighborhood characteristics, and 5) racism and discrimination. Emphasizes extending the causal chain thought to be associated with patterns of acute and chronic disease to include “upstream” factors related to social context. Includes discussion of methods related to the study of social factors across multiple levels; however, this is not intended to be a methods course. Taught as a seminar with limited lecture matter.