Proposal For A “Health And Society” Minor At Rutgers

Proposal for a “Health and Society” Minor at Rutgers University Submitted by: Department of Sociology (Deborah Carr, Chair; Paul McLean, Undergraduate Director) Spring 2013

With the impending integration of Rutgers University and UMDNJ, we are at an opportune moment for the creation of a Health and Society minor, to be housed in the Sociology department at Rutgers. This minor would give students the opportunity to study physical and mental health, health behaviors and practices, and health care institutions in social, cultural, national, and global contexts.

The Rutgers Sociology department is one of the strongest medical sociology programs in the United States, and we currently offer many popular undergraduate courses on health. Our proposed minor program would also draw on the strengths of and courses offered in other SAS departments including Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Psychology (See Appendices A and B). We are purposely limiting the minor to courses offered by SAS, for administrative ease. However, if the Health & Society minor proves successful, we ultimately plan to propose a University-wide Health & Society major, which draws on courses offered at SAS, School of Biological and Health Sciences, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, School of Communication and Information, and other units on campus offering courses in social and behavioral approaches to understanding health, health behaviors, and health policy.

A Sociology-based minor in Health and Society could be very popular and valuable to Rutgers undergraduates. Informal conversations with dozens of undergraduate sociology students have revealed that many undergraduates who are pre-Med or who are majoring in “hard sciences” such as biology also take several sociology courses because they recognize its importance to their careers as future health care providers or researchers. A full understanding of topics such as social inequalities in health, doctor-patient interactions, cultural influences on health behaviors, medical decision-making, and biological versus social explanations for mental and physical health disorders, is an essential component of a well-rounded education for future health care professionals. The medical community agrees; in 2012, the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) added a new required Sociology module. Additionally, medical educators now emphasize the importance of social sciences in training physicians with effective communication skills and a better understanding of patients (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/pre- meds-new-priorities-heart-and-soul-and-social-science.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0).

Rutgers would not be the first university to have a Health and Society program. However, we would be joining a group of elite major universities – each of which is also home to a prestigious medical school – to offer such a program. These universities, including Cornell, Emory, Indiana, University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt, currently offer very popular concentrations in Health and Society. Their program guidelines and course offerings provided a roadmap for our creation of such a minor in the Rutgers sociology department (see Appendix C).

1 Appendix A provides a tentative listing of sociology faculty who would serve as core faculty, as well as sociology courses that we propose as required and/or elective courses for the minor. We have also provided a list of courses from other departments that would count toward the minor degree. These course listings have been approved by each department’s Undergraduate Director and/or Chair, who also offered enthusiastic support for the proposed minor.

The Health and Society minor would require at least six courses totaling 18 credits, including both upper- and lower-level courses. Three “core courses” in sociology are required: Introduction to Sociology (920:101); Sociology of Medicine and Health Care (920: 210); and Sociology of Mental Illness (920: 307). Students are required to take at least one additional addition elective course in Sociology, out of a list of 10 possible courses. Efforts are under way in the Sociology department to introduce two new, regularly offered courses on Social Inequalities in Health, and Race, Science & Medicine. When finalized and approved, these two courses will be added to the list of Sociology department elective courses for the minor.

Students also are required to take at least two elective courses from more than two dozen relevant courses offered by affiliated departments; no more than two may be selected from a single department. Only one course for the minor is allowed to overlap with the major. To further ensure breadth, students may take no more than two of the following three courses focused on substance use: (Sociology 361: Sociology of Drug Use; History 322: Drugs, A Social History; and Psych 272: Drugs and Human Behavior), and no more than two of the following four courses focused on medical ethics (Philosophy 105/106: Current Moral and Social Issues; Philosophy 107/108: Introduction to Ethics; Philosophy 249: Bioethics; or Religion 221: Ethical Issues, Religious Responses). Specific course listings are presented below, along with tentative language to describe the minor in the Rutgers course catalog.

2 Appendix A. Sociology Faculty and Courses for the Health and Society Minor

Affiliated Faculty Sharon Bzostek Deborah Carr Jeanette Covington Steve Hansell Allan Horwitz Joanna Kempner Catherine Lee Julie Phillips Sarah Rosenfield Kristen Springer Helene White

Required Sociology Courses 01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits) 01:920:210 Sociology of Medicine and Health Care (3 credits) 01:920:307 Sociology of Mental Illness (3 credits)

Elective Sociology Courses: A Least One Course Must be Selected from the Following 01:920:227 Population and Society (3 credits) 01:920:303 Social Gerontology (3 credits) 01:920:332 Social Inequalities (3 credits) 01:920:335 Health and Inequality (3 credits) 01:920:359 Environmental Sociology (3 credits) 01:920:361 Sociology of Drug Use (3 credits)* 01:920:410 Sociology of Alcohol Problems (3 credits) 01:920:433 Race, Science, and Medicine (3 credits) 01:920:434 Social Science and Public Policy (3 credits) 01:920:438 Sociology of Age (3 credits) 01:920:440 Sexuality and Society (3 credits) 01:920:462 Sociology of Selected Institutions (3 credits)

3 Appendix B. Other SAS Courses Proposed for Health and Society Minor

At least two electives must be selected from the following course offerings. No more than two courses can be taken from each department, to ensure breadth of study.

Africana Studies 01:014:347: Health Issues in the African-American Community (3 credits)

Anthropology 01:070:307 Medical Anthropology (3 credits)

Biology 01:119:150 Biology, Society, and Biomedical Issues (3 credits) 01:119:154 Genetics, Law, and Social Policy (3 credits)

Economics 01:220:316 Health Economics (3 credits) *** 01:220:348 Economics of Social Welfare Programs ***

Genetics 01:447:354 Social, Legal and Ethical Implications of the New Genetics (3 credits) ***

History 01:506:226 Contemporary Challenges in International Health (3 credits) 01:508:328 History of Health and Healing In Africa (3 credits) 01:508:322 Black Death to Obesity Epidemic: History of Public Health in the West (3 credits) 01:512:121 Health and Environment in America (3 credits) 01:512:225 Sexuality in America (3 credits) 01:512:321 Health Care and Society in America (3 credits) 01:512:322 Drugs: A Social History (3 credits)*

Philosophy 01:730:105 or 106 Current Moral and Social Issues (3 or 4 credits)** 01:730:107 or 108 Introduction to Ethics (3 or 4 credits)** 01:730:249 Bioethics (3 credits)**

Political Science 01:790:290 Politics and Social Policy: Lessons from Europe (3 credits)

Psychology 01:830:101 General Psychology (3 credits) 01:830:272 Drugs And Human Behavior* (3 credits) 01:830:333 Adolescent Development (3 credits) 01:830:335 Adult Development and Aging (3 credits) 01:830:340 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) 01:830:377 Health Psychology (3 credits)

4 Religion 01:840:112 Death and Afterlife (3 credits) 01:840:221 Ethical Issues, Religious Responses (3 credits)**

Women’s Studies 01:988:240 Gender and Science (3 credits) 01:988:487 Language of Women’s Health and Health Policy (3 credits)

Notes: * Students may take no more than two of the following three courses: 01:920:361 Sociology of Drug Use (3 credits) 01:512:322 Drugs: A Social History (3 credits) 01:830:272 Drugs And Human Behavior

** Students may take no more than two of the following four courses: 01:730:105 or 106 Current Moral and Social Issues (3 or 4 credits) 01:730:107 or 108 Introduction to Ethics (3 or 4 credits) 01:730:249 Bioethics (3 credits) 01:840:221 Ethical Issues, Religious Responses (3 credits)

*** denotes 1 or more pre-requisites

5 Appendix C. Examples of Course Offerings and Requirements for Academic Majors, Minors and Certificates in Health & Society at Other Universities

Brandeis University: Health, Science, Society and Policy http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/hssp/

Cornell University: Human Biology, Health and Society http://www.human.cornell.edu/che/DNS/academic/hbhsin.cfm

Emory University: Global Health, Culture and Society http://www.emory.edu/CHCS/index.html

Indiana University: Health Studies http://www.indiana.edu/~bulletin/iub/phb/2012-2013/undergraduate/minors/health-studies.shtml

University of British Columbia: Health and Society http://heso.arts.ubc.ca/

University of Pennsylvania: Health and Societies http://hss.sas.upenn.edu/hsoc

Vanderbilt University: Medicine, Health and Society http://www.vanderbilt.edu/mhs/undergraduate/minor/

6 Appendix D: Proposed Text for Course Catalog

The interdisciplinary minor in Health and Society consists of at least six courses, which must include 01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology; 01:920:210 Sociology of Medicine and Health Care; and 01: 920: 307 Sociology of Mental Illness. In addition, at least one elective must be taken in the Sociology department, and at least two electives from other SAS departments affiliated with the minor (see list below). No more than one course may also be counted toward one’s major, and no more than two electives may be taken from within the same department (except Sociology).

Courses approved for satisfaction of minor requirements include the following:

01: 014:347: Health Issues in the African-American Community (3 credits) 01: 070:307 Medical Anthropology (3 credits) 01: 119: 150 Biology, Society, and Biomedical Issues (3 credits) 01: 119: 154 Genetics, Law, and Social Policy (3 credits) 01: 220: 316 Health Economics (3 credits) *** 01: 220: 348 Economics of Social Welfare Programs *** 01: 447: 354 Social, Legal and Ethical Implications of the New Genetics (3 credits) 01: 506: 226 Contemporary Challenges in International Health (3 credits) 01: 508: 328 History of Health and Healing In Africa (3 credits) 01: 508: 322 Black Death to Obesity Epidemic: History of Public Health in the West (3 credits) 01: 512: 121 Health and Environment In America (3 credits) 01: 512: 225 Sexuality in America (3 credits) 01: 512: 321 Health Care and Society in America (3 credits) 01: 512: 322 Drugs: A Social History (3 credits)* 01: 730: 105 or 106 Current Moral and Social Issues (3 or 4 credits)** 01: 730: 107 or 108 Introduction to Ethics (3 or 4 credits)** 01: 730: 249 Bioethics (3 credits)** 01: 790: 290 Politics and Social Policy: Lessons from Europe (3 credits) 01: 830: 101 General Psychology (3 credits) 01: 830:272 Drugs And Human Behavior* (3 credits) 01: 830: 333 Adolescent Development (3 credits) 01: 830:335 Adult Development and Aging (3 credits) 01: 830:340 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) 01: 830:377 Health Psychology (3 credits) 01: 840: 112 Death and Afterlife (3 credits) 01: 840: 221 Ethical Issues, Religious Responses (3 credits)** 01: 920:227 Population and Society (3 credits) 01: 920:303 Social Gerontology (3 credits) 01: 920: 332 Social Inequalities (3 credits) 01: 920:359 Environmental Sociology (3 credits) 01: 920:361 Sociology of Drug Use (3 credits)* 01: 920:410 Sociology of Alcohol Problems (3 credits) 01: 920:434 Social Science and Public Policy (3 credits) 01: 920:438 Sociology of Age (3 credits)

7 01: 920:440 Sexuality and Society (3 credits) 01:920:462 Sociology of Selected Institutions (3 credits) 01: 988: 240 Gender and Science (3 credits) 01: 988: 487 Language of Women’s Health and Health Policy (3 credits)

* Students may take no more than two of the following three courses: 01: 920:361 Sociology of Drug Use (3 credits) 01: 512: 322 Drugs: A Social History (3 credits) 01: 830:272 Drugs And Human Behavior

** Students may take no more than two of the following four courses: 01: 730: 105 or 106 Current Moral and Social Issues (3 or 4 credits) 01: 730: 107 or 108 Introduction to Ethics (3 or 4 credits) 01: 730: 249 Bioethics (3 credits) 01: 840: 221 Ethical Issues, Religious Responses (3 credits)

*** denotes 1 or more pre-requisites