Author:
OER Librarian
Subject:
Sociology
Material Type:
Module
Level:
Community College / Lower Division
Provider:
Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
Tags:
  • Oss0212
  • Sociology
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Text/HTML

    Recognize the social basis of health and illness by comparing cross-national/cultural health disparities

    Overview

    OER Text Materials

    Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Section: 18.2

    Section 2 begins by summarizing international disparities in health and illness. Several tables and figures illustrate these disparities, but some of these are fairly dated, for example one figure is based on data from 2004. The section concludes with a brief discussion of healthcare in industrialized nations. This section focuses on a brief description of differences in who pays for healthcare across countries. A notable weakness of this chapter is a lack of discussion of the relationship between culture and health and cross-cultural competency.

    Supplementary Material (Videos and Reading)

    1. 10 Facts On Health Inequities And Their Causes
      This World Health Organization source provides a great overview of health inequities including a definition and explanation of why they exist. It is set up as a slide show and is easy for students to navigate.
       
    2. Consider Culture, Customs and Beliefs – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
      This source provides a brief description of why culture impacts health and includes definitions of key terms related to culture and health. It could be used as a starting point for a discussion on culture and health and is appropriate for an introduction to sociology course.
       
    3. Culture and Health Literacy
      A great summary of the relationship between culture and health, with a focus on the impact of culture on communication in healthcare settings. The site includes a number of links to other especially useful links. It is a great source for students to explore and consider how culture is and is not considered in healthcare settings.