Ateneo - UPO

The course introduces students to the main concepts and perspectives of general sociology, applying them to the analysis of the relationship between health, illness, and society. Through the study of the contributions of the major classical authors in the discipline, the course explores how health-related phenomena are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and institutional processes. In particular, the course examines the sociological perspective on health and illness, with reference to the key concepts developed by classical and contemporary sociology in order to understand the relationship between individuals and society, as well as between the biological dimension and the social dimension of the experience of health. The contributions of the classical sociologists (including Durkheim, Marx, and Weber) are explored in relation to their relevance for the analysis of health phenomena, social inequalities, institutions, and the organization of care. The course also addresses the social construction of health, illness, and care, considering the processes through which pathological conditions are defined, interpreted, and managed within different social and cultural contexts. Particular attention is devoted to the body as a sociological object, focusing on the processes involved in the social construction of the body, the experience of embodiment in illness, and its implications for the therapeutic relationship and rehabilitation pathways. The course also examines the social determinants of health, analysing the role of socioeconomic, cultural, environmental, and relational factors in shaping the distribution of health and illness within populations, with specific reference to health inequalities. Finally, the course explores the relationship between healthcare professionals, patients, and healthcare systems, focusing on the role of communication, social representations of illness, and patient participation in care and rehabilitation processes. The course also includes a case study on obesity, which serves as an opportunity to apply the sociological concepts addressed during the lectures. Through the presentation and discussion of a research study conducted in this specific pathological context, the course explores the relationships between the body, lifestyles, social inequalities, stigma, individual responsibility, and structural factors, highlighting the complexity of the processes influencing health, prevention, and rehabilitation care.

None. Professor will provide handouts and materials through the DIR - Didattica In Rete platform.

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and conceptual tools of general sociology needed to understand the relationship between health, illness, and society, highlighting how health-related phenomena result from the interaction between biological, social, cultural, economic, and institutional dimensions. The course introduces students to the main concepts and perspectives of classical and contemporary sociology, exploring their relevance for the analysis of health and illness processes, healthcare institutions, forms of care organization, and social inequalities in the field of health. The course also aims to develop a sociological perspective on the body, embodiment, and the experience of illness, with particular attention to the ways in which bodies, lifestyles, and pathological conditions are interpreted and regulated within different social and cultural contexts. A further objective is to provide students with a critical understanding of the social determinants of health, considering the role of socioeconomic, cultural, environmental, and relational factors in shaping health opportunities and influencing care and rehabilitation pathways. Through the use of a case study focused on obesity, the course ultimately aims to encourage the application of sociological concepts to a specific pathological condition, exploring the interactions between the body, stigma, social representations of illness, individual responsibility, and structural factors, with the goal of promoting a complex and multidimensional understanding of health and care processes.

This course has no prerequisites.

The course will emphasize active student participation and interaction, building on students' prior knowledge to promote a critical understanding of the concepts and issues addressed throughout the course. To support this learning process, the course integrates seminar-style discussions, practical exercises, and simulation activities.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and support tools by contacting the Career Development and Student Services Coordination Staff and consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studenti-disabili-e-dsa Additionally, students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN are encouraged to contact the course teacher to clarify or define the specific exam arrangements. The second year training report will contain elements of analysis of the organization

The exam consists of a written test covering the topics and issues addressed during the course. The assessment includes both the first part of the course, focused on theoretical approaches, and the second part, which explores medicalization, the body and embodiment, the social determinants of health, and the experience of illness, also in relation to the case study.

1. Introduction to sociology: the origins, subject matter, and perspectives of the discipline. 2. Health, illness, and society (Durkheim, Marx, Parsons). 3.
Power, the body, and inequalities: Foucauldian, feminist, and Bourdieusian perspectives. 4. Medicalization, the role of the patient, and the experience of illness. 5. The body, embodiment, and the social determinants of health. 6. Obesity and care: a case study of a socially complex condition involving stigma, social networks, and rehabilitation pathways

At the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge and conceptual tools useful for understanding the relationship between health, illness, and society, recognizing the multidimensional nature of health-related phenomena and the role of social, cultural, economic, and institutional components in health and care processes. In particular, students will be able to: gain a deep understanding of some of the main concepts and perspectives of general sociology and the sociology of health, with particular reference to the contributions of major classical and contemporary authors; identify the contribution of selected sociological theories to the analysis of health-related phenomena, healthcare institutions, relationships between healthcare professionals and patients, and social inequalities in health; understand the processes through which health, illness, the body, and pathological conditions are defined and interpreted within different social and cultural contexts; analyse the role of medicalization, social representations of illness, and patients’ subjective experiences in care and rehabilitation pathways; recognize the influence of the social determinants of health and their impact on the distribution of health and illness conditions within populations, with particular attention to social inequalities; apply the sociological concepts acquired during the course to the analysis of a specific case study on obesity, interpreting the interactions between the body, stigma, lifestyles, individual responsibility, structural factors, and social networks; develop critical reflection on the role of physiotherapists in their relationship with patients, considering the social and relational dimensions that influence healthcare and rehabilitation processes.