SOCY 1078 Sociology of Health and Illness

This is an undergraduate-level course in the sociology of health and illness, an incredibly broad and fragmented field that frequently overlaps with medical anthropology, public health, and other disciplines. The first half of this course focuses on thesocial roots of sickness. The second half concerns thesocial relations of medicine. While well treat these as relatively autonomous topics, well also spend time addressing the mismatches between the forces that make people sick and the organized reactions to sickness. Well also study a number of general structures and processes that simultaneously affect health and care. For example, well study how capitalism, racism, and sexism make people sick. Well then study how these same systems shape, and are shaped by, medicine.

Course overview

Department
Sociology
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Every Fall

Catalog details

Satisfies core
Social Science

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

  • Environmental Studies: Concentration — Environmental Health: One Social Science Course (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
  • University Core: Social Science (All undergraduates)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Official evaluation summary

4.57 / 5

Based on 237 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Reza Tayari Ashtiani
    Summer 2026
  • Joshua Seim
    Spring 2026, Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Spring 2024 · Official rating 4.76/5
  • Snitselaar Sara
    Fall 2024 · Official rating 4.67/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Summer 2026 · Reza Tayari Ashtiani · On-line Asynchronous · Offered