Accessibility sign

Sociology of Health, Illness, and Disability

SOCY 410
400-Level Courses
Fall 2026
3 Units
In-person
3

Please note that course information listed in the Arts and Science Course Calendar supersedes any information listed on the Sociology website.

For the most current course offerings, registered Queen’s students should consult SOLUS.

Course Description

This class explores the sociology of health, illness, and disability at an advanced undergraduate level. It explores health and class, racialization, colonialism, gender, sexuality, and mental health, and disablement. Weekly tasks include semi-structured discussion, and the course ends with a summative writing assignment. In course assignments and weekly discussion, students will apply sociological perspectives to health outcomes, aurally and in writing. Through these assessments, students will bridge theories of health outcomes with empirical data.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Conceptualize vocabulary to address health, illness, and disability.
  2. Thorough understanding of the key debates in the sociology of health and illness, and their application in qualitative research on health, illness, and disability.
  3. Link theoretical discourse with applied qualitative sociology, with a focus on health equity and inequality.
  4. Express and explore a subfield-specific argument in extended written form, linking theoretical perspectives in the sociology of health and illness to real world issues of health, illness, and disability.