Unit of Study NURS1004 - Narratives of Health and Illness (2022)

Unit description

Examines the meaning of narrative and the health consumer’s narrative through sociological analysis linked to historical, cultural, social, structural and individual constructs.  How these constructs influence narratives and meaning of health, illness and disease are explored. The consumer narrative across the lifespan is explored with a particular focus on vulnerable groups.

Unit content

• The social construction of health and illness: historical, cultural, structural and individual factors, the social determinants of health, gender and social class, the social model of health
• Health inequalities in Australia
• The construction and meaning of narratives related to health, illness and disease; the health consumer’s narrative
• Culture, ethnicity, health and illness
• Cultural awareness and competence
• Indigenous health and illness: The effect of colonization on the health outcomes of Indigenous Australians
• Key social determinants of health and their trends for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including access, funding, housing, employment, infrastructure and education
• Narratives of mental health
• Narratives of gendered health
• Ageing and ageism, health and illness
• Attitudes to terminal illness, dying and death
• Health perception, stress and coping
• Acute and chronic illness
• Skills of conducting a narrative
• Narratives in Living Libraries
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ history, cultural identity, beliefs and values with a particular focus on the burden of disease