SOCI 4445 - Sociology of Mental Illness

3 Class Hours 0 Laboratory Hours 3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 or PSYC 1101 or permission of the instructor.
This course examines the social aspects of mental illness. Mental illness is not just a psychological or biological affliction. Because it is also, in part, socially created and controlled, the course is designed to help students understand who gets labeled “sick” and why. Included are a review of the social history of mental illness and an examination of the institutions assigned to manage it. Among the topics considered will be how mental disorder is defined and diagnosed, and how it is treated. Also considered will be the social factors that influence its severity and course. One of the questions addressed will be whether all “mental disorders” are “diseases.” The applicability of a resocialization model to this issue will likewise be studied. Finally, the ethical aspects of all of these approaches will be considered.