Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences

Program Purpose

Students who complete this minor will have a theoretical foundation in Sociology, social research methods, and a dynamic perspective on the social factors so critical to understanding health and medicine in contemporary society. Health practices, knowledge, and disease patterns vary by gender, socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic group membership, and age. Moreover, hazardous work and residential environments, high-risk behaviors, and unhealthy lifestyles pose serious threats to health, while access to health care and services are influenced by a variety of social, cultural, economic, and political forces. The Medical Sociology minor will enable students preparing for careers in a health profession to understand the social dynamics and context relevant to their future occupation.