SOC 458/658 Sociology of Mental Health
Instructor: Marta Elliott
IMPORTANT: These course details are subject to change without notice. Students must
refer to the course site for current assignment details, course policies, and additional
information. Please refer to the online syllabus in your course site for additional policies and
information concerning this class.
Welcome and Introduction
Meet Your Instructor
Marta Elliott
My name is Marta Elliott and I am your Sociology 458/658 instructor for this term. I have
been teaching Sociology at UNR since 1996 and studying sociology since I was a college
student way back in the 1980s! I received my PhD in Sociology in 1995 from Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore, MD, although I am originally from Iowa City, IA.
My areas of specialization include the sociology of mental and physical health. For instance,
I study mental health differences between men and women, and the health consequences of
military service. You may find that I use a lot of examples from my own research in
teaching you this introduction to sociology.
Like many of you, I enjoy getting out into nature and hiking, cycling, kayaking, and skiing. I
also sing in a choir, and make and design jewelry when I have time. I look forward to
getting to know each and every one of you better as we make this journey together.
Contacting Your Instructor
Whenever you need to contact me, the quickest way will be to send me a message via Web
Campus. I will respond to your message within twenty-four hours, Monday through Friday.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for what might seem like the slightest concern. I am
here to help you succeed in this course, and beyond.
Course Description
This is a general capstone course on sociological approaches to understanding mental health
and illness. Students who take this course will learn about how mental illness is defined and
measured, and how it varies according to social class, race/ethnicity, and gender. Students
will come to understand the social antecedents of psychological distress and mental
disorder, including how stress exposure, personal and social resources interact in explaining
why social position affects mental health. Students will also learn about how mental health
is affected by the major social institutions in which people live their lives, including their
families, jobs, and neighborhoods. Finally, students will become familiar with how the
general public perceives people with mental illness, and how stigma and labeling influence
mental health. Through intensive and in-depth reading, writing, and discussion, students in
this course will come to appreciate the complex and indefinite nature of mental illness in our
society. Students will be challenged to juggle multiple “realities‟ simultaneously, such as the
possibilities that mental illness is socially constructed yet deeply felt; biologically-based yet
responsive to environmental conditions; and humorous yet deadly serious.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
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explain the major differences between how psychiatry, psychology, and sociology
approach the topic of mental health and illness;
recall key terms from psychiatric epidemiology as well as key issues related to the
measurement of mental illness;
identify how socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and gender are related to mental
health and illness;
describe the ways in which employment, marriage, and parenthood affect mental
health and illness;
summarize how religiosity and neighborhood conditions affect mental health and
illness; and
understand how labeling and stigma impact people with mental illness.
Required Textbooks and Materials
Textbooks
The required textbooks will be available for purchase online or at the Nevada Wolf Shop.
Please note that you must have acquired your texts prior to the first day of the course.
Aneshensel, Carol S., Jo C. Phelan, and Alex Bierman, Editors. Handbook of the Sociology of
Mental Health, 2nd edition. Springer: New York, 2012. ISBN: 978-9400742758.
Accessibility of Required Materials
Please note that 365 Learning has made every effort to ensure that the required materials
in our courses are universally accessible. If you require specific accessibility
accommodations it is your responsibility to review the course material and contact 365
Learning and the Disability Resource Center at the start of the semester.
Exam Materials
ProctorU Required Materials
You will be required to complete at least one proctored exam in this course. For more
information on taking your proctored exam, please see the Examinations page of the
syllabus.
Students may choose to take their proctored exams through ProctorU, an external service
that allows students to complete their required supervised exams online from any location.
Exams taken through ProctorU require specific hardware, which is the responsibility of the
student to provide.
In order to test through ProctorU, you will need:
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A reliable computer running Windows XP (or higher) or Mac OS X (or higher).
A webcam with 640×480 video pixel resolution or higher. Webcams built into laptops
or computer monitors are usually sufficient.
Headphones or working speakers connected to the computer.
A working microphone connected to the computer. A webcam with a built-in
microphone is recommended.
A web browser with Adobe Flash Player installed. Flash Player 10 is recommended.
A reliable, high-speed Internet connection (minimum 768 Kbps download speed /
384 Kbps upload speed).
The authority to allow remote access—video and screen-sharing connections—to the
computer by one of ProctorU’s proctors. (The proctor will walk you through this
authorization process.)
In addition to the above technical requirements, you will need a handheld mirror during
your testing appointment. If your camera is built into your computer monitor, ProctorU will
ask you to hold up a mirror so your proctor can see the edges of your screen.
Who Is Online Learning?
Online Learning is a program run by 365 Learning office at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In addition to Online Learning, 365 Learning includes Summer Session, Wintermester,
Weekend Classes, Evening Classes, and Freshman Start, all of which strive to offer students
convenient options for higher education.
Online Learning’s main mission is to provide students the opportunity to take quality
courses via individualized methods of learning that are not bound by time or place. Our
team develops and maintains online courses and provides the essential support students
need during their online learning experience.
Our editors and designers assist faculty in the design and development of online classes.
After the classes are live and running, 365 Learning is whom you contact if you need help.
While questions related to course content—such as assignments and readings—should be
directed to your instructor, we are here to assist with everything else. Questions about
proctored testing, checking out loan items, or problems with your course site? Those are
questions for our team.
How to Contact Us
Mailing Address:
365 Learning
University of Nevada, Reno/0365
Reno, NV 89557 USA
Location:
University of Nevada, Reno Campus
Continuing Education Building
1041 N. Virginia St., Room 225
Reno, NV
Phone: (775) 784-4652 or 1-800-233-8928
Fax: (775) 784-1280
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday
This Semester at a Glance
This is a suggested outline only. The instructor may change the topics or schedule as
needed.
Week/Dates
Learning Modules
Assignments
Week 1:
September 1–7
Overview of the Sociology of Mental
Health
Read chapters 1 & 6
Quiz
Discussion
Week 2:
September 8–14
Perspectives on the Nature of Mental
Illness
Read chapters 2–4
Discussion
Quiz
First Grad Assignment
Week 3:
The Social Distribution of Mental Illness Read chapters 7 & 9
September 15–21 Part I: Methodology, Psychiatric
Discussion
Epidemiology
Quiz
Revised First Grad Assignment
Week 4:
The Social Distribution of Mental Illness Read chapters 11 & 12
September 22–28 Part II: Social Class, Race, and Gender Discussion
Quiz
Presentations as assigned
Grad Annotated Bibliography
Week 5:
September 29–
October 5
Social Antecedents of Mental Illness
Part I: Social Stressors
Read chapters 13 & 14
Discussion
Quiz
Presentations as assigned
Undergrad Paper 1
Grad Literature Review
Week 6:
October 6–12
Social Antecedents of Mental Illness
Part II: Personal and Social Resources
Read chapters 15, 16, & 18
Discussion
Quiz
Presentations as assigned
Grad Conceptual Model &
Hypotheses
Week/Dates
Learning Modules
Assignments
Week 7:
October 13–19
Social Support, Sense of Control, and
Mental Health
Read chapters 17 & 19
Discussion
Quiz
Presentations as assigned
Undergrad Paper
Grad Data & Methods
Week 8:
October 20–26
Social Institutions and Mental Illness
Part II: Work and Family
Read chapters 20 & 21
Discussion
Quiz
Presentations as assigned
Grad Expected Results &
Implications
Week 9:
October 27–
November 2
Social Institutions and Mental Illness
Part II: Religion and Neighborhoods
Read chapters 22 & 23
Discussion
Quiz
Undergrad Paper
Grad Complete Draft
Schedule Final Exam
Week 10:
November 3–9
Societal Response to Mental Illness:
Stereotypes and Stigma
Read chapters 5 & 25
Discussion
Quiz
Grad Final Draft
Proctored Final Exam: November 10–14
Grading
Point Distribution
Grades will be awarded based upon your performance on the aforementioned course
requirements.
Assignment
Undergrad
Points
Grad
Points
Discussions (ten worth 15 points each)
150
150
Quizzes (ten worth 20 points each)
200
200
Undergraduate short papers (three worth 100 points each)
300
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Presentations and group participation
150
150
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300
200
200
1000
1000
Graduate Written Assignment
Final Exam
Total Possible
Grade Scale
The following scale will be used to determine letter grades:
A
93–100%
C
73–76.9%
A-
90–92.9%
C-
70–72.9%
B+ 87–89.9%
D+ 67–69.9%
B
83–86.9%
D
63–66.9%
B-
80–82.9%
D-
60–62.9%
F
below 60%
C+ 77–79.9%
Discussions
Original discussion response due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Thursdays
Response to a classmate due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sundays
Value: 15 points per week
Late submissions will not be accepted
Discussion prompts will be related to what is going on in class. For example, they may ask
you to reflect further on the lecture or reading material, or to present what you plan to write
about for one of your papers.
By 11:59 p.m. on Friday of each week, the students will be required to post their original
response to the prompt (roughly a short paragraph in length). Students will then be
required to read through the original posts made by their classmates and respond to at least
one by no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
Quizzes
Due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sundays
Value: 20 points each
Each week there is a quiz to test your knowledge of the narrated PowerPoints, lecture notes,
and the assigned readings. The quizzes consist of multiple choice questions. You should
complete reading the lecture notes AND the assigned readings BEFORE you take the
quizzes.
Presentation Assignment
Initial presentation posting due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Thursdays, as assigned
Response to a classmate due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sundays of weeks 4–8
Value: 100 points for the presentation posting (one time only) and 10 points each week for
participation in group discussions
Instructions for Presentations
Each student will be placed into a smaller “discussion group” for the purposes of sharing
individual presentations with a small group of your peers.
Subject List
Each student will be assigned an individual topic and due date for posting your presentation.
Your presentation must include a set of discussion questions at the end that prompts the
other members of your group to participate, based on what you have taught them. All
members of each group will be required to view each other’s presentations and participate
in the discussion. You, the presenter, will be expected to moderate the discussion by
responding to your group members’ posts.
Here is a list of potential topics. During the second week of class, you will be asked to
submit a list of your top three choices, rank-ordered, for your presentation.
1. Mental illness and creativity
2. The insanity defense in criminal cases
3. Mental illness in the media
4. The mental health consumer movement
5. The mental health consequences of military service
6. Psychopharmacology and mental illness
7. Diagnosis of mental illness in children
8. Culture-bound syndromes or mental illnesses in other cultures
9. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment of mental illness
10. Mental illness among inmates in the criminal justice system
Presentations will begin during week 4 of the class and continue through week 8. Each
week one to two members of your group will individually give a presentation and the rest of
the group will view it and participate in the group discussion. Please note this means in
some weeks you may be required to view two presentations on the same topic, depending
on the number of presenters per group.
Presentations will be due to be posted to your group on Thursdays by 11:59 p.m. (PT), and
group participation will be due by Sundays by 11:59 p.m. (PT).
Week
Topics
Presentations Group
posted by
activity
Week 4 Mental illness and creativity;
The insanity defense in criminal cases
11:59 on
Thursday
11:59 p.m.
on Sunday
Week 5 Mental illness in the media;
The mental health consumer movement
11:59 on
Thursday
11:59 p.m.
on Sunday
Week 6 The mental health consequences of military service;
Psychopharmacology and mental illness
11:59 on
Thursday
11:59 p.m.
on Sunday
Week 7 Diagnosis of mental illness in children; Culture-bound 11:59 on
syndromes or mental illnesses in other cultures
Thursday
11:59 p.m.
on Sunday
Week 8 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment of mental
illness; Mental illness among inmates in the criminal
justice system
11:59 p.m.
on Sunday
11:59 on
Thursday
Presentation Requirements
Presentations should include the following components:
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Multi-media presentation using presentation software, such as PowerPoint or PREZI.
Some resources to help you get started are listed below:
o Microsoft PowerPoint (Add Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation)
o Prezi Presentation (Add Narration to a Prezi)
Overview of fundamental information on the topic to information
Attention drawn to fascinating case studies illustrative of the topic
Results of your original research on the topic which must include at least one of the
following:
o An interview you conduct with someone who has knowledge of your subject
o A description of your visit to a social scene relevant to your subject
o A multi-media product you create above and beyond the overall
presentation, such as a brief video or an audio-recording
o Some other original creation personally approved by your instructor
Undergraduate Papers
This term you will write three short papers. Information on each paper is linked below.
Paper 1: The Social Distribution of Mental Illness
Due: week 4
Value: 100 points
Paper 2: The Social Antecedents of Mental Illness
Due: week 6
Value: 100 points
Paper 3: Social Institutions and Mental Illness
Due: week 8
Value: 100 points
The following instructions apply to each of your three papers:
Format
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Include a title page with a title, your name, the name/number of the class, and the
instructor’s name.
Insert a running head in the header after the title page with your “Paper 1/2/3” on
the left and your name on the right.
Save and submit your papers as word documents with either .doc or .docx file
extensions so that the instructor can grade the paper using track changing in Word.
Write four to five pages of text (not including the title page or references page),
double-spaced, using Times New Roman 12 point font, with page numbers, for each
paper.
Overall Style
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Be sure to write an introductory paragraph that provides an overview of what the
paper is going to be about.
Be sure to write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the main points that you
made in your paper.
Develop the body of your paper in a logical, analytic fashion; it will help you to
create an outline before you start to write your paper.
Be sure to organize your paper into discrete paragraphs; no paragraph should be
much longer than one-half of a page.
Look out for run-on sentences and sentence fragments.
Write a rough draft of your paper; take a break, and revise your paper at least once.
Edit your paper closely so that you do not submit papers containing spelling or
grammatical errors.
Inclusion of Scholarly Source
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Include a minimum of THREE scholarly sources in each paper; your best bet is to
read articles published in scholarly journals related to your topic, which you can find
via Google Scholar.
o Note that if you use Google Scholar via the UNR Libraries website, it will
provide direct links to .pdf versions of many articles.
o You may also set up the preferences on your home computer to link “Google
Scholar” to the UNR libraries so as to allow you direct access when you log in
with your netid.
o Search Google Scholar with key words related to your chosen research topic.
Cite your sources in the text whenever you refer to something that you read, AND
include a REFERENCES page at the end of your paper.
Follow either the APA style guide (6th edition) or the ASA style (4th edition) for your
in-text citations and your references page.
Please know that your assignment will be analyzed by SafeAssign, which detects identical
assignments submitted by multiple students or material that is plagiarized from other
sources. Any student caught plagiarizing will fail the course.
Graduate Written Assignment
Due: by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sundays in the weeks noted below
Value: 100 points
Overview
As a graduate student enrolled in Sociology 658, you are required to write a complete
research proposal from start to finish, turning in components of the proposal and revising
them throughout the term.
You will need to select a topic and narrow down a research question very early in the term
(the first assignment is due in week 2). Your topic needs to fall within the broad umbrella
of sociology of mental health research. You may choose topics from those we cover in class
or other topics of interest to you, as approved by the instructor.
You are not required to actually carry out the research, but you must design a research
project that you could carry out on your own with minimal resources, i.e., that would not
require a research grant. The reason for this is to encourage you to develop a study that
you can execute and later present at professional meetings and ultimately publish.
If you are already working on a research proposal related to society and health and would
like to integrate it into this class assignment, please see the instructor to discuss how that
can be done.
If you are interested in moving at an accelerated pace so that you may begin data collection
or analysis this semester, again see the instructor to discuss how it can be done.
Due Dates:
First Assignment
Week 2
Revised First Assignment
Week 3
Annotated Bibliography
Week 4
Literature Review
Week 5
Conceptual Model and Hypotheses Week 6
Data and Methods
Week 7
Expected Results and Implications Week 8
Complete Draft
Week 9
Final Draft
Week 10
General Instructions
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Type all assignments double-spaced using 12 point font.
Integrate each subsequent assignment into the assignments that preceded it so you
begin to build one document that is your research proposal.
Keep a Reference Page going that incorporates all the literature you use.
Turn in an electronic copy of your entire proposal on every due date.
Please know that your assignment will be analyzed by SafeAssign, which detects identical
assignments submitted by multiple students or material that is plagiarized from other
sources. Any student caught plagiarizing will fail the course.
Graduate Written Assignment Components
Please view the links below for more information on each component of the Graduate
Written Assignment.
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First Assignment
Revised First Assignment
Annotated Bibliography
Literature Review
Conceptual Model and Hypotheses
Data and Methods
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Expected Results and Implications
Complete Draft
Final Draft
Extra Credit Opportunity
You have two ways in which you can earn extra credit in this class by way of earning up to
five Social Research Participation Credits (SRPCs). These credits can bump your final grade
up by as much as 5 percent.
Method I: Participating in Research Studies
Method II: Writing Research Term Papers
Examination
Final Exam: the week following week 10
Value: 200 points
The final exam will cover material from weekly course lectures and readings. The format of
the exam will be primarily short essay questions.
Students will have two hours to complete the final exam, which must be proctored. A study
guide for the final exam will be provided at the beginning of the final week of the class.
Requirements
Rigorous testing policies and procedures are required of an accredited university; therefore,
exams must always be administered in a proctored/supervised, educational setting. You
must complete all proctored exams in order to pass this class.
Refer to the weekly learning modules for scheduled exam dates. Early/late exams are not
permitted. Failure to take your exam within the specified date range will result in a zero for
the exam and/or failure of the course.
For a breakdown of the testing process, including your options and how to prepare for your
testing appointment, review this flowchart.
For detailed information on testing, please click the appropriate link below:
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Students Testing in the Reno/Sparks Area
Students Testing Outside of the Reno/Sparks Area
Please note: If you require DRC accommodations for your exam and have not already
contacted 365 Learning and the DRC, then please do so immediately. Click here for more
information.
Late Assignments
Assignments must be turned in at the designated time. Students must have the required
materials at the beginning of the term so as to be able to begin class work immediately.
Homework extensions will only be granted under unusual circumstances to be determined
by the instructor on a case by case basis.
Online Learning Policies
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State Authorization for Distance Education
Technical Requirements
Examinations
Testing Accommodations
Academic Honesty
Equal Access
Civility and Class Conduct
Netiquette
Incomplete Policy
Course Changes
Loan Policy
Outside Resources
APA Style Resources
MLA Style Resources