GG4254 Health and Social Inequalities Across the Life Course

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

The school will operate a ballot system.

Planned timetable

Tues 10am-1pm

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr K L Keenan

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Katherine Keenan

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module explores how health and other social inequalities develop and are reproduced across our lives. In doing so, we draw on influential theoretical approaches in social sciences, most notably, the life course approach. We explore how human development is a lifelong process situated within multi-scalar geographical, historical and cultural contexts. The course covers a wide range of human geography topics: population processes such as family building, migration, ageing; the study of various life course stages and transitions between them (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age), and the production of health inequalities. We also discuss racial and ethnic inequalities. The module is taught through lectures, seminars and practical classes, and assessment is 100% coursework. You will gain an understanding of how to read quantitative research (statistical literacy) , and also gain first-hand experience at conducting and analysing qualitative biographical interviews.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS 'GG2011 AND GG2012' OR 'SD2001 AND SD2002' OR 'GG2013, GG2014 AND SD2100' OR 'SD2005, SD2006 AND SD2100'.

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU PASS GG3242 OR TAKE GG3242

Assessment pattern

100% coursework

Re-assessment

100% coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1hr lecture (x10 weeks), 1hr seminar, (x10 weeks), 1hr practical methods class (x10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

37

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

255

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Compare/contrast theories of the social inequalities and relate these to concrete examples in human geography.
  • Understand and interpret core quantitative and qualitative methods used in studies of inequalities and life course studies
  • Analyse how life course processes affect individual outcomes and inequality over time using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
  • Critically read and summarise different kinds of human geography, demographic and sociological literature: social theory, qualitative and quantitative empirical papers
  • Communicate through oral presentation theoretical and empirical material
  • Collect and analyse biographical material through qualitative interviews