SocioEnvironmentalContext of Adolescents (POPH90172)

Intended learning outcomes

This subject is designed to enable students to:

• Distinguish sociological ideas about young people from psychological and biological explanations.
• Explain how broader social issues and events impact on young people.
• Describe how structural categories such as gender, race and class contribute to social inequality among young people.
• Analyse the role of institutions in young people's lives.
• Evaluate and apply sociological perspectives to young people's experiences.

Generic skills

This subject is designed to enable students to:

• distinguish sociological ideas about young people from psychological and biological explanations;
• reflect upon and explain how events that concern individual young people are connected with larger social issues;
• recognise how social changes and social factors impact on the health, wellbeing and behaviours of young people;
• describe those factors that contribute to social and health inequalities for young people;
• evaluate and apply sociological perspectives to contemporary adolescent health issues;
• explain approaches to interventions that aim to change social contexts and enhance youth participation.

On completion of this subject it is expected that students will be able to:

• demonstrate an ability to relate young people's health, wellbeing and behaviours to broader social contexts;
• explain to a selected audience the factors contributing to social and health inequalities for young people;
• present an argument for changing an aspect of social context / structure to improve the health and wellbeing of young people;
• select a contemporary adolescent health issue, advocate for an approach that would improve the social context of young people's lives.