Courses
Department of Sociology, UNC Chapel Hill, Instructor
SOCI 422.001: Sociology of Mental Health & Illness (Fall 2020; Spring 2021)
COURSE OVERVIEW: A core tenet of sociology is that social arrangements, processes, and institutions substantially influence individuals’ lives, including health. This course examines mental health and illness in the United States through a sociological lens. Students explore three broad areas of sociological research on mental health and illness: definitions and measurement; social origins; and societal responses. By the end of this course, students understand mental health and illness as a product of social circumstances. Rather than focusing on genetic- and individual-level explanations of mental illness, students examine how interpersonal, institutional, and cultural factors shape the definitions, causes, and consequences of mental illness. Students accomplish these goals through a combination of mini-lectures, discussions, small group activities, and multimedia presentations.
Student Authored Community Issue Briefs
Over the course of the semester, students in SOCI 422 develop a research-based community issue brief and final presentation related to a mental health topic of their choice. Students complete several small assignments that culminate in a timely, informative, visually stunning document. This assignment is inspired by the Policy Brief assignment developed by Dr. Rebecca J. Kreitzer. Examples of this assignment by students who took SOCI 422 in fall 2020 are below.*
Suicide_Child Welfare
COVID-19_Asian American Mental Health
Single Mothers_Children with Disabilities
*I have received permission from students to highlight their work here.
Other Teaching Experience
Department of Sociology, UNC Chapel Hill, Teaching Assistant
SOCI 122. Introduction to Population Health (Spring 2019)
SOCI 469. Health and Society (Fall 2018)