CET134 Religion and Public Health

Introduction

Religion and public health are related in one sense because religion is a factor among many others in the social environment that determine the health of populations. Moreover, religion has a role in the ways that health care systems are organized to care for individuals, families, and communities. Therefore, it would be important to examine the ways that religion influences public health. In this course, students will enhance their knowledge about background concepts, theory, and/or methods about this topic. In addition, students will be introduced to the process of formulating important social research questions and criticizing scholarly works.

The Religion and Public Health will examine the ways that religious practices, beliefs, and institutions are associated with public health. The course will deal with background concepts, theory, and/or methods that deal with the link between religion and health. In particular, four themes will be covered:

(1) the health consequences of religious practices, beliefs, and institutions,

(2) various theoretical mechanisms via which religion influences public health,

(3) subgroup variations in the link between religion and public health, and

(4) the role of social context in shaping the relationship between religion and public health

The course is part of: 
- Graduate Certificate in Health and Ageing
- FlexiMasters in Health and Ageing
- Graduate Certificate in Social Sciences
- FlexiMasters in Social Sciences

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