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Sociology of Mental Health SOCI 443/843: Fall 2014

Tues. and Thurs. 3:30-4:45 p.m. Burnett, room 102

Professor: Dr. Christina Falci Office: 714 Oldfather Hall Office Phone: 472-3762 Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment E-mail: cfalci2@unl.edu (e-mail is the best way to reach me) Course Description: This course will first review the conceptualization and operationalization of mental health as well as different approaches to study mental health (e.g., sociological, psychological and biological). Following this introduction the course will cover three broad topics in the sociology of mental health and illness. Importantly, sociologists focus less on individual experience and more on social conditions that determine why so much experience is common to different people or common among particular groups of individuals within a society. Part two of the course will cover the social origins of mental health and illness and focus on identifying social factors that influence mental health. Part three will assess the social distribution of mental health across various status groups such as race, class, and gender in the US. The final part of the course will consider the social construction and consequences of mental health. This section will examine labeling and stigmatization theories of mental health and illness as well as healthcare utilization and the criminal justice system. In two sections of this course, personal memoirs will be used to illustrate sociological perspectives of mental health and illness. Course Format: Weekly class meetings will consist of lecture followed and small/large group discussions on the course material. I welcome questions and comments at any point during the lecture. Your questions will help clarify ambiguities and help everyone deepen their understanding of the course material. Furthermore, your comments will add to the intellectual breadth and depth of this course. As an upper-level course, this class will incorporate a considerable discussion component. Therefore, it is imperative that you read the assigned readings for the day before coming to class. Required Course Material: o Scheid, Teresa and Tony Brown. 2010. A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social

Contexts, Theories and Systems, 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, MA.

o Journal articles and book chapters will be posted on blackboard o note: empirical journal articles are indicated with an *

o Memoirs can be purchased on-line and in some retail bookstores

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Undergraduate Student Course Requirements: I expect students to show up for class on time, come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings, participate in the class discussions and take good class notes. Class Participation (100 points): A participation grade will be assigned to each student

based on demonstration of completion of readings, contributions to the class discussion, and overall attendance.

Reaction Paper / Discussion Leader (2 150 points each): At two times during the

semester, you and one or two other students will be responsible for leading a 20 minute discussion on the assigned empirical journal article. At the beginning of this class period, a 3 to 4 page (double spaced) reaction statement to all the assigned readings will be due. The end of your reaction statement should have two discussion questions that you will ask during class. You should meet with the other students to coordinate leading the class discussion.

Individual Memoir Paper and Class Discussion (150 points): Once during the semester,

you will write a 4-page paper on an approved memoir. You will also have to provide the class with a brief synopsis of the book and describe one scenario from the book that illustrates a sociological perspective on mental health and illness. The paper will be due the class prior to your in-class presentation. Students who select the same memoir will be expected to meet outside of class and coordinate on the class discussion.

Exams (3 100 points each) and Final Exam (150 point): After the end of the first three

sections in the course you will take an exam comprised of short answer questions. The final exam will cover both the fourth and fifth sections of the course and will also be short answer. For each exam, I will distribute a list of short answer questions one week prior to the exam and the questions on the exam will only be drawn from this list of questions.

Grade Basis A 930 - 1000 B - 800 829 D + 650 - 699 A - 900 929 C + 770 799 D 600 - 649 B + 870 899 C 730 - 769 F below 600 B 830 869 C - 700 - 729 Absences, Make-Ups, Late Work, Pass/Fail, Honor System: If you have a conflict with taking any of the exams, you must inform the instructor at least two weeks ahead of time to see if other arrangements are possible. Missed exams may only be made-up with documented evidence of illness or emergency. Grades on your assignments will drop 5 percentage points for every day it is late (including weekends). Students may take this class pass/fail, but must complete all assignments and take all quizzes. Furthermore, those taking the course Pass-No Pass will need a C or better to obtain a Pass (a C minus is a No Pass). Finally, I will take all necessary steps to enforce the Honor System for the sake of fairness to all students, and I expect you to report any suspected misconduct by others.

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Graduate Student Course Requirements Class Participation and Discussion Leading (20%): A participation grade will be assigned

to each student based on demonstration of completion of readings, contributions to the class discussion, and overall attendance. At three times during the semester, you and one or two other students will be responsible for leading a 20 minute class discussion on the assigned empirical journal article. You should meet with the other students to coordinate leading the class discussion. You should have prepared at least two discussion questions that you will ask during class.

Review / Reaction Papers (50%): At the end of each section of the course, you will write a

6-page (not counting references) review/reaction paper to the material presented in that section of the course. In addition to discussing the assigned material from class, you are responsible for finding and incorporating into the paper a minimum of five additional peer-reviewed sources.

Term Paper (30%): Each student has one of three choices for the final paper in this class: a)

an extensive and critical literature review on a focused topic, b) a research proposal for a set of research questions, or c) an empirical research paper on a specific research question. The choice of mental health topic for your paper must be approved by the instructor. The paper should be 15-20 pages double spaced, not counting references or tables. A proposal paper topic will be due Tuesday, September 23rd and the final paper will be due on Monday, December 15th.

Course Schedule * indicate an empirical journal article

Part 1: Disciplines, Concepts, and Measurement

1: Tues., Aug. 26th Introduction

o Handbook: p. 1-5 & chapter 1 2: Thurs., Aug. 28th Sociological Approaches to Mental Health

o Handbook: chapter 6 Link, Bruce. 2002. The production of understanding. Journal of Health and Social

Behavior 44: 457-469. 3: Tues., Sept. 2nd Biological and Psychological Approaches to Mental Health

o Handbook: chapter 4 * McFarland Michael J., and Mark D. Hayward. 2014. Poverty and Awakening Cortisol

in Adolescence: The Importance of Timing in Early Life. Society and Mental Health 4: 21-37.

4: Thurs., Sept. 4th Concepts and Measurement of Mental Health chapter 7, Pp. 115-141 Issues in Mental Health Assessment. 2013. Switzer, Galen E.,

Mary Amanda Dew, and Evelyn J. Bromet in Handbook of the Sociology of Mental

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Health, 2nd Edition. Aneshensel, Carol, Jo Phelan and Alex Bierman (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

chapter 2, Pp. 23-53 "Measurement for a Human Science." 2003. Mirowsky, John and Catherine E. Ross. Social Causes of Psychological Distress. Walter de Gruyter, Inc: New York, NY.

5: Thurs., Sept. 9th Prevalence of Mental Disorder

o Handbook: chapter 3 Horowitz, Alan. 2011. Creating an Age of Depression: The Social Construction and

Consequences of the Major Depression Diagnosis. Society and Mental Health 1(1):41-54.

6: Tues., Sept. 11th Concepts and Measurement of Well-Being

o Handbook: chapter 7 * Son, Joonmo and John Wilson. 2012. Volunteer Work and Hedonic, Eudemonic, and

Social Well-Being. Sociological Forum 27(3):658-681. 7: Tues., Sept. 16th Cultural Variation in Mental Health Chapter 2, Pp. 19-36. 1999. Mental Illness in a Multicultural Context. Agbayani-

Siewert, Pauline, David T. Takeuchi Rosavinia W. Pangan in Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health. Aneshensel, Carol and Jo Phelan (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

8: Thurs., Sept. 18th Undergraduate Test #1

Graduate Student Short Paper #1 DUE

Part 2: Social Causes of Mental Health

9: Tues., Sept. 23rd Stress Exposure in Adults

o Handbook: p. 163- 170 & chapter 9 * Serido, Joyce, David Almeida and Elaine Wethington. 2004. Chronic stressor and

daily hassles: Unique and interactive effects relationships with psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 45: 17-33.

Graduate Student Final Paper Topic Statement DUE

10: Thurs., Sept. 25th Stress Exposure in Youth o Handbook: chapter 17

* Barrett, Anne and Jay Turner. 2005. Family Structure and Mental Health: The Mediating Effects of Socioeconomic Status, Family Process, and Social Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 205: 156-169

11: Tues., Sept. 30th Social Integration

o Handbook: chapter 10

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* Taylor, John & R. Jay Turner. 2001. A Longitudinal Study of the Role and Significance of Mattering to Others for Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 42: 310-325.

12: Thurs., Oct. 2nd Social Networks * Bond, Lyndal, Dean Lusher, Ian Williams, and Helen Butler. 2014. Friends or Foes?

Relational Dissonance and Adolescent Psychological Wellbeing. PLoS ONE 9(2):1-10.

13: Tues., Oct. 7th Stress Process Theory: Moderation and Mediation chapter 19, p. 395-419. 1999. The Stress Process Revisited: Reflections on Concepts and

their Interrelationships. Pearlman, Leonard in Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health. Aneshensel, Carol and Jo Phelan (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

MacKinnon, David P. 2008. How and for whom? Mediation and moderation in health psychology. Health Psychology 27(2, Sup.): s99-s100.

14: Thurs., Oct. 9th Memoir Presentations 15: Tues., Oct. 14th Undergraduates Test #2

Graduate Student Short Paper #2 DUE

Part 3: Mental Health across Institutional Contexts 16: Thurs., Oct. 16th Neighborhoods chapter 23, Pp. only 479 to 492 Neighborhood Context and Mental Health. 2013. Hill,

Terrence D. and David Maimonin in Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, 2nd Edition. Aneshensel, Carol, Jo Phelan and Alex Bierman (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

* Dupr, Vronique, Tama Leventhal, and Frank Vitaro. 2012. Neighborhood Processes, Self-Efficacy, and Adolescent Mental Health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 53: 183-198

Tuesday, October 21st - Fall Break 17: Thurs., Oct. 23 Work and the Economy chapter 21, Pp. 33-54 The Sociology of Work and Well-Being. 2013. Tausig, Mark in

Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, 2nd Edition. Aneshensel, Carol, Jo Phelan and Alex Bierman (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

* Pickett, Kate E. and Richard G. Wilkinson. 2010. Inequality: an under-acknowledged source of mental illness and distress. The British Journal of Psychiatry 197: 426-428.

18: Tues., Oct. 28th Family: Marriage

o Handbook: chapter 10

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* Mieke Beth Thomeer, Debra Umberson, and Tetyana Pudrovska. 2013. Marital Processes around Depression: A Gendered and Relational Perspective Society and Mental Health 3: 151-169.

19: Thurs., Oct. 30th Family: Parenthood Umberson, Debra, Tetyana Pudrovska, and Corinne Reczeck. 2010. Parenthood,

Childlessness, and Well-Being: A Life Course Perspective Journal of Marriage and Family 72: 612 629

* Kalmijn, Matthijs and Paul M. De Graaf. 2013. Life Course Changes of Children and Well-being of Parents. Journal of Marriage and Family 74: 269 280.

20: Tues., Nov. 4th Religion chapter 22, Pp. 457-478 Religion and Mental Health. 2013. Schieman, Scott, Alex

Bierman, and Christopher G. Ellison in Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, 2nd Edition. Aneshensel, Carol, Jo Phelan and Alex Bierman (editors). Springer: New York, NY.

* Acevedo, Gabriel A., Christopher G. Ellison, and Xiaohe Xu. 2014. Is It Really Religion? Comparing the Main and Stress-buffering Effects of Religious and Secular Civic Engagement on Psychological Distress. Society and Mental Health 4:111-128.

21: Thurs., Nov. 6th Memoir Presentations 22: Tues., Nov. 11th Undergraduates Test #3

Graduate Student Reaction Paper #3 DUE

Part 4: Social Distribution of Mental Illness across Social Status 23: Thurs., Nov. 13th Social Class

o Handbook: chapter 12 * Turner, R. Jay, and William Avison. 2003. Status variations in stress exposure:

Implications for the interpretation of research on race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 44: 488-505.

24: Tues., Nov. 18th Race

o Handbook: chapter 14 * Miller, Byron, Sunshine M. Rote, and Verna M. Keith. 2013. Coping with Racial

Discrimination: Assessing the Vulnerability of African Americans and the Mediated Moderation of Psychosocial Resources. Society and Mental Health 3: 133-150

25: Thurs., Nov. 20th Gender

o Handbook: chapter 13

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* Simon, Robin W. and Kathryn Lively 2010. Sex, Anger and Depression. Social Forces 88(4):1543-1568.

26: Tues., Nov. 25th Intersectionality

o Handbook: chapter 15 * Walsemann, Katrina M., Gilbert C. Gee, and Arline T. Geronimus. 2009. Ethnic

Differences in Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms: Disadvantage in Family Background, High School Experiences, and Adult Characteristic. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 50: 82 98.

Thursday, November 27th Thanksgiving 27: Tues., Dec. 2nd Age and the Life course

o Handbook: chapter 19 * Bierman Alex and Leonard I. Pearlin. 2011. SES, Trajectories of Physical

Limitations, and Change in Depression in Late Life. Society and Mental Health 1(3): 139-15.

Graduate Student Reaction Paper #4 DUE on Tuesday, December 9th

Part 5: Social Construction and Consequences of Mental Illness

28: Thurs., Dec. 4th Labeling and Stigma o Handbook: chapter 29

* Payton, Andrew R. and Peggy A. Thoits. 2011. Medicalization, Direct-to-Consumer Advertising, and Mental Illness Stigma. Society and Mental Health 1: 55-70.

29: Tues., Dec. 9th Mental Health Utilization

o Handbook: p. 407-419 and chapter 21 * Thoits, Peggy. 2011. Perceived Social Support and the Voluntary, Mixed, or

Pressured Use of Mental Health Services. Society and Mental Health 1(1): 4-19. 30: Thurs, Dec. 11th Criminal Justice

o Handbook: chapter 24 * Schnittker, Jason, Michael Massoglia, and Christopher Uggen. 2012. Out and Down:

Incarceration and Psychiatric Disorders. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 53:448464.

Final Exam: Monday, December 15th from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm Graduate Student Term Paper Due: Monday, December 15th by 5pm