SOC 3309—Health, Illness, and Society—Spring 2022—EXAM 2
SOC 3309—Health, Illness, and Society—Spring 2022—EXAM 2
Name_________________________________________________________________Date______________________________
For up to 5 points each (a maximum of 10 points total), answer any two out of questions 1
through 3. Complete and return, via the Blackboard “Turnitin Assignments (Exams)” tab,
by 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 13. Late exams will be subject to a credit point deduction of
½ point per week except in the case of a documented emergency.
To be sure that I receive your exam paper, you may also send a backup copy as an e-mail
attachment (and forward a copy to yourself to be sure you can open it!).
The more specific detail and examples you provide, the more credit you stand to earn. You will
be graded on the overall thoughtfulness and thoroughness of your papers; see page 2 of this
exam for the criteria I use in grading responses to essay questions. Do not restrict yourself to
answers found in your textbook, PowerPoints, and class notes; your own thoughtful reflection,
bringing in what you have learned from other sources as well, can be a big plus. In most cases,
responses of adequate depth will require at least one double-spaced page per question.
1. Most individuals assume that illness is an objective, biological category. Your textbook, on
the other hand, argues that illness is a moral category and a social construction. Argue for or
against this position, and summarize the evidence supporting your argument. Be sure to address
the issues likely to be raised by those holding the opposite view.
Resource articles for Question 1:
Conrad, Peter, and Kristin K. Barker. 2010. “The Social Construction of Illness: Key
Insights and Policy Implications.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 51(1
Suppl):S67–S79. doi:10.1177/0022146510383495. Retrieved February 26, 2022
(https://www-jstororg.ezproxy.uhd.edu/stable/20798317?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents).
Ghaemi, S. Nassir. 2009. “The Rise and Fall of the Biopsychosocial Model.” British Journal of
Psychiatry 195(1):3–4. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.109.063859. Retrieved February 26, 2022
(https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridgecore/content/view/A31DAA3BED6569F6080A1DF2C1D15A64/S0007125000007261a.pdf/rise_
and_fall_of_the_biopsychosocial_model.pdf).
Pilgrim, David. 2015. “The Biopsychosocial Model in Health Research: Its Strengths and
Limitations for Critical Realists.” Journal of Critical Realism 14(2):164–80.
doi:10.1179/1572513814Y.0000000007. Retrieved February 26, 2022 (https://www-tandfonlinecom.ezproxy.uhd.edu/doi/full/10.1179/1572513814Y.0000000007).
2. Develop your own case scenario (either hypothetical or based on a real experience) showing
the circumstances under which an older person facing new physical or mental challenges might
(or might not) come to look upon himself or herself as “disabled.”
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SOC 3309—Health, Illness, and Society—Spring 2022—EXAM 2
Resource articles for Question 2:
Kelley-Moore, Jessica A., John G. Schumacher, Eva Kahana, and Boaz Kahana. 2006. “When Do
Older Adults Become ‘Disabled’? Social and Health Antecedents of Perceived Disability in a
Panel Study of the Oldest Old.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 47(2):126–41. Retrieved
February 26, 2022 (https://www-jstororg.ezproxy.uhd.edu/stable/30040306?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents).
Eliassen, A. Henry. 2014. “Religious Involvement and Readiness to Confirm Reported Physical
Disability.” Journal of Religion and Health 53(5):1427–39. doi:10.1007/s10943-013-9763-5.
Retrieved February 26, 2022 (https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.uhd.edu/article/10.1007/s10943013-9763-5).
3. What do you believe might make a person with activity limitations more likely—or less
likely—than his or her nondisabled counterpart to receive a diagnosis of mental disorder, or to
abuse alcohol or drugs—and why? Give a real or hypothetical case example.
Resource articles for Question 3:
Toombs, S. Kay. 1995. “The Lived Experience of Disability.” Human Studies 18(1):9–23.
doi:10.1007/BF01322837. Retrieved February 26, 2022 (https://www-jstororg.ezproxy.uhd.edu/stable/20011069).
Turner, R. Jay, Donald A. Lloyd, and John Taylor. 2006. “Physical Disability and Mental Health:
An Epidemiology of Psychiatric and Substance Disorders.” Rehabilitation Psychology 51(3):214–
23. doi:10.1037/0090-5550.51.3.214. Retrieved February 26, 2022
(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Taylor10/publication/232437721_Physical_Disability
_and_Mental_Health_An_Epidemiology_of_Psychiatric_and_Substance_Disorders/links/56b210
8508ae795dd5c799fa/Physical-Disability-and-Mental-Health-An-Epidemiology-of-Psychiatricand-Substance-Disorders.pdf).
Grading Criteria for Essay Questions
What I look for in responses to essay questions (such as in this exam) is considerably more than just a
summary of what was presented in class or in the textbook. A response that does THIS reasonably well
will start out earning 3 credit points—to be either REDUCED (for misinformation or confusion) or
AUGMENTED (for evidence that you are actively engaging with the class material and MAKING IT
YOUR OWN).
The very best responses (worthy of a full 5 points credit per question) will accomplish the following:
1. Address ALL ASPECTS or parts of the question (or set of questions);
2. Bring up (and either support or refute) as many pertinent viewpoints (e.g., perspectives on
controversial issues) as possible, so as to demonstrate broad comprehension of the material; and
3. Perhaps most importantly, provide SPECIFIC and DETAILED true (or at least true-to-life
hypothetical) stories to illustrate and “flesh out” your points—showing how the concepts you
have been studying apply to people’s real day-to-day life experiences.
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