Bodies, Health and Technology
24 hours face to face + blended
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn
Overview
This unit introduces students to a selection of the most pressing ethical questions and concerns raised by developments in health technologies, especially in the sphere of body-modifying technologies and medicalisation. It prepares students to play an active part in forging new ethical frameworks and social policies for the future.
Requisites
Prerequisites
50 credit points
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-August-2027
31-October-2027
31-October-2027
Last self-enrolment date
15-August-2027
Census date
31-August-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
21-September-2027
Results released date
07-December-2027
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically analyse competing sources of evidence about the influence of health technologies and technologies that influence health and well-being across the human life course.
- Evaluate the main social implications of the health technologies and medicalisation.
- Compare and critically evaluate a social science perspective on technology against the concept of technological determinism.
- Communicate social science ideas/theories, principles and knowledge in oral and written form.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Online Lecture (asynchronous) |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Various |
9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Individual | 25% | 2,3,4 |
| Oral Assessment | Individual | 30% | 2,3,4 |
| Written Assignment | Individual | 45% | 1,2,4 |
Content
- Explore the social and ethical implications of new health technologies.
- Introduce key ethical questions and concerns related to recent developments in health technologies with a focus on medicalisation.
- Engage with and critically analyse industry programs and policies on genetic technologies and regulations.
- Analyse select media texts related to health technologies.
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.
