Health and Illness are considered as a sociocultural phenomenon. Meanings are attached to health and illness as they are influenced by our social values and our cultural beliefs, which to a large degree are influenced by available medical technologies. People's experiences of health and illness are shaped by a range of social factors (e.g., race, class, gender) and follow clear patterns of social inequality. A critical approach is taken to examine topics such as the social determinants of health, illness and healthcare; the social construction of illness; the medicalization of society; and the social organization of health care.

Emphasis on presentational, interpersonal, written or spoken Spanish through in-class and online discussions and frequent out of class assignments based on cultural and literary readings and films. May include service learning option. Satisfies the foreign language requirement. The course sequence SPAN 632-SPAN 631 may be taken in any order.

This course explores what sustainability action entails from academic and practitioner perspectives. We begin by understanding the cross-cutting perspectives and methods of sustainability science including transdisciplinarity, systems thinking, stakeholder driven research, and solutions-based projects. We build on this knowledge to explore sustainability challenges using case studies to provide current and local context for the material we cover. Students are expected to apply the theoretical concepts to these practical examples of sustainability science in practice.

This course is the culminating experience for the Sustainability Dual Major. The overall format is to: 1) synthesize the knowledge obtained in other core courses and elective courses taken for the Sustainability Dual Major; and 2) work in groups to apply that knowledge to a specific project. As sustainability science is focused on developing solutions to place-based sustainability challenges, students will delve into a specific sustainability issue, applying their disciplinary expertise within interdisciplinary teams.