Singapore

This course explores the social aspects of human sexuality, and its interrelationship with sex/gender, race/ethnicity and class. Sexuality and sexual orientations do not just happen: a complex intersection of social and personal forces shape sexual identities. Sex, sexuality and sexual orientations are, thus, cultural forms. In the contemporary world, heterosexuality occupies a core place as "natural", normal and moral. The course will thus consider the social constitution of heterosexuality as normal and moral, and hence its status as a dominant text, and its ramifications thereof. The issues for discussion will involve such questions as what constitutes "normal" and "moral" sexuality and sexual orientation in different cultures, through different times? How was this "normal" sexuality accomplished, and contested? What are some of the ramifications thereof for sexuality and sexual orientations in contemporary social worlds, given especially the globalisation of sexual literacy ?

Southeast Asia is a region noted for its cultural diversity. This course examines the deep historical processes that have produced this cultural diversity. The objective of the course is for students to gain an understanding of these processes and why, from an historical-sociological and anthropological perspective, Southeast Asia contains the sort of cultural diversity we see today. We will also examine the ways in which an understanding of the history and social processes that have made the region are crucial to understanding the current and future challenges that the region faces both in incorporating and localizing forces of globalization and forging peace and prosperity amongst local, national and regional pluralism.

Since when baldness became a medical issue? Is Internet addiction supposed to be treated medically? Why homosexuality was first considered as a disorder but not now? What good are medical innovations if they only benefit people who could afford it? What is a good medical system and how to develop it? This module is to answer questions like above. As a systematic introduction to medical sociology, this module illustrates that medicine is also social science through a range of topics, including basic of epidemiology, social determinant of diseases, experience of illness, social construction of health, medical profession, medical organization, and healthcare system. All themes will be examined "sociologically" in a constant contrast with biological and medical views. Structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism, as basic sociological paradigms, will be applied, with the use of professionalization theory, institutionalization theory, organization theory, comparative sociology, and many other sociological perspectives. Layperson of sociology, however, should not be worried, as all needed sociological knowledge will be fully covered in lectures, and concrete examples are always provided from various countries and regions, especially Singapore. At the end of this module, learners will be able to apply the sociological perspectives to understand diseases, illness, and sickness, and make sense of health professions and healthcare systems.

This course introduces students to the discipline of sociology. Drawing from a broad range of materials, it is structured to achieve the following objectives: 1) to define the meaning of important sociological concepts and perspectives, 2) to demonstrate how sociologists work by explaining and encouraging students to apply the principles of research and data analysis, and 3) to foster the importance of the critical examination of prevailing knowledge.

Making Sense of Societyis designed for first-year students who are planning to major in one of the several arts and social science courses, including those who are interested in pursuing a degree in sociology. In addition, its introductory, comprehensive, and well-grounded approach is also tailored for more advanced students from other faculties who are interested in learning the basic concepts and theories that are used in understanding social issues.

Overall, the course will help students get a good sense of the fundamental workings of sociology, which is essential as you continue to situate yourself amidst the complex and ever-changing world. Ultimately, the most important lesson that students will learn from this course, following the well-known sociologist Peter Berger, is that “things are not what they seem” (1963: 23). Sociological inquiry encourages students to look beyond what is obvious and to be skepticalof established assumptions and popular opinions. It does not matter what type of degree or career you are working toward: being critical thinkers will help you understand the different personal problems and social issues that you encounter in your everyday lives.

All societies are organized around gender and sexuality. Everywhere, the sex/gender system has implications for the relative power of men and women in society. Human societies have a tendency toward patriarchy. Some societies are relatively gender-egalitarian. Others are strongly patriarchal. But none are strongly matriarchal. This module examines the social, cultural, psychological and biological arguments, including feminist and non-feminist theories for how and why sex and gender relate to the distribution of power in society? It examines these questions in terms of broad comparison across cultures, in evolutionary history, in modern state societies and in today’s transnational, globalizing world.

This course offers an introductory approach to "World Religions." Through this module, you will be exposed the critical study of religion as a human cultural phenomenon. You will also be exposed to a multitude of religious traditions that may be completely different from your own, and even totally foreign and incomprehensible.

The primary goal of this module is to help you appreciate each religious tradition on its own terms, and to understand "religion" (whether belief, practice, or identity) as a universal human phenomenon that structures many contemporary social, political and cultural issues. We will do this by introducing different social science concepts used by scholars of religion (especially by anthropologists who study religion) that allow us to differentiate between someone's "faith" (i.e., what they might believe) and their "religion" (i.e., what they actually practice), as well as examine critically why some practices are labelled as "World" religions and others are not.

Lecture periods and tutorials will be devoted primarily to understanding the historical development of selected "classic" world religions from antiquity (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism), along with their unique patterns of ritual and worship, and the variety of sects that have stemmed over time from each tradition. However, other areas such as indigenous religions, and more recent (late 20th century) global movements - such as Cao Dai, New Age spirituality, and New Atheism - will also be discussed. We will focus on the tremendous diversity of particular religious traditions, acquiring a broader understanding of what constitutes and defines a "religion," and what roles (both positive and negative) religion may play in human societies.

What are the social and economic determinants of health? How do meanings of ‘health’ differ across populations and communities? This module adopts a multi-disciplinary approach in examining the different understandings of ‘health’ in society, via thinking critically about real-world health issues and their management. Drawing from disciplines such as medical anthropology, urban sociology and human geography, students will investigate how ‘health’ implicates – and is implicated by – the lives of individuals and societies. This module explores contemporary technological, ethical, political and cultural debates in health, healing and well-being, and is open to students from all disciplines and backgrounds.

From the global increase in obesity to SARS, a range of health issues and solutions will be explored in differing contexts throughout the world. Working in small groups, students debate and evaluate paths to addressing global health issues in a variety of cultural contexts. For example, lessons learned about tuberculosis in Russia may be applied to the Singaporean context, or students may examine efforts to prevent newborn deaths in developing nations. Students will develop an appreciation of how the health of an entire population impacts individuals and how complex problems can be prevented or addressed using culturally appropriate solutions.

Epidemiology is the study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined human populations. It is the cornerstone of public health, and provides evidence that impact on both personal decisions about our lives and public policy for preventing and controlling diseases in the population. In this module, we will cover key concepts in epidemiology, including how we measure disease burden, how we study risk factors for disease, how we evaluate interventions like new vaccines and therapies, and how to critically appraise research evidence to inform public health policy.

Over the past decade global health has evolved from buzzword to discipline, attracting interest from governments, academic institutions and funding organizations. But, what is “global health”? Although we have made enormous progress in improving health status over the past 50 years, the progress has been uneven. Why? By examining major global health challenges, programs and policies, students will analyze current and emerging global health priorities, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, health inequity, health systems, and major global initiatives for disease prevention.

Through assignments, students will delve deeply into five major domains of global health:
Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
Non-communicable diseases
Occupational and environmental health
Humanitarian aid and relief
Maternal and child health