PBH2003 Culture, society and health
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
PBH2003 Culture, society and health is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before PBH2003
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After PBH2003
No unit lists PBH2003 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: HSC1200 or BMS1042
Prohibition: PHH2022
Must have passed 12 credit points
Overview
This unit will explore how individual and population experiences of health are shaped by culture and society.
The unit draws on key sociological, anthropological, political and philosophical theories to reveal various relationships between health and the larger socio-cultural realities in which people live.
Students will be encouraged to foster skills in critical deconstruction of Western representations of culture to arrive at an appreciation of various 'ways of knowing,' including Indigenous scholarship. Examples will be drawn from healthcare and economic systems in Australia and overseas.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Individual journal (900 words)Artefact15%
- Media analysis (1,800 words)Written30%
- Group presentation - oral (15 minutes)Presentation15%
- Individual essay (2,400 words)WrittenThreshold hurdle40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Apply key principles of sociological and anthropological thought to the lived experience of individuals and populations
- 2
Apply the themes associated with the sociological imagination to examine the social production, construction and organisation of health locally and globally
- 3
Apply sociological theories as analytical tools to critically examine cultural, social, political and economic factors influencing health
- 4
Critically examine and evaluate aspects of culture and society with which they are familiar (as well as historical representations) in order to extend their understanding of the socio-cultural structures, institutions and processes relevant to health globally.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
1 hour lecture, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours of directed online student learning activities, plus 6 hours of self-directed study per week.
For full details of the teaching approach to this unit, please refer to Moodle.
Learning resources
Required resources
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Miss Vanessa Friedman
- Associate Professor Charles Livingstone
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Charles Livingstone
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for PBH2003?
PBH2003 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is PBH2003 offered?
In 2026, PBH2003 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
Does PBH2003 have an exam?
No. PBH2003 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.