Essay brief
Marking criteria: your essay will be marked against the level 7 marking criteria and achievement of the module learning outcomes
Module learning outcomes:
Critically evaluate the elements that influence the psychology of health beliefs, attitudes and behaviours in health and illness.
Discuss inequalities in health and appraise the role of the social determinants of health as a key aspect.
Identify and evaluate policy interventions that impact upon public health, and place them in their historical, political and social context.
Public health work deals with complex and dynamic issues, determined and influenced by a range of social, cultural, economic, environmental, political and individual factors. Public health work is seen as being most effective when it acknowledges the complexity of the type and range, and the interaction between these factors, and develops its interventions accordingly. Increasingly, improving the health of the population will require increasing equality within the population.
Brief: Critically discuss the importance of the social context for promoting public health
Your essay will need to achieve all three learning outcomes by drawing as appropriate on your reading, discussions and learning in relation to the three main elements of the module
Health Psychology and the social context
Social determinants of health and health inequalities
Policy in, and for, public health
You may choose to focus on a current public health topic as a focus throughout your essay
OR alternatively you may discuss a range of public health issues to illustrate your discussion
The essay should conclude by reaching an overall position on the importance of the social context for promoting public health.
This may include identifying examples of where the social context has been taken into account and what factors facilitated this.
Barriers to taking an approach that includes or embraces the social context
