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
SOC30021 Bodies, Health and Technology

Requisite Rule for SOC30021 above is:

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
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

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.