RELIGION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
R E L I G I O N A N D P U B L I C H E A L T H
SOC 534
Research paper :
Each student is required to work on a research project for this class. Your first task:
Write a one-paragraph rationale for your topic and its significance for the course and your approach. Then prepare an annotated bibliography for the articles / books, your primary literature and data sources you will start with. I’ll make appointments with each of you to discuss. So now you have some extra time to think about it and start searching for sources. This should be 1-2 pages. The due date Feb. 7, 2022 at noon.
Choose from the following possible topics or propose one of your own:
· Review research on the intersection of health and religious practices in a specific religious group of your choice such as the Mormon Church or Seventh Day Adventists.
· Choose one of the innovative social institutions we discussed in class, or (even better) identify a new one. Describe the genesis of this institution, its history and development, and the specific religious beliefs or teachings it embodies.
· Identify an individual-level or group-level data source with measures of religion and health. Generate a research question and propose analyses for testing related hypotheses.
· Review the existing literature on the health consequences of a widespread religious practice in any faith tradition. Identify unanswered questions for future research, and propose a study to address them.
Your second task:
Paper presentations:
Prepare and deliver a 12-15 minute presentation of your paper as you might for a conference or job interview. Be prepared for questions. These presentations will take place on March 14, 2022.
Final paper:
Final papers should be 18-20 pages in length, double-spaced, 11-12 point font, including references. Incorporate suggestions from previous drafts and in-class presentation. There is no requirement to hand in a rough draft of your paper, but I am happy to read and discuss your work while it is in progress. The final paper is due March 28, 2022.
R E C O M M E N D E D R E F E R E N C E T E X T S
Gabe, Jonathan, Mike Bury, and Mary Ann Elston. 2004. Key Concepts in Medical Sociology. London: Sage.
Handbook-style review of important concepts and research areas. Offers a definition and summary of current controversies.
Koenig, Harold G., Michael E. McCullough, and David B. Larson. 2001. Handbook of Religion and Health. New York: Oxford University Press.
Koenig, Harold G., Dana King, and Verna B. Carson. 2012. Handbook of Religion and Health, 2nd Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Last, John M., Ed. 2001. A Dictionary of Epidemiology. 4th Edition. London: Oxford University Press.
The new edition of a classic “look-up” book for brief definitions of methods, statistics, measurements, techniques, study designs, data presentations, biases, data sources, data collection
Oakes, J. Michael and Jay S. Kaufman, Editors. 2006. Methods in Social Epidemiology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Extensive text on methods, measures, design, and analysis of social factors in disease causation.
Oman, Doug. Editor. 2018. Why Religion and Spirituality Matter for Public Health: Evidence, Implications, and Resources. New York: Springer.
Salamone, F. 2010. Routledge Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals and Festivals. New York, NY: Routledge.
The first complete compendium of religious practices.
Selvin, Steve. 2001. Epidemiologic Analysis: A Case-oriented Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
Uses examples of specific health problems (e.g. maternal weight gain in multiple pregnancies, risk of Alzheimer’s disease, trends in Hodgkins’ Disease among African-Americans, etc.) and identifies appropriate study designs and statistical tests.
Susser, Mervyn. 1973. Causal Thinking in the Health Sciences. New York: Oxford University Press.
A classic exposition of the logic of health research, particularly strong on the conditions of observations, screening for extraneous variables, and establishing causal associations.