Social determinants of health
What makes people healthy or unhealthy? The health of individuals is not only shaped by lifestyle choices or medical treatments, but also – in large part – by social conditions. This course provides students with an introduction to the social determinants of health: the social advantages and disadvantages that people experience based on their social position and social circumstances that influence their health and well-being. View syllabus. Student feedback:
“The prof was always very encouraging of participation, and was very approachable, which made our class a close knit group of individuals. Her respect for difficult and triggering subject matter was always present, and her style of teaching was engaging. Also, her lectures had a good variety of mediums; videos, advertisements, documentaries, and classic lecturing too. This made me more engaged in the subject matter. I also loved that she would bring in examples that were very relevant for discussion.”
“This is one of my favourite courses I’ve taken so far. I liked the combination of lecture/discussion, videos, and group facilitation because I felt like it put a lot of the learning in the hands of the students, which for me helps with retention of the information presented. Also, I really liked how quickly student names were used, I think it creates more of a personal and comfortable environment for participation in discussions. Another thing I really appreciated is asking for feedback halfway through the term, and then actually implementing the feedback received. This definitely allowed me to have more of a course balance and contributed to my success in this course, and likely other courses this term as well.”
CRIME AND SOCIETY
This course introduces students to the criminal justice system, crime-related data collection, and competing theoretical perspectives on deviance, criminality, and crime control. We also discuss substantive issues concerning forms of crime and approaches to crime control in local and global contexts. View syllabus. Student feedback:
“This is one of the best courses I took this semester. Professor Polonijo was always getting students involved and trying to make them think in different ways about the course material. She would always ask questions about the material in regards to different case studies that we read about. I really liked that we were encouraged to demonstrate our understanding of the course by having to prepare a presentation at the end of the semester that also balanced out with the midterm. I thought that the presentation was a really good idea because I don’t do that well on tests and it was a creative way to get students thinking about all the theories we went over thought the semester. Professor Polonijo always demonstrated interest in each student and their involvement in the class, which I found really refreshing because in most classes the same size it is hard for professors to try and learn everyone’s names and worry about their enrollment in the class.”
“Andrea was a great professor who conveyed the information well and kept the class engaged throughout the course. I liked her light-hearted approach to teaching. She made the environment very welcoming and encouraged students to participate often. From my personal experience, I would say this class was one of the most engaging classes I’ve been in. She made it very clear what she wants students to study for exams and is always helpful outside of the classroom. My emails were always responded too in a prompt manner and she was always more than willing to offer assistance outside of the class room. Overall, great professor and lecturer! I would definitely recommend fellow students to take a course with her in the future.”
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS
This course provides a broad introduction to sociological research, covering issues such as the logic of research design, ethics of research, measurement and sampling, the range of methods available to social scientists, and how social scientists analyze and report findings from their data. View syllabus. Student feedback:
"I like that Professor Polonijo is passionate about sociology. Her slides are readable and the readings are interesting to read rather than heavy material textbooks."
"The instructor came to class prepared and always displayed great enthusiasm. The course was well structured and helped me gain a great understanding.
"I liked that the professor was very clear and always gave examples when she was introducing new topics or new vocabulary. Professor appeared to be enthusiastic and always ready to teach."