Women's and Gender Studies (WGST) 303

Issues in Women's Health (Revision 10)

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Delivery Mode: Individualized study online or grouped study

Credits: 3

Area of Study: Social Science

Prerequisite: None

Precluded Course: WMST 303. (WGST 303 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for WMST 303.)

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

Women's & Gender Studies home page

WGST 303 has a Challenge for Credit option

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Overview

This course broadly explores women’s health issues. Rather than approaching the study of health from the perspective of specific medical conditions, diseases, or treatments, the course will focus on the political, social, cultural, and economic underpinnings contributing to women’s health and wellness. This course approaches the study of women’s health from both care and policy perspectives. Although specific medical concerns are addressed, these are introduced as exemplars to highlight the roles that critical theoretical analyses play in both defining and understanding women’s health issues, as well as their roles in finding solutions that will ensure women’s health and wellness.

Outline

  • Unit 1: "Thinking Women"
  • Unit 2: Health Care/Health Promotion with and for Women
  • Unit 3: Power and Empowerment
  • Unit 4: Women’s Health Issues—Tobacco and Alcohol
  • Unit 5: Health Issues in the Community, the Workplace, and the Home
  • Unit 6: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum Care
  • Unit 7: Aging and Caregiving
  • Unit 8: Obesity and Heart Disease
  • Unit 9: Making It Better

Evaluation

To receive credit for WGST 303, you must complete four written assignments and write a final invigilated exam. Online participation may contribute up to 5 percent of your overall grade in the course, although it is not required in order to receive credit in Women’s and Gender Studies 303.

Your final grade is determined by a weighted average of the grades you receive on these activities. To receive credit for this course, in addition to completing all four assignments and the final exam, you must achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on the final exam and an overall grade of D (50 percent) or better for the entire course. The weightings for each assignment, the final assessment exercise (exam), and for online participation are as follows:

Activity  Weighting
Assessment Activity 1: Reflection 10%
Assessment Activity 2: Mapping Concepts 10%
Assessment Activity 3: Midterm Take-Home Review 25%
Assessment Activity 4: Design a Course Unit 25%
Assessment Activity 5: Final Invigilated Exam 25%
Assessment Activity 6: Online Participation 5%
Total 100%

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Armstrong, P., Clow, B., Grant, K., Haworth-Brockman, M., Jackson, B., Pederson, A., & Seely, M. (Eds.). (2012). Thinking women and health care reform in Canada. Toronto: Women’s Press.

Greaves, L., Pederson, A., & Poole, N. (Eds.). (2014). Making it better: Gender-transformative health promotion. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press/Women’s Press.

Other Materials

All other materials are available online.

Challenge for Credit Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the WGST 303 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) or greater on the research essay to be eligible to write the challenge examination. A cumulative average of 50 percent on both activities is required. Credit is awarded on a pass/fail basis only.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 10, Oct 11, 2018

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