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 all six (6) assessment activities including a reflection exercise, a mapping-concepts assignment, a midterm take-home review exercise, a design-a-course-unit assignment, an online participation self-assessment, and a final invigilated exam.
Your final grade is determined by a weighted average of the grades you receive on all the activities noted above. To receive credit for this course, in addition to completing all five assignments (assessment activities 1 to 5) and the final exam (assessment activity 6), 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:
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.
Materials
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. (Print)
Greaves, L., Pederson, A., & Poole, N. (Eds.). (2014). Making it better: Gender-transformative health promotion. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press/Women’s Press. (Print)
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.
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.
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 11, May 22, 2019
Updated July 15, 2021, by Student & Academic Services