least 12 meaningful sentences ). H e a l t h M e d i c a l

 news report 

1. Identify at least one issue or problem that your community members are confronted with during the coronavirus pandemic. [10 points]

2. Describe the issue or problem that your community members are confronted with during the pandemic. Your description should include information about the groups of people likely to be disproportionately impacted (at least five sentences). Provide evidence that establishes the seriousness of a given issue or problem (e.g., what impact a given situation has on stress, coping resources, health, health behaviors, and health care utilization?). For instance, you may find that many people in your community cannot afford rent or pay student debt or have lost a job. You are then expected to discuss how those issues could lead to increased stress, depression, and poor health outcomes. You also need to identify social groups (e.g., Older adults, Latinx, Black, Women, LGBTQ, Transgender, Poor) more likely to confront those issues. You are also encouraged to use outside sources for evidence to build up your case (i.e., to show the public why they should care about the problem). That may include searching for research articles, prior news coverage, statistics, and information provided by governmental and non-governmental agencies (at least ten sentences). [5+15=20 points]

3. Explain why you think the issue or problem you identified relates to medical sociology (at least five meaningful sentences). You should explicitly cite information provided in course materials to draw the linkage. For instance, if you find that many people cannot afford rent or lack money to afford food during the pandemic, you should tell readers how that problem relates to the ideas of structural disadvantage (e.g., low wage jobs, wealth inequality, etc. institutional racism, poverty). Utilize sociological ideas or theories to discuss how that problem will positively or negatively affect health and behavioral outcomes. Which theoretical frameworks or sociological ideas help you explain or establish linkages between factors such as lack of economic resources during the pandemic and health disparities? Use your sociological imagination to identify the root causes. Why are some social groups better able to cope with the pandemic than other social groups? Why do some social groups have better access to testing and treatment than other social groups? Why are some social groups more likely to die from the virus than other social groups? (at least ten meaningful sentences). [10+15= 25 points]

4. Describe what we should do to (e.g., change or reform or enact new policies and legislation, engage in advocacy and activism, establish non-profit organizations) reduce the adverse impacts of the social problem created by the pandemic. Discuss how those initiatives are likely to reduce or eradicate the harmful effects of social problems on health and behavioral outcomes? What can be done to provide equitable access to testing and treatment of the COVID-19? What should be done now so that all social groups have adequate resources for future natural disasters such as the coronavirus pandemic (at least 12 meaningful sentences). [You can be creative here–15 points]