SOC41110

Adolescent years (10 to 24) are a critical link between childhood and adulthood, that are characterized by significant physical, psychological, and social transitions. These transitions carry new risks but also present opportunities to positively influence the immediate and future health of young people. Currently, we have largest generation of adolescents and young people in human history (1.8 billion) and in the light of current social changes (e.g. economic recessions, COVID-19, climate change etc) more attention and action is needed to understand the health particularities of this group. Like other phases of the life span, adolescence is shaped by the sociocultural context in which it occurs. The skills young people are expected to master, the kinds of choices they must make, and the settings they negotiate during the adolescent years are prescribed by social institutions (e.g. the educational system) and by shared expectations concerning the requirements for success in adulthood. Social change, which entails large-scale alterations in ideological, technological, and economic systems within societies, has significant implications for adolescent health and well-being. Therefore, the focus of this module will be to explore the impact of diverse social changes on adolescent health and well-being.
This module introduces students to the impact social changes entail on human development, with a particular focus on adolescence whilst using a cross-disciplinary approach (e.g. sociology, psychology, developmental sciences, public health, demography).