Case study 1 Marise Marise is 78 years old and she was diagnosed with arthritis 20 years ago. In the early years after her diagnosis, her doctor prescribed different medications which were not always effective or they had unpleasant side

Module code & title:
SOC4007 Sociology of Health
Module leader:
Dr. David Black
Assignment No. and type:
CW1
Assessment weighting:
100%
Submission time and date:
By 14.00 Thursday 11th December 2025
Target feedback time and date:
Three weeks
Assignment task
Read each of the case studies below and write 500 words [+/-10%] on each one. Write your answers in sentences and paragraphs [not bullet points]. Each case study is different and will require you to draw on theories and concepts that are appropriate to that case study.
In your answer, discuss material that is relevant to the sociology of health and illness, including for
example:
Social class, deprivation, inequality and its impact on health and illness
Gender, health and illness
Race/ethnicity, health and illness
Stigma, mental health and illness
Older age, chronic illness and disability
Role of professionals in the management of health and illness
Health care organisations and access to health care
You will need to decide which of the above topics covered in the module are relevant to each case study. Apply this material to each case study and support your discussion with in-text references. Write a short reference list of the resources you have used at the end of each answer.
You should avoid writing using "I", "you" or "we". Aim to develop a scholarly writing style in your essay. You must submit your assessment as a MS Word document.
Case study 1 Marise
Marise is 78 years old and she was diagnosed with arthritis 20 years ago. In the early years after her diagnosis, her doctor prescribed different medications which were not always effective or they had unpleasant side -effects [e.g. feelings of being bloated, dry mouth, lack of energy]. Eventually, she was prescribed tablets that did help with the symptoms of her arthritis and the side-effects were minimal. Marise felt that this medication enabled her to continue with her work as a primary school teacher and keep doing other activities that she enjoys, such as swimming and flower arranging. She liked to feel like she was still an active member of her community and didn't like the idea of being a