Examination of the social causes and context of illness, death, longevity, and health care today in the United States. Subjects include historical perspectives on health and mortality, social class, race/ethnicity, gender, religious involvement, marital status, family, age, and psychosocial factors. Emphasis on the tension between individualistic and public health perspectives on illness. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Sociology 307P and 308 (Topic: Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Well-Being) may not both be counted.