Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit SOCS244 - Difference and Diversity: Social and Sexual Health examines ideas and issues about human development and well-being across the lifespan. It aims to develop students' ability to navigate information, recognize and enact supportive behaviors, and use evidence-based frameworks to evaluate health-related issues.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

This unit is designed to help students understand the physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development milestones in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and mature age. It also explores the biological and environmental factors that can affect normal healthy development at each stage.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

• Describe the physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development milestones in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and mature age.
• Differentiate and relate the concepts of physical, mental, and socioemotional and sexual well-being.
• Articulate differences across cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, in conceptions of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, and mature age.
• Examine and demonstrate understanding of how the rapidly changing world is creating new challenges to the achievement of health of both mind and body.
• Demonstrate culturally appropriate knowledge in showing capacity to talk in developmentally appropriate and safe ways with young people about reproduction, sexualities, relationships, safety, and help-seeking.

Unit Content

Topics covered in this unit include:

• Methods used to study human development and well-being
• Cultural connectedness to health and well-being
• Positive and negative factors that affect physical, social, and emotional well-being of Australians at each life stage
• Data that reflects the documented realities of Australian well-being across the life span
• Biological, behavioral, and physical determinants of health
• Government and non-government programs relating to youth health and wellbeing
• Methods of talking in developmentally appropriate and safe ways with young people about reproduction, sexuality, relationships, safety, and help-seeking

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

To pass this unit, students must achieve a final grade of 50% or better as an aggregate of all points from assessment tasks. The assessments include:

• A short answer task (30%) that requires students to apply information from readings, lecture content, and tutorial discussion to test questions, case studies, or written scenarios.
• A written piece/portfolio/digital format (40%) that requires students to demonstrate culturally appropriate knowledge in showing capacity to communicate in developmentally appropriate and safe ways with young people about reproduction, sexuality, relationships, safety, and help-seeking.
• An oral presentation (30%) that requires students to give a tutorial or online presentation demonstrating mastery of a sub-topic within the content covered throughout the semester.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

This unit engages students in active learning activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, and problem-solving, to promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content. The learning and teaching strategies include a range of approaches to support student learning, such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, and video.

Representative Texts and References

The unit draws on a range of texts and references, including:

• Anderson, P. (2013). Silent Body Vibrant Mind. Melbourne: Brolga Publishing.
• Boyd, D., & Bee, H. L. (2015). Lifespan Development (6th ed.). Pearson.
• Brannon, L., & Feist, J. (2017). Introduction to Health Psychology. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.
• Donatelle, R. J. (2016). Access to Health (12th ed.). Pearsons Higher Ed USA.
• Dudgeon, P., Purdie, N., Walker, R., Calma, T., Australia. Department of the Prime Minister Cabinet issuing body, Australian Council for Educational Research, & Kulunga Research Network. (2014). Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice (Second ed.).

Locations and Credit Points

This unit is offered in Melbourne and online, and it is worth 10 credit points.