We live in a global age of increasing life expectancy but chronic health conditions are rising and infectious disease is showing no signs of disappearing. This programme will help you to understand the social dimensions of health and illness, preparing you to contribute to improving the lives of people on this planet. Drawing upon a range of disciplinary perspectives, you will address three broad themes: societies and communities; individuals, personhood and experience; and healthcare, social care and professional development. You will explore this important field of human experience across diverse social contexts, applied to real-world settings. You will examine how social, political and economic organisation contribute to health and illness and to the distribution of these across societies, communities and social groups. You will also look at culture and language and how these influence the ways in which people experience health and illness. Integral to your learning will be the concept of care and its delivery and the development of critical understandings of the role that individuals, communities and policy-makers all make to health outcomes.