SO215: Sociology of Health Care (Spring/Summer/Fall 2023)

The film illustrates that these are the true roots of health – though generally overlooked in the contentious national debate over health care – and they can be improved dramatically for whole communities through social and political action. Roots of Health features three powerful stories filmed in London, England, Ahmedabad, India, and Oakland, California. Each story looks at the socio-economic conditions that contribute to illness, and how people can take charge of their own lives and health.

Examining the recent epidemics of Ebola, Influenza, and Zika, Unseen Enemy makes it clear that epidemics bring out the best and worst of human behavior, and that their effect goes far beyond the terrible tolls of sickness and death.

The American healthcare system is making doctors and other healthcare workers sick — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even before COVID-19, we faced a crisis of burnout, depression, and suicidality. Now the situation is worse.

We aspire to transform the culture of medicine by shattering the myth of the physician-God. We've created a space where doctors can stand on stage in front of 700 strangers (or come onto the podcast) and talk about their fears, doubts, mistakes, joys, passions, tics, and quirks, and be understood and embraced by their peers and the general public alike.