Program and courses Health, Wellbeing and Society

You will take the following courses in block 1 (September - October):

• Health, Resilience and Sustainability 
  You will examine the social inequalities in health in the context of Western societies, using the Netherlands as a case study. You will approach the topic from a comparative and multifaceted perspective at a micro, meso- and macrolevel.
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research

You will take the following courses in block 2 (October - January):

• Social Policy and Social Risks
  You address the topic of social policy and welfare states against the backdrop of global challenges and widespred socio-economic changes. You will learn how various 'welfare regime types' have developed over time in different countries, reflective of different concepts of social solidarity and with various consequences in terms of economic wellbeing, stratification patterns and life-course risks. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

You will take the following courses in block 3 (February - April):

• The Social Structure of Western Societies 
  You get an outline of the main sociological concepts, theories, research and debates concerning the social structure of Western societies in general, with respect to three specific elements in particular: social class, family and ethnicity. You learn to describe and explain the impact of national institutions, history and traditions, and overarching trends such as modernization and globalization, using the three elements of social structure from a micro and macro perspective. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

You will take the following courses in block 4 (April - August):

• Health and Policy
  Delve into concept and key theories in health and policy, and illustrate them with practical examples like health and wellbeing in relation to social and economic factors, policy interventions at macro/meso/micro level, illiteracy, education, poverty, housing, (un)employment, or social and physical environment. 
  • You write a paper on a policy intervention and evaluations focusing on an actual health and wellbeing topic. Learn how to build a policy analysis proposal by describing a central problem, using evidence to substantiate and by choosing a suitable (policy) intervention. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

Note: the second intake moment starts with block 3, however, it can be regarded as block 1 et cetera.

You will take the following courses in block 3 (February - April):

• The Social Structure of Western Societies 
  You get an outline of the main sociological concepts, theories, research and debates concerning the social structure of Western societies in general, with respect to three specific elements in particular: social class, family and ethnicity. You learn to describe and explain the impact of national institutions, history and traditions, and overarching trends such as modernization and globalization, using the three elements of social structure from a micro and macro perspective. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research

You will take the following courses in block 4 (April - August):

• Health and Policy
  Delve into concept and key theories in health and policy, and illustrate them with practical examples like health and wellbeing in relation to social and economic factors, policy interventions at macro/meso/micro level, illiteracy, education, poverty, housing, (un)employment, or social and physical environment. 
  • You write a paper on a policy intervention and evaluations focusing on an actual health and wellbeing topic. Learn how to build a policy analysis proposal by describing a central problem, using evidence to substantiate and by choosing a suitable (policy) intervention. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

You will take the following courses in block 1 (September - October):

• Health, Resilience and Sustainability 
  You will examine the social inequalities in health in the context of Western societies, using the Netherlands as a case study. You will approach the topic from a comparative and multifaceted perspective at a micro, meso- and macrolevel.
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

You will take the following courses in block 2 (October - January):

• Social Policy and Social Risks
  You address the topic of social policy and welfare states against the backdrop of global challenges and widespred socio-economic changes. You will learn how various 'welfare regime types' have developed over time in different countries, reflective of different concepts of social solidarity and with various consequences in terms of economic wellbeing, stratification patterns and life-course risks. 
• Master Seminar Sociology: From Theory to Research
• Master's thesis 

You start your Master’s thesis (24 ECTS) by drawing an Individual Research Proposal (IRP) supervised by your thesis supervisor. All proposals will be presented during the Master Seminar Sociology course.

During the Master's thesis research project you will collect data (or use secondary data), analyze them (qualitative, quantitative, or both), draw conclusions and report the research findings in your individual Master’s thesis. Two professors will assess and grade your thesis: the supervisor (a member of the Sociology department) and a second reader (from the Tranzo department).

• Your thesis may be an empirical or theoretical work with scientifically relevant conclusions, or may be a sociological analysis of a social or practical problem and existing interventions leading to relevant health policy conclusions;
• Preferably, a Master’s thesis is profoundly connected to the core theme of this track, e.g., healthcare policy, societal resilience, and health and wellbeing.

Examples of Master's thesis topics:

• Does internet use play a role in explaining differences in the social gradient in health in Europe?
• Involvement of alcohol industry in policy: what are the effects on alcohol consumption?
• What does a healthy community and a healthy environment look like?
• Do lifestyle programs and interventions for the general population broaden the health gap between rich and poor?
• Can informal care decrease costs and increase quality of life?
• Do neighborhood quality and cohesion have an impact on older adult's levels of physical activity?