Abstract

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The presence of behavioral and social sciences (BSS) in health courses is often considered problematic. The teaching of these sciences to students of health professions faces considerable difficulties: medical students and nursing students often fail to perceive the relevance of the BSS for clinical practice; the BSS are vaguely defined and the multiplicity of the topics that they include creates confusion about teaching priorities. In clinical practice, students can begin to make sense of the behavioral sciences and still do not give importance to the social sciences. In what way can sociology, psychology and others social and human sciences bring its theoretical contributions and make sense? How realistic is it to expect students to grasp both the concrete and practical with the imaginative and critical? Qualitative studies suggest that students do indeed find learning sociology within a nursing curriculum '' unsettling ''. What directions should the teaching of these disciplines follow in the medical curriculum and nursing curriculum?

The aim of this session is to provide insights into the situation and difficulties of BSS in medical faculties, nursing schools and others health related courses. We invite papers, whether theoretical or empirical, addressing these or related themes around the presence of sociology, psychology and others BSS in health courses.

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Session organizer(s)

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Beatriz Xavier (PT) – is Adjunct Professor at the Nursing School of Coimbra. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology (Social and Human Sciences Faculty, New Lisbon University) and a B.Sc. in Sociology (Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra). Her main research interests focus on the Sociology of Health and Illness, institutionalization of health promotion and health behavior; lay representations of risks.

 

Ana Paula Camarneiro (PT) – is Adjunct Professor at the Nursing School of Coimbra. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon) and a B.Sc. in Psychology (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra). Her main research interests focus on the Clinical and Health Psychology, Psychology of Pregnancy and Human Attachment. She has published some articles and books.

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