This course considers public health from a sociological perspective, situating the historical and present health management challenges facing the United States population in context. It will consider the emergence of ‘public health’ as an area of popular and political interest, the reasons for health disparities across the population, and the rise and fall of various health concerns. It will address the main public health problems of the present moment, including HIV/AIDS, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and communicable diseases. It will also focus on the sociological impetuses for various public health movements, such as the anti-vaccination trend that the U.S. is currently experiencing. Overall, the course will expose students to the complex relationship between health, healthcare, and social forces.