ANT 2600 - MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND PUBLICHEALTH

credits: 3.0
Across time and around the world, members of diverse societies have relied on different systems of knowledge to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness. The field of medical anthropology specializes in analyzing cross-cultural approaches to health and illness, identifying how different societies experience sickness and well-being. This course serves as an introductory survey of topics in medical anthropology and a gateway to more advanced courses in medical and cultural anthropology. Will address several approaches and key topics of research within medical anthropology, including reproductive health and family planning, ethno medicine, international public health, emerging diseases, culture bound syndromes, health disparities, political economy, and structural vulnerability. Objectives: A) Identify, define, and explain the concepts of illness, health, and well-being with respect to the various social and cultural factors that influence people’s experiences of these phenomena; B) Identify, define, and explain the concepts of ethno medicine, culture bound syndrome, and medical pluralism; C) Summarize and explain the relationship between social inequities and health disparities; D) Critically evaluate case studies of health treatments or public health interventions; E) Summarize and explain a case study of an ethno medical illness experience or healing practices from a non-western context. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; Workshop introduction to ethnographic field methods; and Organization and participation in semester-long ethnographic research project on public health topics. Method of Evaluation: Short essays, a Video Presentation about a medical anthropology case study, a Topic Poster about a medical anthropology research topic, and an Ethnographic Project that involves gathering folk knowledge about health and disease in the community. Additionally, there are three available extra credit opportunities, based on fieldtrips, guest speakers, and other make-up options. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.