Course Syllabus
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (March 1966)
Course Description
Why is there a variety of health outcomes across the world? Is this related to global social change? How are health processes related to culture and cultural diversity? In this course, we discuss health and illness in the context of culture. We will address important questions concerning cross-national health variations by comparing frameworks in the Global North to those described in the Global South. We will study the role of socioeconomic and political change in determining health outcomes by considering medical anthropology and cultural epidemiology in explaining inequalities in health.
*This course has an emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean
This course provides a foundational interdisciplinary understanding of complex global health issues and introduces central concepts and principles in medical anthropology and global health. The course surveys the range of global health interventions on problems contributing to the global burden of disease and disability, including infectious diseases, mental illness, forced displacement of populations, natural disasters, and climate change.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1) Identify and learn about key theoretical and methodological frameworks in the fields of medical anthropology and global health.
2) Explain the relationship between individual health experience and broader sociocultural processes.
3) Describe the roles of diverse healers and health providers in clinical and non-clinical settings.
4) Analyze the issue of cultural competency in the context of medical pluralism.
5) Analyze and evaluate current global processes impacting health and access to health care in the Global North and Global South.
Course structure
The course structure will be the same every week. In-person meetings will begin with an introductory presentation by the instructor on the significant theme of the week.
Lecture meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays will focus on the main arguments and contributions of the readings. Students should be prepared to engage in discussion and small group work.
Recordings of in-person lectures will NOT be available. Instead, your instructor will make short videos summarizing the main concepts available so students can review and study. These videos will be posted biweekly.
On Fridays, students will meet in person to engage in discussion sections. These sections won’t be recorded.
TEXTBOOKS
All books will be available through the University Library (on reserve).
- Wiley, Andrea S., John S. Allen, and John S. (John Scott) Allen. 2021. Medical Anthropology: a Biocultural Approach. Fourth edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. [Chapters 2 &11 only]
- Brewis, Alexandra, and Amber Wutich. Lazy, crazy, and disgusting: Stigma and the undoing of global health. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019.
Grading Information
Engagement & Participation 15%
Engagement in discussion sections & small group work
Self-evaluation
Reading annotations and responses 25%
Midterm 25%
Interview Project 30%
Learning Groups 5%
Total: 100 %
+ EC (completing course evaluations) added at the end of the course.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS IS ESSENTIAL IN THIS COURSE.
Students will also show their engagement by responding to films, media, and case studies. Why is this important?
Class participation will help you achieve and advance professional skills:
- Critical thinking skills
- Communication skills (active listening
- Teamwork (leadership
- Creativity and problem-solving
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
We will learn by reading and writing a lot in this class, and the coursework estimate is 16 hours per week.
Organize your workflow and avoid multitasking. The estimated reading rate for the purpose of engagement is 12 pages per hour.
Read for understanding and remember that familiarity (skimming) is not understanding.
READ FULL SYLLABUS: ANTH 215 WIN25 PFS Syllabus.pdf Download ANTH 215 WIN25 PFS Syllabus.pdf