Introduction to Cultural Medical Anthropology

Catalog description

Medical anthropology analyzes the relations among health, illness, culture, and social and economic inequalities. In this class, we examine cultural ideas of sickness and well-being as well as the relationship of illness to social and economic inequality. We ask: Who thrives? Who falls ill, and from what causes? Who has, or does not have, access to health care and healing resources? How do different groups in the U.S. and globally think about the body, health, and healing? We will consider not only cross-cultural understandings of health and sickness, but also our personal and social beliefs about bodies and the causes of (and responses to) vulnerability. Prerequisite(s): A ANT 108 or permission of the instructor.