Plagues and Peoples: Biocultural Approaches to Historical and Emerging Epidemics

Catalog description

Students will explore the origins, spread, and impacts of epidemic diseases using a biocultural framework grounded in biological anthropology. We will investigate how major diseases—from bubonic plague to Ebola and HIV/AIDS—have affected human bodies, behaviors, and societies across time. Emphasis is placed on the historical, cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of public health responses, structural inequality, and human resilience. Students will critically analyze case studies and material culture, engage with ethical challenges in paleopathology, and reflect on human experiences of suffering, survival, and stigma. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Other Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Repeatability: May not be repeated for credit. Grade Mode: Normal (A, B, C, D, F) Schedule Type (Primary): Lecture Schedule Type (Additional): Independent Study, Lecture/Supervised Lab/Clinic, Lecture/Unsupervised Lab/Clinic, Seminar Small Group, Directed Study (one-to-one), Asynchronous Instruction Click here for the Schedule of Classes.