History of Healing, Medicine, Technology, and Global Health in Africa

Catalog description

History of Healing, Medicine, Technology, and Global Health in Africa will examine the political, social, and cultural dimensions of health and healing across the African continent. Through historical case studies and contemporary debates, students will explore how indigenous knowledge, medical technologies, and public health interventions have shaped, and have been shaped by, Africans, colonialism, nationalist movements, and global health agendas. Students will be required to participate in a workshop and engage with primary and secondary sources to analyze the intersections of medicine, science, and technology and global health. Students will participate in seminar discussions and expert-led sessions, develop a research project that critically examines a historical or contemporary issue in African health and healing, and produce written reflections, reports, and oral presentations that connect historical insights to present-day challenges. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking, historical analysis, and persuasive communication skills.