Culture and Medicine: The Anthropology of Health Care

Catalog description

Examines health care from the cross-cultural, evolutionary, ethnographic and multidisciplinary perspective of anthropology. Familiarizes students with the research methods and theory of medical anthropology, and to gain understanding of the meaning, stigma, and care of illness and the social, economic, and political factors that influence health care. Primarily focuses on health care in the United States and biomedicine, however, comparative studies of health care in other societies lends greater depth of understanding. Ethnographic research involving the recording of case histories or the exploration of specific health issues by students is an integral component of the course.