Health, Disease, and Suffering in the Past and Present. 3 credits. (Same as HAP 422)

Catalog description

Experience of disease has become commonplace in society. Which brings to light questions such as: When did people begin experiencing disease? What cultural and environmental factors influence the spread of disease? When experiencing disease, what social and biological challenges do people face? This course takes a broad comparative approach to the study of health and disease through time (paleopathology), exploring topics such as identification of health and disease in the past, spread of disease (pandemics and epidemics), medical treatment practices, cultural stigma surrounding disease experience, and healthcare equity through time. Conditions resulting in soft tissue and boney responses are often associated with cultural and environmental variables such as living conditions, access to food, habitual behaviors, and childhood growth and development. To better understand health experiences and equity in modern populations, it is important to establish a foundation of past social, cultural, and biological patterns. P: Critical Issues in Human Inquiry.