Disparities in Healthcare

Catalog description

This course will provide a broad introduction into cultural themes of health, illness and health care by critically reviewing existing social inequalities and cultural perceptions. While basic biological explanations for health and disease will be considered in this course, the class materials and discussions will focus on the health consequences of socioeconomic status, race, religion and gender. Students will learn of past atrocities in medical experimentation (e.g. The Tuskegee Experiment) and relate them to modern research. Differences in the quality of healthcare delivered to racial/ethnic groups will be explored in an attempt to explain why health disparities exist in the United States. Students will also be challenged to consider how they may be eliminated.