Anthropology and One Health

Catalog description

Is there a true distinction between human health, the health of animals, and the health of the environments we share? Or is there only "one health"? This course examines the interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental health that have shaped our evolutionary history and modern-day health challenges. The course will start by exploring the ways by which human-animal-environment interactions have changed over evolutionary timescales, and in response climate, landscape, and population changes. The course will focus on how these changes manifest in modern environments to contribute to the transmission and spread of pre-existing and new zoonotic diseases between animals and humans. We will also explore interactions between infectious diseases and other One Health issues, including food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation. Through this course, students will be introduced to relevant anthropological theories and methods within the One Health framework. Equipped with a strong theoretical background, students will critically examine the conceptual trends that have shaped anthropological contributions to One Health. Students will engage with primary literature to learn how anthropology and social science are applied to modern day issues in global settings. This course assumes that anthropological engagement within One Health and related fields is not yet fully realized, and in turn, encourages students to explore new connections. The course thereby provides a forum for students in anthropology and other One Health related fields (e.g. biology, ecology, public health, human and veterinary medicine, sociology, geography, nutrition, and others) to engage in interdisciplinary thinking within One Health.