Medical Anthropology

Catalog description

States of illness and health are not simply the result of biological processes. If we want to understand why people get sick and how they get better, we must attend to the social and cultural aspects of medicine and disease. This course is an introduction to medical anthropology: the study of cultural meanings, social relations, and systems of power that shape experiences of illness and health. Medical anthropological research produces powerful insights about the extra-biological aspects of health and health care that can reduce disease burdens and improve health outcomes. (Offered occasionally)