Social Dynamics of Health in South Africa: A Medical Anthropological Perspective

Catalog description

This seminar introduces students to the field of anthropology's intersection with Health, Illness and Medical Histories. Drawing on discourses in Body politics, feminist theories of health and medical anthropological approaches to research, this seminar series seeks to question and explore the nature of health realities in South Africa and Africa more broadly. Essentially, it provides an intersectional exploration into how health is comparatively conceptualised using anthropology as the model of analysis. The series is presented discursively and students' lived-experience and critical reflections are welcomed. Topics covered in the course include anthropological configurations of 'the body' (including phenomenology and biopower) as well as the history and geography of medicine (something of a broad sweep of the impact of European medicinal encounters in Africa). The theoretical approach adopted will consider postcolonial theory, development theory, and feminist theories to unpack health realities in South Africa and Africa more broadly. Typical to studies in health and well-being, the seminar series is interdisciplinary in its delivery and students are encouraged to engage critically with a broad range of literature and texts in order to grapple with the content. Thus, there are no prerequisites for doing the course and we welcome students with varying majors. The course will consist of weekly seminar sessions across 8 weeks (2 seminars per week, 16 seminar sessions in total)Instructor: Dr Efua Prah