ANTH 5310 - Medical Anthropology

This course starts with the premise that illness is as much a cultural as it is a biological phenomena and explores the ways in which different societies, including our own, perceive and manage illness and disease. The primary focus of the course is to understand the intersection of cultural, social, and political variables in the experience of illness and the practices associated with healing. Specific topics include: ethnomedicine, spiritual healing, primary health care in the developing world, the symbolism of modern medicine, the political economy of health care and AIDS, and inequality.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: Prerequisites: Junior status, 12 hours of anthropology, and ANTH 2400 or consent of instructor.

Credits: 3 hours

Notes: The prerequisites to 5000-level courses are: Junior status and 12 hours of course work in anthropology, including the specified prerequisite for each class.