Module HUSS1111: HEALTH AND SOCIETY

Department: ANTHROPOLOGY (HUMAN SCIENCES) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

HUSS1111: HEALTH AND SOCIETY

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to the concepts, approaches and methods of medical anthropology.
• to cover in particular the contribution of social anthropology to the cross-cultural study of health, illness and healing.
• to give an insight into how social, cultural and biological factors interact in the field of health and disease.
• to show the potential for medical anthropology to contribute to health policy and planning in our own and other societies.

Content

• What is health? Lay perspectives on health and well-being.
• the biology of health and fitness.
• cross-cultural perspectives on health.
• health and disability.
• inequalities in health.
• health education/promotion.
• community health.
• health at the global level.
• Disease, illness and sickness.
• illness as narrative.
• health systems.
• cultural perspectives on physical and mental illness.
• biomedicine as a cultural system.
• the role of medicine in the demographic transition.
• medical pluralism.
• healing rituals.
• complementary medicine.
• health and gender.
• the medicalisation of society.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of the main concepts, approaches and methods used by anthropologists in cross-cultural study of health and ill-health.
• Understand the scope of medical anthropology and it's relationship to social anthropology as a whole.
• Gain insight into an alternative health world-view.

• Apply some key concepts and methods of medical anthropology.
• Read and understand medical anthropological texts which address theoretical issues.
• Have the opportunity to undertake an individual research project which involves interviewing, recording and data-analysis on a "health perceptions theme".
• Develop cross-cultural empathy and understanding in relation to notions of health and illness in different societies.

• This 1st part of the module offers key skill opportunities in the following areas:
• Teamwork: There are several short group work based learning activities in which students have the opportunity to develop team-working and presentation skills.
• Research: Students have their first opportunity on the course to undertake an individual research project which involves interviewing, recording and data-analysis on a "health perceptions theme".
• Cross-cultural empathy: Students are introduced to some radically different understandings of health in non-Western societies.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Project
• Essay.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Medical ethnography book review 1000 words, Essay plan 500 words.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University