Module ANTH3447: Nutritional and Disease Ecology for Returning Erasmus Students

Department: Anthropology

ANTH3447: Nutritional and Disease Ecology for Returning Erasmus Students

Prerequisites

• Ecology, Genomics & Health (ANTH2011)

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To explore the social ecology and evolution of contemporary health problems.

Content

• The course will explore nutritional and disease ecology in one of the following contexts:
• Health in the Developing World: Focuses on understanding the social ecology of key health problems in non-Western communities and what lessons have been learnt from comparative studies of child and adult health and well-being. Topics may include early growth retardation, killer diseases of children, intra-household food distribution and responses to food shortages, variation in adult reproductive ability, global and local health inequalities, and evaluation of specific health interventions
• OR
• Health in the affluent west: Focuses on the application of ecological and evolutionary perspectives to contemporary health problems associated with the 'Western' environment. Topics covered may include the emergence of new infections and the threat of pandemic infectious diseases, stress, cardiovascular disease, the rise of obesity, diabetes and allergies.
• Students will be given a full course document including an extensive reading list from Michaelmas term, although this Michaelmas material is not formally assessed and is provided entirely to support student learning.

Learning Outcomes

• Factual material: Main theoretical approaches in nutritional and disease ecology
• The measures of child growth and adult nutritional status
• Evolutionary and ecological models of human reproduction
• Social and ecological perspectives on health interventions
• The approaches of disease ecology and evolutionary medicine

• Ability to work in an inter-disciplinary way in the field of nutrition and health
• Read specialist literature in international publications within the fields of medical, socio-cultural and biological anthropology
• Understanding the theoretical perspectives of the ecological approach within biological anthropology
• Debating key issues in human health

• Demonstrate the ability to learn and critique material presented in lectures, but also to conduct independent research moving beyond this material
• Demonstrate the ability to respond appropriately to feedback on an essay plan
• Write essays at an advanced level. This will involve identifying, evaluating and synthesising information from the primary research literature, and developing and sustaining a structured argument
• Manage time effectively to work to deadlines

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

• The formal components of the module use a range of teaching modes and methods, within an integrated framework to contribute to the intended learning outcomes as listed above
• The module benefits from a balance between lectures and tutorials, geared to the specific needs of the material
• The lectures and tutorials are carefully integrated
• Audio-visual aids (video, sound, slides, powerpoint etc.) are used where appropriate
• Lectures will cover topics relevant for providing students with an understanding of theories currently available for the study of nutritional and disease ecology
• Lectures provide a traditional method of communicating not only fact but clear understandings of process and the relationship between issues
• They are used for the primary delivery of material in nutritional and disease ecology because they allow clear transmission of information in an active learning environment where students can question and seek clarification
• Lectures introduce students to issues, structure the subject matter and provide a grounding in principal issues and framework for analysis so they can progress to further learning and study
• Tutorials provide an opportunity for students to discuss a series of topics and to make oral presentations
• Difficult, sensitive and unresolved issues can all be approached successfully through discussion in tutorials
• Tutorials imply a higher degree of student involvement and teach subject-specific and generic skills
• Summative essays tests skills of understanding, analysis, information collection and presentation.
• Summative assessment is by one essay, to be written by the third week of Easter Term, of 3000 words (30% total)
• Formative assessment is an essay plan in Week 18 on which feedback is provided.
• Formative feedback is also provided in tutorials.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Feednack on Essay Plan.

■ 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