Module ANTH44415: Body, Politics and Experience

Department: Anthropology

ANTH44415: Body, Politics and Experience

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To examine key theoretical positions and debates in historical and contemporary medical anthropology in relation to health, illness and healing.
• Enable students to develop the analytical skills to recognise and critique different theories, and apply them within their own professional practice.

Content

• This module considers key concepts and theoretical debates in social and medical anthropology. More recent theoretical debates have taken into account rapid social and medical changes (such as biotechnology, globalisation, urbanisation, medical tourism and commodification of health, tissues and body parts) that have posed new challenges to social and medical anthropology, particularly around ideas of the body, personhood and social relatedness. Ethnographic examples highlight the continuities and conflicts between local and global contexts of violence, health care, and the interface of traditional beliefs with biotechnology/medicine. In line with Nancy Schepher-Hughes’ definition of ‘critically applied medical anthropology’, this module does not separate anthropological theory from practice, but promotes theoretical frameworks as central devices to critique and inform the process involved in the experience and management of crises, health and illness. Assessment is by seminar presentation and Essay.

Learning Outcomes

• Have an advanced knowledge of the defining key theoretical debates in social and medical anthropology.
• Articulate why theoretical frames are relevant for an understanding of the body, health and illness.
• Ability to apply theoretical insights to ethnographic texts and contexts, and wider domains of health care policy and practice.

• An ability to read and critically evaluate the works of anthropologists and situate them in terms of theoretical positions.
• Competency to conduct in-depth and theoretically informed analysis of a particular issue relating to health and health care practices.
• Engage anthropological arguments in relation to the fields of medicine and international health.

• Prepare and present scholarly work for seminars and assessment.
• Independent and critical reading of ethnographies.
• Ability to integrate and apply new knowledge and skills in professional practice.

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

• Lectures/seminars
• Presentations
• Essay

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

500 word plan for Essay