HLTH 525 - Human Disease and Society

This course provides students with a basic knowledge of human disease, its origins, manifestations and effects on society. Human diseases will be examined from physiological, psychological, political, economic and cultural perspectives. We will look at the causes and mechanics of human illness and death (etiology, pathology, sociology) in many of the major systems of the human body. We will emphasize how people sought to comprehend disease in the past, what intellectual and social resources they mobilized to that goal, and the prevailing cultural and scientific norms that shaped their thinking. We will investigate the ways in which studying disease control and therapeutics in multiple contexts casts a critical light on the functioning of societies and governments. We will also focus on how formulations of disease can shape notions of gender, class, race, childhood, and age, and vice versa. Finally, we will look at how histories of disease have been shaped by broader historical forces. Students will analyze a variety of methodological approaches to understand and interpret different diseases.
Credits: 3

Academic Catalog

HLTH 525 - Human Disease and Society