Minor in Health Studies - Health and Illness through Culture and Space SOSA 2966   Health and Illness through Culture and Space
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Every culture has its own concepts of health and nutrition, its own treatments and practices. This course explores health aetiologies through contemporary culture and space. Topics may vary from year to year but we invariably will learn about contemporary cultures around the world in relation to sensibilities of what it means to feel healthy and “well” in the content of rapid economic and social change. We will explore religion, culture and efficacy; cultures of colours, smells; tastes and health and wellness (proxemics; kinetics-how wellness, health and illness are embodied through time, space and culture); narratives of health (poetry, music, oral genres); pregnancy; birth and rearing of children; senescence and death; the content of public health systems and the extent to which they incorporate these practices and beliefs. The weaknesses and strengths of our own system become clear when medical anthropologists compare it with the science and health systems of other societies.
FORMAT: Lecture
PREREQUISITES: One 1000 level SOSA course or FYP, SOSA 2503 or for MedSci students
EXCLUSIONS: SOSA 2400X/Y.06