Medical history includes not only doctors and discoveries, but sickness and health as well. From devastating epidemics to the daily suffering of hunger, health problems affected and reflected social changes. This course will study four different periods from 1492 to the present exploring issues such as: the health effects of living and working conditions; the effects of disease and health on society; the role of race, class, gender, ethnicity, politics, and economics in health and disease; the changing meanings of “health” and “disease”; changing medical knowledge; and professional power of the healing professions.
Course Requirements:
There will be two long-form exams and five short quizzes.
Intended Audience:
There are no prerequisites but first year students must obtain permission of the instructor. Those who miss the first meeting without advance permission will be dropped from the course.
Class Format:
Lecture format with weekly discussion sections.