What is “traditional Chinese medicine”? What social, political, and economic forces shaped the way it developed through history, and how is it being used today? We’ll answer these questions by looking at the history of disease and healing in China from the third century BCE to the present. Themes include: the body and the environment; yin-yang medical theory; pediatrics and gynecology; bonesetting, surgery, and trauma medicine; epidemics and infectious diseases (including COVID-19); transregional Asian medical exchanges; government activism in medicine; Western medicine in Asia; medical modernization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and the rise of Chinese medicine as a global form of “complementary and alternative medicine.” By exploring ideas from the history of Chinese healing, we will also learn cross-cultural analytical skills so that we can think critically and sensitively about the different health beliefs of different societies. This course combines short lectures with a “flipped teaching” format where students will participate actively in class discussion and learning activities. Assignments include attendance and participation, leading discussion, response essays on course readings, and two exams.

Course Requirements:

Attendance and participation, leading discussion, response essays, and two exams

Intended Audience:

For a general audience—no background required

Class Format:

Lecture and discussion