Ebola, disaster relief, mental health, aging populations, and primary health care are key issues in a world where diseases cross borders rapidly, but health care resources may not. This course introduces students to the dynamic, complex field of global health. The course examines improvements in global health, growing inequalities, the legacy of colonial medicine, and social justice in health from the perspectives of medical anthropology and public health. We draw from cases across the globe, in wealthy and poor nations, nations with well-functioning health systems and those struggling to meet people’s need for basic health care services to explore the intersection of biological, social, and cultural factors that determine health and well-being. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures requirement. (Not offered 2024-25).

Degree requirement — Critical Perspectives: G

1 unit

Previously Featured Offering

Biosocial Perspective

Block 3, Oct. 2020
Instructor: Chantal Figueroa

This course designed by Prof. Chantal Figueroa is articulated around the question: What is the COVID-19 pandemic revealing about systems of power? Through a critical analysis of domestic health policies and bills, students uncover the underlying values of what “health” and “the global” mean at this moment.

No offerings are currently scheduled.