Week 1:Introduction to Medical Anthropology

Reading Assignments:
1. Dancing Skeletons. Read the whole book.
2. Helman: Chapter 1: Introduction: the scope of medical anthropology. (Pp. 1-10)

Week 2-3: Disease Theories as Cultural Products

WEEK 2:

Topics
Disease as Cultural Products
Cultural systems`as determinants of sickness and healing
Explanatory Models
Political/ Economic theories
Interactionst position

Reading Assignment
1.Helman:
Chapter 5: Doctor-Patient Interactions. (Pp. 101-145)
Chapter 7: Pain and Culture. (Pp. 179-193)
Chapter 2: Cultural definitions of Anatomy and Physiology . (Pp. 12-36)

WEEK 3:

Topics
Biomedical Model: Basic Principles
Ecological Perspective
Human Adaptation Model

Reading Assignment
1. Evans, R. G. et al. 1994 Why are Some People Healthy and Others Not?:
a. Introduction. R.G. Evans (pp. 3-26).
b. Producing Health, Consuming health Care. R.Evans and G. Stoddart. (Pp27-66).

Week 4-5: Health and Disease in Human Evolution

Topics
Human evolution and disease
Human Adaptation to disease
Natural Selection and Disease
Epidemiological Transition Theory
 

Reading Assignments

1. Ortner, Donald. 1988 Theoretical and methodological issues in paleopathology. In Human Paleopathology. Current Synthesis and Future Options. Pp. 5-11. D.J. Ortner and A.C. Aufderheide (eds). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. (Knight Library Reserve Room)
2. Pfeiffer, S. 1988 Is paleopathology a relevant predictor of contemporary health patterns? In Human Paleopathology. Current Synthesis and Future Options. Pp. 12-17. D.J. Ortner and A.C. Aufderheide (eds). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. (Knight Library Reserve Room)
   

   Weeks 5-7: Current Problems and Issues-Who Becomes Sick, Injured or Dies?
   

   WEEK 5-6:
   Topics
   Epidemiological Transition Theory
   If not genetics what else?
   The influence of ethnicity, class and gender
   Degenerative diseases: CHD, Diabetes
   

   Reading Assignments
   1. Cooper, R. S. 1991 Celebrate diversity - or should we? Ethnicity and Disease. 1 (1): 3-7.
   2. Kumanyika, S. and P. Golden 1991 Cross-sectional difference in health status in US racial/ethni
   minority groups:Potential influence of temporal changes, disease and lifestyle transitions.
   Ethnicity and Disease 1(1):50-59.
   3. Barker, J. 1992 Cultural Diversity - Changing the Context of Medical Practice. West. J. Med.
   157: 248-254.
   4. Crews, D.E. and G.D. James. 1991 Human evolution and the genetic epidemiology of chronic
   degenerative diseases. In Applications of Biological Anthropology To Human Affairs. Pp. 185-206.
   C.G.N. Mascie-Taylor and G.W. Lasker (eds). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.
   5. Helman, C. Culture, health and Illness.
   a. Chapter 12. Cultural factors in Epidemiology. (Pp 267-249).
   

   WEEK 7:

   Topics
   Women's health, sickness and illness
   Medicalization of the reproductive cycle
   Menstruation, Pregnancy, Birth, Menopause
   Stress and Culture Change
   

   Reading Assignments

   1. Helman, C. Culture, Health and Illness.
      a. Chapter 6: Gender and Reproduction. (Pp 146-178)
      
   2. Chavez, L. et al. 1995 Structure and meaning in models of breast and cervical cancer risk factors: A comparison of perceptions among Latinas, anglo women and physicians. Medical Anthropology Quarterly 9: 40-75 (Knight Library Reserve)
      
   3. Saltonstall, R. 1993 Healthy bodies, social bodies: Men's and women's concepts and practices of health in everyday life. Social Science and medicine 36(1): 7-14 (Knight Library Reserve)
      

   WEEK 8:

   Helman, C. Culture, Health and Illness.
   a. Chapter 11: Cultural Aspects of Stress. (Pp. 296-318).
   b. Chapter 3: Diet and Nutrition (Pp. 37-62).
   

    

   Week 9-10: Healing Systems

   Topics:
   Healing systems
   Seeking health and help
   

   Reading Assignments:

   1. Helman, C. Culture, health and Illness.
   a. Chapter 4. Caring, and Curing: Sectors of Health Care (pp 54-85).
   b. Chapter 9: Ritual and the management of Misfortune (pp. 192 -213)
   c. Chapter 10: Cross-cultural Psychiatry (pp214-248).
   

   Tentative Exam and Due Date Schedule:

   1. Midterm Exam: Feb 5, 1998
   2. Book review (5-8 double spaced pages typed) OR Illness Explanatory Model Paper: (8-10 double spaced pages typed)

      Topic Deadline: Jan 22, 1998
      Outline & Preliminary Bibliography: Feb 3, 1998
      Draft for Evaluation and Comment: Feb 12, 1998 (Optional and Recommended)
      Final Submission: Feb. 24, 1998
      

   3. Final Exam: TBA

   Take Home Exam or Wed. March 18, 1998 10:15-12:15

    

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