Health, Healing and Culture: An Introduction to Medical Anthropology (in English)

Course description
This course is an introduction to Medical Anthropology, and it focuses on the relationship between individuals and culture. The student will have available a range of readings that will help to illustrate the different relationships between culture and the subject’s perceptions of health and healing. This introductory course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of some of the anthropological approaches and tools that are relevant to the study of health and illnesses and to the improvement of the impact and sustainability of health work.

It is aimed at those new to anthropology and can thus be used as an introduction to the subdiscipline for health novice social scientist. It will introduce students to the topics, theories, and methods of the discipline, applied to the scientific study of the social and cultural determinants of health. We will explore topics such as mental health and illnesses, systems of healing, woman’s health, ethics, intercultural competence, and practical uses for health care settings.

In addition to this, it will enable you learn theoretical concepts and no less importantly, to become able to use them in cases and examples directly connected to daily life, including examples of actual topics. The course will include the latest anthropological perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic since the COVID -19 pandemic has disrupted the normal lifestyle of people across the globe. Conducted in English.

Course goals and methodology
This course aims at providing a basic understanding of some of the anthropological approaches and tools that are relevant to the study of health and illness. We will delve into the connections between our conceptions of health and healing processes and sociocultural contexts. This course will introduce Medical Anthropology, which is the subfield of anthropology concerned with how human societies respond to and shape the experiences of health, illness, and recovery. As we move on, we will delve into to more specific and complex aspects, such as the meaning and value of healing in particular cultures, different etiological systems, ethno-medical systems, reproductive health, and mental illnesses, among others. Classes will consist of lectures and class discussions. Students are encouraged to use a Blackboard site, where the professor will post slides, journal articles, assignment instructions and additional resources such as audiovisual material.
The general objectives that this course addresses will enable you to:
• Demonstrate an analytical understanding of a range of concepts, principles and definitions used in medical anthropology.
• Show awareness of cultural competence in health care, enabling effective work across
racial, ethnic, and cultural lines.
• Be able to explain the role of the main social and cultural determinants of health.
• Explain how culture influences our perception of health and healing, and become aware of the risk of ethnocentrism.
• Be able to apply what you learn to your daily life and own experiences.
There is no textbook required for this course. Therefore, students are not expected to purchase any material. The instructor will post the class material on Blackboard, which is accessible both on campus and off campus. To log in, you need to sign in on https://campusvirtual.upo.es using the username and password you received in your orientation folder. Coursework will include lectures, students’ presentations, videos, outside readings and short written assignments. Participation is a key factor in this course. Engaging in discussions and presenting the contents that you will actively learn about the theory but also about how to apply it, getting feedback and guidance and assuring proper understanding. Students will be expected to come prepared to class, reading the daily assignment. In class, the instructor will use audiovisual materials to supplement the information presented in the readings. Every session will be structured around class discussion, focusing on the readings assigned and the audiovisual material presented.

Learning Objectives
By the end of the semester, students who complete all necessary assignments will be able to:
• Be able to define and explain what culture and Medical Anthropology are, and their meaning in different cultures.
• Describe the nuances separating illness from disease.
• Debate and think critically about different perceptions and experiences of health, and of healing processes as a result of acculturation.
• Identify processes related to health and illness as diverse as cultural backgrounds can be identified.
• Discuss with an appropriate vocabulary about cultural influences, healing processes and medical systems.
• Demonstrate the ability to traslate knowledge into practice using examples and cases.