Anthropology 397CS - ST- Case Studies/Global Health

This class is designed to provide an introduction to the field of global health. We will first acquire some historical and analytical tools, including a familiarity with a set of social theories, which will help us identify relevant issues and understand the complexity of situations we will examine over the course of the semester. We will then delve into particular case studies from around the world, using a biosocial approach that draws on a range of disciplines (including anthropology, clinical medicine, history, public health, economics, and delivery science) to understand global health problems and to design intervention strategies. With attention to historical precedent and a critical sociology of knowledge, we will explore how global health problems are defined and constructed, and how global health interventions play out in expected and unexpected ways. The course strives for students to: 1) increase their global awareness, 2) ground their work in social and historical analysis, 3) confront ethical challenges, 4) identify gaps in knowledge and develop techniques for gathering the information needed to understand an issue, and 5) find a sense of inspiration and possibility alongside a sense of humility and a greater appreciation of the complexity in the world of global health.