(Em)bodi/ment: body/mind. How does our culture fantasize about severing them? Where is there ever pure mind, pure body? Who counts as able, as broken, or as food? How does discipline, punishment, and usefulness come into play? What is agency and knowledge in relation to embodiment? We will study different 'problem' cases of embodiment where the fabric of culture begins to unravel: athletics, birthing, breeding and assisted reproduction, chronic illness, dairy, disability, drugs, dying, fatness, pregnancy, queerness, sexuality, speech ('disorder'), and others.

What are the molecular mechanisms by which hormones direct cellular processes? In this course, we will examine the nature of chemical communication between and within cells. We will study hormones, receptors, and signal transduction pathways, and the ways in which these signaling systems regulate development, programmed cell death, inflammatory responses, and other biological processes.

From mutualism to parasitism, symbiotic interactions are a universal feature of life. In this seminar we will study the mechanisms underlying symbiotic interactions and consider their significance for the ecology and evolution of organisms.

This course covers major issues in the anthropology of reproduction, including the relationship between production and reproduction, the gendered division of labor, the state and reproductive policy, embodied metaphors of procreation and parenthood, fertility control and abortion, crosscultural reproductive ethics, and the social implications of new reproductive technologies. We examine the social construction of reproduction in a variety of cultural contexts.

A consideration of the physiological processes involved in the control of human body functions. We will study the mechanisms for regulating individual organ systems and how these mechanisms respond to changing needs of the individual. Our examination of the physiological controls will include an analysis of the underlying cellular and molecular processes that drive the mechanisms and integrate the activities of the different systems.

This course presents an opportunity for students to apply gender theory to practice and synthesize their work in gender studies. Connections between the academy and the community, scholarship and social action will be emphasized. Students will arrange for a placement at a non-profit organization, business, or institution that incorporates a gender focus. A weekly seminar with other students provides a structured reflection forum to analyze experience and methods.