AANB05093U Medical Anthropology, Introductory Course

Volume 2019/2020
Education

Board of Studies, Department of Anthropology

Content

Medical anthropology is the study of health, illness, and healing across the range of human societies and over the course of human experience. It includes the ways that human communities understand and respond to the challenges of health and illness, it studies the meaning of signs of illness and suffering as part of the general study of culture, and it strives to interpret them in the light of wider understandings of resources, technology, ritual and religion. This introductory course covers some of the most familiar and important themes in medical anthropology. The literature focuses on classic texts dealing with issues such as classification of illness, uncertainties, bodies, subjectivities, identities, narratives, medicines, symbolic healing, patients and therapeutic journeys, lay and expert knowledge, medical practices, technologies and infrastructures. The aim of the course is to introduce the field of medical anthropology as part of the overall study of culture and society.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

  • Identify central anthropological approaches to studying health, illness and healing in human societies and reflect on the differences between them

  • Describe illness experience, health practices, health technologies and health systems in different contexts and in cross-cultural settings

 

Skills

  • Present key anthropological arguments and concepts in course readings

  • Use anthropological concepts to present ethnographic case material

 

Competences

  • Recognize how cultural values, social situations and relations shape understandings of and responses to the challenges of health and illness
Literature

BSc-, Credit-, and international students: 500 pages obligatory literature.

The teacher will publish 200-300 pages of supplementary literature.

Course literature will be available through Absalon on the course website.


 

The course consists of lectures, seminars and exercises based on in depth reading of ethnographic texts on health, illness and healing across a range of human societies. Students are expected to engage actively in oral presentations, discussions, group work and exercises.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Course Preparation
  • 96
  • Exam Preparation
  • 16
  • Practical exercises
  • 25
  • Seminar
  • 42
  • Study Groups
  • 28
  • Total
  • 207
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)

Students will receive feedback after each exercise during the interactive seminars.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Length: The portfolio exam can be taken individually or in groups of maximum four students. The portfolio exam consists of 3-7 submissions. The number of submissions is set by the lecturer. The total length of all of the submissions must not exceed 30,000 keystrokes for a single student. For groups of two students the maximum is 40,000 keystrokes. For groups of three students the maximum is 45,000 keystrokes and for groups of four students the maximum is 50,000 keystrokes.

Formal requirements for a written assignments for groups can be found here: https:/​/​kunet.ku.dk/​study/​anthropology-ma/​Pages/​Topic.aspx?topic=Writtentake-homeassignment&topicId=265ca0b2-9132-4e58-b45e-a5a4243593fe#265ca0b2-9132-4e58-b45e-a5a4243593fe
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

1. re-exam:

A new essay with a revised problem statement must be submitted at the announced date. The students must sign up for the 1. re-exam.

Please note that the re-exam is an essay even for courses, where the ordinary exam is a portfolio exam.

2. re-exam:

A new essay with a revised problem statement must be submitted at the announced date next semester. The students must sign up for the 2. re-exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

See description of learning outcome. Formalities for Written Works must be fulfilled, read more: MSc Students/ BA students (in Danish)/ exchange and credit students