Medical Anthropology
ES-320 9:00-9:50

Professor Karen Dalke

MAC B-307

dalkek@uwgb.edu

465-2486 

Medical anthropology is a relatively recent area of specialization, which studies the relationship between biological and socio-cultural factors to health, disease, and illness-now and in the past.

There are a variety of perspectives and a continuum that ranges from a biological pole to a socio-cultural pole. Medical anthropologists concerned with the more biological end of the spectrum tend to focus on the role of disease in human evolution, nutrition, growth and development. The relationship between traditional and Western medical belief systems and practices that affect sickness and health (ethnomedicine) are the focus of those anthropologists at the socio-cultural pole.  However, contemporary medical anthropology attempts to integrate the two poles in

practice, theory, and data.

 

 

Required Text Book:  Carolyn F. Sargent and Thomas M. Johnson (Eds.). (1996). Medical Anthropology: Contemporary Theory and Method Revised Edition.

 

 

Course Objectives:

 

 

*       Study the development of medical anthropology as a specialization within anthropology.

 

*       Identify important figures in the specialization and understand their contributions to the specialization of medical anthropology and the discipline of anthropology as a whole.

 

*       Use anthropological concepts to understand current events in the world around us.

 

*       Learn and practice interviewing skills.

 

 

Grading and Course Requirements

 

The course will be comprised of three distinct activities: 1) A literature review paper on a topic associated with medical anthropology,(100 points) 2) A structured interview (100 points), and 3) A final class presentation (100 points). Each of these activities will comprise 1/3 of your grade. Part of the grade for the second and third section include feedback sheets.

 

 

A         276-300           B         246-266           C         204-233           F          0-179

 

A/B      267-275           B/C      234-245           D         180-203

 

Jan 18 -20                    Introduction to Class  

Jan 23                          Review syllabus, class expectations, announce teams

Jan 25  & 27                Part I Theoretical Perspectives Chapter 1

Jan 30 & Feb 1            Chapter 2   (Choose topic: area of interest and geographical location)

Feb 3 & 6                    Chapter 3

Feb 8 &10                   Chapter 4

  
Feb 13 & 15                Chapter 5

Feb 17 & 20                Part II  Chapter 6

Feb 22 & 24                (Literature Reviews Due Feb. 24th in class)   Chapter 7

Feb 27 & Mar 1           Chapter 8

Mar 3 & 6                    Chapter 9
 
Mar 8 & 10                  Part III   Chapter 10   

Mar 13 & 15                Chapter 11

MARCH 18-26  SPRING BREAK

Mar 17 & 27                Chapter 12

Mar 29 & 31                Chapter 13  

Apr 3 & 5                    Chapter 14  

Apr 7 & 10                  Part  IV  Chapter 15 

Apr 12 & 14                Chapter 16 (Key Informant Questions Due April 14th in class)

April 17 -21                 Practice Questions in Class

Apr 24                         Part V: Chapter 17, 18, & 19 

Apr 26                         Presentation

Apr 28                         Presentation

May 1                          Presentation

May 3                          Presentation

May 5                          Presentation

May 10                        Presentation

SOME RULES ABOUT INTERVIEWING INFORMANTS

 

1.      Before you begin interviewing your informant, you must tell the person 1) who you are, 2) why you are talking to them, 3) what you want to find out from them, 4) what will happen to the information they will give you. Remember to thank your informant when ending the interview as they are doing you a favor.

2.      For purposes of this course, you may not do any “live” research that involves information about sex or crime.

3.      You should not, under any circumstance, expose yourself to a dangerous situation: there are plenty of safe places to do interviews.

4.       If you begin interviewing your informant and they ask to end the conversation, don’t argue and leave.

5.      You can only talk to an informant that is over 18 and a student, friend, or family member.


I reserve the right to change the syllabus at any time and will inform you in class and via D2L.

 

 

Expectations for Student Performance


As a college student attending a four-year liberal arts college in the University of Wisconsin system, you have the right to expect that your instructors will come to each class on or before the scheduled meeting time; that she or he will have selected appropriate course materials and will have made that material available in a timely manner; that he or she will have prepared materials based on that day's reading assignment; and that she or he will return your written assignments, exams, and other work by the date specified in class (no more than two weeks after the assignments have been turned in). If your expectations for any course are not met, you should discuss the situation with the chair of the appropriate academic program. Similarly, UWGB faculty have expectations for students enrolled in each of their courses. My expectations for student performance in this class are as follows:


1. Students will attend all classes as scheduled. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor of any absences before any classes are missed. Note that UW-Green Bay academic policy, as stated in the Student Handbook, allows a maximum of two missed classes each semester. There should be no unexcused absences from this or any other class. You will be expected to have read the chapter assigned and prepare an outline of the article and questions for each class. A handout to facilitate this process will be handed out in class.

2. Students will arrive for class on or before the scheduled meeting time. The class period goes for a full 50-minute time period. Students will not pack up their materials, put on their coats, begin to leave the classroom, etc., until the end of the scheduled class period. In the rare circumstance when the course material requires the instructor to run over the 50-minute class period, students will not leave their seats, pack up their materials, etc., until the instructor has finished the class discussion for the day.

3. Students will come to each class prepared to discuss the material assigned for that day. This means that you should complete all reading assignments before the scheduled class period, take the appropriate notes on the reading material, and that you should able to contribute to a knowledgeable discussion of the course material.

4. If you are unable to take an examination at the regularly scheduled time, you must make arrangements prior to the scheduled class period.

5. Plagiarism and cheating will be treated as academic misconduct, under the UWGB student code of ethics. Plagiarism and/or cheating is an offense that may result in receiving a grade of F for the specific assignment and/or for the course. Plagiarism and/or cheating in this or any other course could potentially result in dismissal from the university.

6. Please silence all cell phones and pagers during class. If you need to respond to a call, please do so outside of the classroom.