Power, Illness, and Inequality: The Political Economy of Health

3 Units

This course explores the relationship between social inequality and the distribution of health and illness across class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and national boundaries. Class readings drawn from critical anthropological approaches to the study of health emphasize the fundamental importance of power relations and economic constraints in explaining patterns of disease. The course critically examines the nature of Western biomedicine and inequality in the delivery of health services. Special consideration is given to political economic analysis of health issues in the developing world such as AIDS, hunger, reproductive health, and primary health care provision. Recommended preparation: ANTH 102 or ANTH 215 . Offered as ANTH 326 and ANTH 426 .