A History of Health and the Body

3 credits · Undergraduate

Although we experience our bodies as natural and personal, they are also historical. Conceptions of bodily matters such as health or fitness, disability or desirability, depend on technologies, medical science, demographics, and many other forces that partly transcend nature or individual choice and that change over time. In this class, we will explore variety and change in bodily norms and in the conditions under which bodies have suffered and thrived over the past 200 years. Topics include physical training, clothing, addiction, physical disability, food practices, and health advice. FORMATS: Lecture