Pandemics, Plagues, and Peopl

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to explore the historical and social contexts of epidemic disease has become an urgent issue. How have outbreaks of plague and pandemics devastated and transformed humanity throughout recorded history? In this course, we will explore rabies, bubonic plague, smallpox, polio, measles, AIDS, and COVID-19 in human society. We will identify how communities and institutions respond to crises and how social conditions may influence and impede the rate of spread of contagious diseases. Additionally, we'll examine several ethical issues concerning policies created to respond to, treat, and halt epidemic health threats, including bioterrorism, SARS, and Ebola.