Media and the Culture of Health and Disease

(4 Credits)

Cultural meanings of health and disease are shaped not only by scientific and medical discourses but also by media and communication technologies. This course examines the role of media – from scientific instruments to public health campaigns to data visualization – in shaping what counts as normal and pathological; governmental logics of care, public understanding of biotechnology; and individual and collective contestations of biomedical knowledge. Readings are drawn from anthropology, history, science & technology studies, communication studies, and medical memoir.