Anthropology of Health and Healing

1 Course Unit

What does it mean to “get better” after being sick? In this freshman seminar in anthropology, we will ask questions about recovering from illness and injury in the context of patients’ experiences, medical systems, and healthcare policy. Who gets to decide what counts as health? Why do we think of “normal” as the goal after illness, and what happens when normal isn’t possible or even desirable? By asking these questions, we will examine the broader social, cultural, and political issues related to healing. We will approach these questions through a range of readings, films, podcasts, art works, and personal stories, exploring ideas of cure, disability, and independence in everyday life. We will begin by examining the philosophical underpinnings of health, sickness, and cure. Then, we will look more closely at how political and economic contexts influence assessments of healing, such as measures of “function” and “outcomes.” We will explore how disability narratives, activism, and advocacy reframe recovery from illness and injury. We’ll also take a closer look at definitions of and models for recovery in mental health care and addiction. Finally, we will turn to questions about what it means to recover in daily life. What forms of dependency are to be embraced, and which are to be overcome? What does illness reveal about “already there” in our lives? And what kinds of futures become possible when we treat recovery as creative or collective rather than purely individual? Students will be evaluated on participation in class and in short weekly writing reflections. There will be three assignments: one group project, one individual reflection, and one final paper. Spring 1 Course Unit