This course explores human evolution, globalization and the environment as factors for health disparities and the geographic distribution of disease.

Some of the topics discussed in the course include:

• anthropological theories of illness and disease
• cultural interpretations of HIV/AIDS
• wide-ranging healthcare experiences as practitioners and consumers
• examination of diverse medical systems (naturopathy, ethnobotany, shamanism, etc.)

Emphasis is placed on the cross-cultural, comparative analysis of how people cope with illness through a range of medical systems. Students are introduced to the wide array of careers in medical anthropology that support healthy communities in the United States, as well as the various responsibilities of health practitioners globally.