49335 - MedicalAnthropology (AK)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will master the theoretical and methodological knowledge to rethink illness beyond the anatomical and physiological dimensions of pathology: illness is, in fact, inevitably also a lived experience whose value depends on the impact it has on the social relationships and meaning of people's experience. Students will also acquire knowledge about the mechanisms of social production of suffering and health promotion.

Course contents

The course is part of the Integrated Course in General Psychology and Medical Anthropology. At the end of the Integrated Course, students will have acquired useful knowledge for understanding the processes underlying individual and group behavior.
SPECIFIC CONTENTS OF THE COURSE:
- The socio-cultural dimensions of biomedicine
- The cultural construction of illness experience
- The social production of suffering
- Health promotion and the paradigm of care

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliography includes the following texts, to be supplemented with the course materials presented in class:

Farmer, P. (2009). On Suffering and Structural Violence: A View from Below. Race/Ethnicity: Multidisciplinary Global Contexts, 3(1), 11-28.

Gaines, A., & Robbie Davis-Floyd. (2004). Biomedicine. In Ember & Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 95-109.

Napier, A. D., et al. (2014). Culture and Health. The Lancet, 384(9954), 1607-1639.

Quaranta, I. (2012). La trasformazione dell’esperienza. Antropologia e processi di cura. Antropologia e teatro, Rivista di Studi, 3.

The texts are available on Virtuale, where the materials presented in class will also be uploaded.

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures, case discussions, and practical exercises conducted online on Virtuale by the students.

Attendance is mandatory. To pass the course, students must attend at least 60% of the scheduled lessons. Students who do not meet this threshold will not receive the required credits and will have to repeat the lessons during the following academic year.

Any justified absences may be authorized upon the presentation of appropriate documentation, in case of illness or other serious reasons. Authorized absences will not be counted in the calculation of the minimum attendance requirement.

Assessment methods

The module in MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY is part of the INTEGRATED COURSE (IC) in GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY and MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, together with the modules in GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY and BASICS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

The overall evaluation of the integrated course will be equivalent to the WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF THE EVALUATIONS obtained in the GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY and MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY modules.

The BASICS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION module will instead provide a pass/fail grade (necessary for recording the IC).

The exam for the MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY module will consist of a WRITTEN TEST, lasting 45 minutes, consisting of an OPEN-ENDED QUESTION aimed at assessing whether students can argue the topics covered in the course: the socio-cultural dimension of biomedicine; the cultural construction of  illness experience; the social production of suffering; care and health promotion.

An exam in which the student demonstrates the ability to critically discuss the topics covered in class and in the exam texts, using appropriate language, will result in an excellent/optimal evaluation.

An exam in which the student demonstrates the ability to summarize the topics covered in class and in the exam texts using acceptable language will result in a sufficient/good evaluation.

An exam in which the student demonstrates limited knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the exam texts, using inappropriate language, will result in an insufficient evaluation.

Teaching tools

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible ( https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Ivo Quaranta