Admission Requirements
The following categories of students can register for this course:
Students enrolled for the bachelor’s programme CADS at Leiden University who have passed the propaedeutic phase.
Bachelor’s students from other academic programmes from Leiden University who have passed the propaedeutic phase of their programme and who want to follow this course as a level 300 elective. Please send a 100-150 word motivation to the course lecturer at least 20 days before the closing date of course enrolment.
N.B.: Availability of this course for students outside Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology is limited and based on both motivation of the student and available seats.
Course Description
What is medical anthropology and how do medical anthropologists study health, illness and the body? How are health and access to health care (unequally) distributed in society? How do we understand cultural contexts of illness experience? Building on previous courses in the curriculum of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, this course offers insight into current discussions in medical anthropology. We study meanings and experiences of health and illness from an anthropological perspective and examine how local and global forces affect illness, suffering, pain, and healing. Topics include, amongst others: medical anthropology and public health; cultural contexts of illness; social inequality and the politics of health; practices of caregiving; illness narratives; end-of-life care; HIV/AIDS; and Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Assessment of the course includes a qualitative interview exercise and report, response notes, a class assignment on the Covid-19 pandemic, a book essay, and a final paper. Class attendance is mandatory. This is a reading-intensive course. The sessions will consist of a mixed format of lectures, seminars (discussion of the literature), exercises, film-screenings, discussion of assignments, and making a policy brief. Students are expected to read the assigned literature before the sessions.
Course Objectives
The course will help students:
Understand core discussions in medical anthropology
Challenge presumptions about the body, health, and illness by assessing socio-cultural dimensions
Develop critical thinking and writing skills that allow them to engage in social scientific discussions on medical issues
Increase interview skills and analyse an interview qualitatively
Improve discussion skills by participating actively in debates during the sessions
Schedule
Dates of lectures can be found on our website.
Mode of Instruction
Total 10 ECTS = 280 study hours (sbu):
Lectures/seminar/exercise sessions 12×3 h = 36 sbu
Qualitative interview + interview report = 24 sbu
Weekly literature and response notes (max.600 words/9sbu each) (7 out of 8) = 63 sbu
Assignment on Covid-19 pandemic = 20 sbu
Monograph reading + book essay = 60 sbu
Final paper (3000 words) = 40 sbu
Additional literature = 37 sbu
Assessment Method
Seven response notes on the assigned readings, a book essay, an interview report, a discussion paper, and a group assignment on the Covid-19 pandemic. More details of the assignments and assessment will be announced in the syllabus.
Re-takes of the final paper are possible but only if final grades are below 6,0 and students have participated actively in the course and submitted satisfactory responses to at least most of the assignments.
Class attendance is mandatory.
Registration in uSis
Registration in uSis is mandatory for the lectures for all participants. Please consult the course registration website for information about registration periods and further instructions.
Registration for the exam is NOT necessary because this course has no final classroom-based exam.
Exchange students: If you have officially been admitted for this course during the Admission Procedure, you will be registered for the lectures by the faculty’s Student Service Centre.
The registration closes five days before the start of the course.
Brightspace
Brightspace is the digital learning environment of Leiden University. Brightspace gives access to course announcements and electronic study material. Assignments will also be submitted in Brightspace. Announcements about and changes to courses will be made via Brightspace. Students are advised to check Brightspace daily to remain informed about rooms, schedules, deadlines, and details of assignments. Lecturers assume that all students read information posted on Brightspace.
- How to login
The homepage for Brightspace is: Brightspace
Please log in with your ULCN-account and personal password. On the left you will see an overview of My Courses.
Course Literature
The course syllabus and reading list will be available on Brightspace by December 2021.