Overview
A global and cross-cultural exploration of the concepts of health, healing and illness. Exploration of the commodification, medicalisation, moralities and aesthetics of embodied health via a research essay.
This paper provides an overview of the most rapidly expanding subdiscipline in anthropology - the field of medical anthropology. During the semester we will develop ideas about the nature of health, suffering (both individual and structural), the anthropological meaning behind terms such as healing and curing, and the variety of ways in which people experience embodied selfhood from a diverse array of cultural perspectives.
We will also study the complex varieties of health care workers and carers in any local situation and the ideological relationships between health and notions of commerce, aesthetics, morality and identity. In doing so we will attempt to develop a cross-cultural meaning of the complex and taken for granted concept of health.
To successfully achieve this goal, we must also critically examine the dominant local model of health in New Zealand, which is represented by a local and culturally specific version of cosmopolitan (or Western bio-) medicine. The approach through which we will conduct this task is known as critical interpretive medical anthropology and is based on a political economy approach to the study of health and illness complemented with insights from phenomenological anthropology.
This paper is taught in yearly rotation with ANTH 322
About this paper
| Paper title | Anthropology of Health |
|---|---|
| Subject | Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2026 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,103.10 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level ANTH points or 108 points
- Restriction
- ANTH 223
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- May not be credited together with ANTH310 passed in 2001 or 2002.
- Eligibility
This paper is designed for students with and without strong backgrounds in Anthropology.
- Contact
- More information link
Please visit the Programme of Social Anthropology
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
The paper involves active learning, and students are requested to read their required weekly readings before attending class. Students are invited to join in the collaborative notes project in which we work co- operatively to each provide one high quality reading summary of required reading. This is stored on "teams" and made available to all members of the class to assist us with managing our reading worklaods by sharing notes co-operatively
- Teaching Arrangements
One 2-hour lecture per week and a one hour-long tutorial per week. The lecturer also provides a friendly weekly ‘chat with the lecturer’ zoom meeting to assist all students with their learning
- Textbooks
Required reading is from contemporary peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters available electronically through the library using course reserve
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
- Be able to make a reasoned judgement about the complex and culturally specific meanings of health within their chosen study site and support this interpretation with evidence
- Demonstrate high-level written, visual and verbal communication skills
- Assessment details
This paper is 100% internally assessed.
The first major assignment is either a reflective essay drawing in part on a book review (for non-Anthropology majors) or a practical research essay assignment involving publicly accessible fieldwork sources (for Anthropology majors). Additional assessment is a poster presentation of your essay plan to assist you with designing your larger assignment and presented in the friendly environment of your tutorial group or via an informal weekly zoom meeting with the lecturer.
Students will also be offered one open book MCQ every week (via blackboard quiz) on the key point of the lecture in order to enhance learning.
The second major assignment is a take home exam released in the last week of the semester and due before the final day of the examination period. It is delivered via blackboard as a Turnitin assignment and is comprised of 3 essay questions out of a total of 12 possible questions.
Overview
A global and cross-cultural exploration of the concepts of health, healing and illness. Exploration of the commodification, medicalisation, moralities and aesthetics of embodied health via a research essay.
This paper provides an overview of the most rapidly expanding subdiscipline in anthropology - the field of medical anthropology. During the semester we will develop ideas about the nature of health, suffering (both individual and structural), the anthropological meaning behind terms such as healing and curing, and the variety of ways in which people experience embodied selfhood from a diverse array of cultural perspectives.
We will also study the complex varieties of health care workers and carers in any local situation and the ideological relationships between health and notions of commerce, aesthetics, morality and identity. In doing so, we will attempt to develop a cross-cultural meaning of the complex and taken-for-granted concept of health.
To successfully achieve this goal, we must also critically examine the dominant local model of health in New Zealand, which is represented by a local and culturally specific version of cosmopolitan (or Western bio-) medicine. The approach through which we will conduct this task is known as critical interpretive medical anthropology and is based on a political economy approach to the study of health and illness, complemented with insights from phenomenological anthropology.
This paper is taught in yearly rotation with ANTH 322.
About this paper
| Paper title | Anthropology of Health |
|---|---|
| Subject | Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level ANTH points or 108 points
- Restriction
- ANTH 223
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- May not be credited together with ANTH310 passed in 2001 or 2002.
- Eligibility
This paper is designed for students with and without strong backgrounds in Anthropology.
- Contact
- More information link
Please visit the Programme of Social Anthropology website.
- Teaching staff
Contributing lecturers: Dr Molly George and Tautemaria Silva
- Paper Structure
The paper involves active learning, and students are requested to read their required weekly readings before attending class. Students are invited to join in the collaborative notes project in which we work cooperatively to each provide one high-quality reading summary of the required reading. This is stored on Aoroa and made available to all members of the class to assist us with managing our reading workloads by sharing notes cooperatively.
- Teaching Arrangements
One 2-hour lecture per week and a one-hour-long tutorial per week. The lecturer also provides a friendly weekly "chat with the lecturer" Zoom meeting to assist all students with their learning.
- Textbooks
Required reading is from contemporary peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters available electronically through the library using eReserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
- Be able to make a reasoned judgement about the complex and culturally specific meanings of health within their chosen study site and support this interpretation with evidence
- Demonstrate high-level written, visual and verbal communication skills
- Assessment details
This paper is 100% internally assessed.
- Reading Project (30%)
- Key Lecture Points Quiz (10%)
- Essay Outline (10%)
- Essay (50%)