This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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Calendar

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Introduction to course  
2 Introduction to basic issues  
3 "Irrational" beliefs in disease causation and treatment  
4 "Irrational" beliefs (cont.)  
5 Symbolic healing and harming  
6 The cultural construction of disease  
7 Theoretical frames  
8 Meaning, medicine, and illness First paper topic discussed in class
9 The institution(s) of medicine I  
10 The institution(s) of medicine II Video: "Back from Madness"
11 The institution(s) of medicine III First paper due in class
12 The institution(s) of medicine IV Video: "Deadly Deception"
13 The institution(s) of medicine V  
14 The institution(s) of medicine VI  
15 The institution(s) of medicine VII Video: "The Search for Satan"
16 Health, disease and healing in the larger social context I  
17 Health, disease and healing in the larger social context II

Second paper topic discussed in class

Video: "Simple Courage"
18 Health, disease and healing in the larger social context III  
19 Health, disease and healing in the larger social context IV Second paper due in class
20 Health, disease and healing in the larger social context V  
21 Stigma, responsibility, and blame Third paper topics discussed in class
22 The challenge of chronic illness  
23 New reproductive technologies Video: "The Lynchburg Story"
24

New reproductive technologies (cont.)

The social and political context of reproduction

 Third paper due in class
25 The social and political context of reproduction (cont.)  
26 Reports on third paper in class