Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice

GMS MA 700 History and Theory of Medical Anthropology, Part I
Prereq: consent of instructor. This course introduces the history of the field of medical anthropology, and of theoretical orientations related to understanding and analyzing health and medicine in society and culture. Readings will exemplify interpretive strategies applied to health-related experiences, discourse, knowledge, and practice.
location: BUSM Instructional Building L-213
Laird. 3 cr., 1st sem, M 9-11:50

GMS MA 710  Medical Anthropological and Qualitative Research Methods and Design
Prereq: consent of instructor. Introduction to methodology for ethnographic field research in medical anthropology, and qualitative research methods. This course examines issues in designing anthropological research, and reviews theoretical approaches to research ethics, designing research, framing questions and questionnaire design, and data collection techniques.
location: BUSM Instructional Building L-213
Barnes. 3 cr., 1st sem, T 9-12

GMS MA 720 World Religions, Medicines, and Healing 
An introduction to approaches to healing integral to Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, African, African descended, Latin American, Chinese, Native American traditions, and to some of the outcomes of their interactions, in relation to the experience of affliction, suffering, and healing.
location: BUSM Instructional Building L-112
Barnes. 3 cr., 1st sem, T, Th 4:30-5:50

GMS MA 730 Medical Anthropology and the Cultures of Biomedicine
This course examines biomedicine as a cultural system with local and national variations worldwide, all of which have undergone changes over time. Topics include acculturation, medicalization, the patient-doctor relationship, understandings of interventions, and interpretations of chronicity.
location: CT462/CT462A Crosstown 801 Mass Ave
Laird. 3 cr., 1st sem, W 9-11:50

GMS MA 701 History and Theory of Medical Anthropology, Part II
Prereq: consent of instructor. An examination of the aim, function, justification and critique of classical and contemporary “theories” of religious traditions (social-scientific, psychological, phenomenological, theological, historical) using, as an organizing focus, the cross-cultural study of healing traditions. 
Barnes. 3 cr., 2nd sem, T 1-3.

GMS MA 721 Theory and Methods in the Study of Religion and Healing
Prereq: consent of instructor. An examination of the aim, function, justification and critique of classical and contemporary “theories” of religious traditions (social-scientific, psychological, phenomenological, theological, historical) using, as an organizing focus, the cross-cultural study of healing traditions.
Barnes. 4 cr., 2nd sem, W 1-3.

GMS MA 770 IRB Proposal Development and Writing
Prereq: consent of instructor. Students will learn to write a medical anthropology research proposal and related Institutional Review Board Proposal, through the structure provided by the IRB of BUSM. We will address theory and methods related to the design and review processes, and challenges to applying a medical research model to qualitative and fieldwork research.
Laird. 3 cr., 2nd sem, W 9-12.

GMS MA Ethnographies of Immigrants and Immigration
Prereq: consent of instructor. This course presents different ways of studying cultural pluralism in the United States through ethnographies. We will analyze transformations of ethnicity, gender, race and national identity that have marked both historical and contemporary migrations of people to the United States.
Laird. 3 cr., 2nd sem, M 9-12.

GMS MA 777 Topics in Medical Anthropology: HIV/AIDS
Prereq: consent of instructor. This seminar develops a critique of topics in medical anthropological theory. It revisits significant legacies from classic anthropology, joining them with insights from current theory and ethnography, to analyze selected issues in medical anthropology. The topic this year will be HIV/AIDS.
Taveres. 3 cr., 2nd sem.