Students

ANTH8016 – Culture, Health and Disease

2021 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Timothy Lynch
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MDevStud or MPH or MGlobalHlthDevStud or GradCertGlobalHlthDevStud or MDevStudGlobalHlth or GradCertDevStudGlobalHlth or MAppAnth or MDevCult or MSocEntre or GradCertSocEntre or MPASR or MPASRMDevStud or GradDipPASR or GradDipPP or MPPP or MPPPMDevStud or MPPPMPASR or 10cp in ANTH units at 8000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the evolutionary, cultural, socio-economic, and political dimensions of disease and health. Notions of disease causality and healing practices vary across societies, and an understanding of the dynamics of these factors is crucial not only for theoretical advancement, but also for applied intervention in the field of international public health. In addition to surveying the key conceptual developments in medical anthropology, we look at how anthropological perspectives and methods can be used in applied settings. We also explore issues in critical medical anthropology, such as: How do global inequalities and violence affect health in developing countries? What larger social transformations accompany the rise of biomedicine, including recent biomedical technologies? These topics explore various dimensions through which medical anthropology can analyse and shape global health policies and interventions, preparing students to work in health policy and applied research.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate command of anthropological knowledge and theories relevant to the subdiscipline of medical anthropology and the broader study of illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.
  • ULO2: Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.
  • ULO3: Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own culture and determinants of illness and health.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate an understanding of how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine, and social organization.
  • ULO5: Analyse how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.
  • ULO6: Identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational context.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Written Discussion Guide 30% No Weekly
Essay 30% No 23:59, 17/10/21
Final Exam 40% No 23:59, 14/11/21

Written Discussion Guide

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 30%

 

Written Discussion Guide for Weekly assigned readings.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate command of anthropological knowledge and theories relevant to the subdiscipline of medical anthropology and the broader study of illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.
  • Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine, and social organization.
  • Analyse how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.
  • Identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational context.

Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 41 hours
Due: 23:59, 17/10/21
Weighting: 30%

 

Essay relating to medical anthropology

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate command of anthropological knowledge and theories relevant to the subdiscipline of medical anthropology and the broader study of illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.
  • Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.
  • Apply the theories and concepts of medical anthropology to critically evaluate one’s own culture and determinants of illness and health.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine, and social organization.
  • Analyse how illness and health (and normality) are constructed within particular social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts.
  • Identify how inequality, social hierarchy, and structural violence generate unequal and often unique health determinants in the global and transnational context.

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 4 hours
Due: 23:59, 14/11/21
Weighting: 40%

 

On-line final exam

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate command of anthropological knowledge and theories relevant to the subdiscipline of medical anthropology and the broader study of illness and healing practices in their social and cultural contexts.
  • Interview, analyse, and represent the illness experience of another person, emphasizing the integrative factors (culture, politics, social structure, etc.) influencing their condition.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how healing systems often cut across categories of religion, medicine, and social organization.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The draft 2021 timetable has scheduled this seminar to meet on Wednesdays from 2-4pm in the 109 Tutorial Room, 9 Wallys Walk. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, seminars will be temporarily conducted as 'zoom' meetings. Students will be informed if and when on-campus seminars recommence. When this occurs, please check the timetable to confirm this location at https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2021/.

Your active participation is essential to your learning experience.  The weekly 2-hour seminars (either through zoom or on-campus) will not be recorded, so you must plan to attend in person, and participation is a mandatory component of your final mark in the unit.  Students are expected to be active participants and demonstrate that they have actively engaged the readings and material presented.  Each student are expected to lead the seminar discussion one week with the unit convenor.

Detailed information about seminar topics, resources, and assessment tasks can all be found on iLearn.

The unit convener will use the first half of each seminar to introduce concepts, provide background information or examples, or offer an overview of the key issues under discussion. The second half of the seminar will be devoted to discussing the issues and readings as well as your progress on the research essay. All required readings will be available electronically through iLearn. 

Unit Schedule

A full outline of weekly seminar topics is available on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
20/07/2021 Note changes to assessment due dates: Essay due 17 October 2021 Exam due 14 October 2021

Unit information based on version 2021.05 of the Handbook