History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology

An illustration from a natural history book on whales, showing the comparative anatomy across species, including dugong and bowhead whales.
This illustration compares the anatomy of the hand across several species. These anatomical differences are important in the classification of life. Diagram E is a human arm, useful for comparison. (Hamilton, Robert. "The Natural History of the Ordinary Cetacea, or Whales." 1837.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

STS.330 / HS.246 / 21A.319

As Taught In

Spring 2013

Level

Graduate

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Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

This course explores recent historical and anthropological approaches to the study of medicine and biology. Topics might include interaction of disease and society; science, colonialism, and international health; impact of new technologies on medicine and the life sciences; neuroscience and psychiatry; race, biology and medicine. Specific emphasis varies from year to year.

Other Versions

Related Content

Stefan Helmreich, and David Jones. STS.330 History and Anthropology of Medicine and Biology. Spring 2013. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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