HS3014 Health, Medicine & Society

Illness is a primary component of suffering, and human beings have developed different methods of dealing with it. However, notions of 'sickness' often connote physiological dysfunctions, which in turn require biomedical remedies. What then does it mean to be healthy? What are the social conditions for physical well-being? How can 'genuine' and 'pseudo' medicine be distinguished? How is medicine organized as a profession, institution and industry? In drawing on theories and case studies, this subject considers how social relations and cultural constructs influence the definition of health, the provision of medicine, and the effects of therapy. Topics include medical ethics, medical technology, and the political economy of healthcare.