New Lectures in History (300-0-32)
Topic
History of Medicine in Asia
Instructors
Shireen Hamza
Meeting Info
Harris Hall L06: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
How have people understood the body across Asia? This course explores different conceptions of the body, illness, and therapeutics across several medical traditions in Asia, from the ancient and medieval periods up to the present day. We will study primary sources like medical diagrams, the biographies of physicians, and case notes about patients to understand the roles of medical practitioners in a range of contexts. We will explore traditions like Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Galenic medicine, and Tibetan medicine. These traditions were always dynamic, but they also changed dramatically in the modern period, as biomedicine became one of the many medical traditions of Asia.
Learning Objectives
1) Familiarity with a range of Asian medical frameworks for understanding health, illness, and the body 2) Understanding of how medical knowledge and practice was transformed in the modern period across Asia 3) Reading a range of translated primary sources that historians use to understand the history of medicine 4) Research, writing, and oral communication skills to contextualize and share knowledge of this primary source with a broader audience
Evaluation Method
This class emphasizes attendance and participation, and includes research assignments geared towards class presentations and public history.
Class Notes
Concentration: Asia/Middle East
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area