This course will offer a critical representation of bodies across science, society, and public health. We explore a variety of approaches to studying the body that challenge the Cartesian dualism, which splits the mind from the body. We also draw from feminist theories that examine the body in relation to race, gender, sexuality, and power. The course content shows how social values can have material and physiological effects on bodies and in turn how aesthetic and medical representations of the body reflect social values.  While the class focuses primarily on examples in the U.S., we will include some cross-cultural examples that reveal how bodies change through social and historical forces. Students will gain a critical understanding for how conceptions of the body are important for understanding markets, beauty, reproduction, public health and biomedicine writ large. 

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: None

Instructor:

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: