BME1122

Human affairs, health, illness and sexual difference

Dr Nancy Nichols and Dr Sharron Pfueller

6 points · One 2-hour lecture and up to 3 hours of workshops and practicals per week · Second semester · Clayton · No prerequisites

Objectives On completion of this course, a student should have acquired an understanding of aspects of historical and cross-cultural views of health, illness and sexual difference; knowledge of biological, psychological, lifestyle and environmental factors in the expression, causation and treatment of genetic, infectious and degenerative disease and of ageing; an understanding of different approaches to the creation of knowledge including those used in scientific, historical and social contexts; an understanding of the concept of paradigm change; the capacity to reflect critically on the epistemology and findings of different disciplines; the capacity to develop and understand multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving using scientific principles and practices and those developed in the humanities and social sciences; skills in presenting ideas both collaboratively in projects and adversarially through debates, in observation and investigation, and in understanding scientific experimentation and the social and practical implications of scientific findings.

Synopsis This subject explores the concepts of health, illness and disease and how different interpretations of them affect our understanding of the biological and psychological manifestations of sexual difference. It presents an interdisciplinary perspective on these issues, combining scientific approaches with those of the humanities and social sciences. The evolution of ideas about the nature of the human body and mind from both historical and cross-cultural viewpoints will be traced in relation to the development of different approaches to health care and health promotion. The subject examines the interaction of genetic, psychological, lifestyle and environmental factors in the expression, causation and treatment of genetic, infectious and degenerative disease and of ageing. These concepts of health, illness and normality will provide the framework for the study of sexual difference. The evolution of sexual dimorphism and human reproduction will be examined, exploring the roles of genetic, hormonal, psychological and cultural factors as bases for sexual difference. These understandings will be used to debate current issues such as the form of sexual expression that is normal, whether the brain has a sex and whether science is inherently male.

Assessment Group project: 20% · Essay: 30% · Written examination: 40% · Oral presentation: 10%

Recommended texts

There is no prescribed text. Designated reading will be specified in the subject manual or a list of recommended reading can be obtained from convenors.

Back to the 1999 Medicine Handbook