Doctors and Patients: A Social History of Western Medicine (6 points)
(ARTS)
Leader: Michael Hau
Offered:
Clayton First semester 2004 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2005 (Day)
Synopsis:
Objectives: Upon successful completion of this unit students will: 1. Have a general idea of the ways in which modern institutions (e.g. hospitals, laboratories, health insurers) shaped the development of modern medicine in the West. 2. Understand how modern medical technology transformed the relationship between patients and healers and consider whether this transformation benefited the patients, the doctors, or both. 3. Be able to critically discuss the ethical implications of new medical technologies. 4. Become familiar with primary source materials relevant to the unit and be able to identify some of the basic assumptions behind the claims of such sources and consider how these assumptions related to the medical knowledge of the period. 5. Learn to critically evaluate historical arguments, appraising a variety of evidential approaches (statistics, case studies, analogies, or metaphors) and be able to explain why a historical argument is persuasive or not. 6. Become familiar with some of the basic narratives of medical historiography. 7. Be able to develop a position for their own research projects by critically engaging some of the narratives of medical historiography.
Assessment: Source interpretation exercises (equivalent to 1,000 words): 20% + Class paper (1,500 words): 30% + Exam (2 hour): 40% + Class participation: 10%
Contact Hours: 1.5 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial per week
Prerequisites: A First Year level sequence in History, or permission of the Head of School
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