Undergraduate - UnitMON2001 - The human context of illness

This unit examines how humans conceptualize, respond to and treat illness and well-being.
It is a Monash Passport II "Depth" unit designed to help students to broaden and deepen their understanding of the world from different disciplinary bases. These units will be linked to the 'Enhance' Program of The Monash Passport II, a distinctive suite of programs in which students are given the opportunity to develop a range of skills and abilities that not only serve as a foundation for career development, but can also be applied to transform local and international communities. Successful completion of the depth units will be noted in both student transcripts and in Australian Higher Education Graduation Statements (AHEGS).
This unit will use a case-based and thematic approach to understand humans approach illness and well-being. Two study areas will be used, from a pool of 6-8 broad-ranging conditions which may include areas such as Obesity and the formation of body image, Autism and awareness of self and others, Schizophrenia and concepts of free will, Depression and the meaning of happiness, Alzheimer's disease and the sense of being human, Ageing and decay, and conceptions of mortality.
A weekly theme-based approach to learning will be used, with themes from the perspectives of Biomedicine, Art, Philosophy among others and the unit will be taught by staff from different disciplines across Monash. The unit aims to be very strongly research-centred to allow students to develop an evidence-based attitude to health and illness in particular, and to life in general. The evidence-based multi-disciplinary approach will allow students to develop the broadest possible perspective and understanding of human concepts, attitudes and responses to health, well-being and illness. They will also help instill attitudes and skills critical to involvement in transforming local and international communities.