Chapter 8 Student Activities

Outbreak

Find a recent news story related to a disease epidemic anywhere in the world—the more detailed, the better. In a short essay, answer the following:

• What is the disease?
• How is it spread?
• What public health organizations are involved, and what measures are they taking to treat the illness and prevent its spread?
• Are anthropologists, cultural experts, translators, and/or people from the affected communities involved in these strategies?
• Do you think the response is effective? Would you change anything if you were directing their efforts?

How Does Healing Happen for You?

We’ve all experienced illnesses, from the minor to the severe to the potentially life-threatening. Have the students write an essay describing whether (and how) they have applied medical anthropology’s four distinct therapeutic processes (clinical processes, symbolic processes, social processes, and persuasion) in their own healing. Is their own approach to healthcare strictly clinical, or does it include elements of medical pluralism?

Fieldwork Assignment

If you live in an urban area, have different groups of two or three students visit the emergency rooms of nearby hospitals. Their goal is to observe what happens at the emergency room to understand how biomedicine is structured. Students should observe what kinds of people working at the hospital interact with sick patients and their families and what they can understand about the professionalization of healthcare workers from observing public behavior. Urge students not to intrude on these interactions. This is an observation exercise, not one involving interviews—which would require institutional review board approval.

Have students write up what they observed. You may discuss findings in class or have students report to the class. Try to get students to compare experiences, particularly during different times of day or busy versus slow periods.