GEOG 256 - Medical Geography: The Geography of Health and Health Care

This course uses two theoretical approcahes from geography to make sense of health-related issues. First, we consider ecological approaches to recognize ways in which human interactions with their environments can shape human health. For instance, how can deforestation or the development of irrigation schemes alter disease patterns? Second, we turn to social approaches, including political economy and recent humanist approaches, to ask how patterns of human organization affect health and health care. For instance, how do race, socioeconomic status, or political structures influence who gets sick and who stays healthy? The course will also consider various geographical methods for assessing health-related questions, particularly how we can employ maps and spatial statistics to identify patterns across space. Two sub-themes - environmental issues and international perspectives - are emphasized throughout the course. Offered every spring. (4 Credits)