DISEASE AND DISCRIMINATION
BIOL/GNPR 248
SPRING 1999
General description and prerequisites:
This course provides you the opportunity to explore the biological
and cultural dimensions of infectious diseases. It examines specific
diseases such as leprosy, plague, syphilis, AIDS, and selected
others; and analyzes the nature of discrimination against individuals
and groups with these diseases. The new version of this course
requires a general familiarity with modern biology: an introductory
college course (e.g., BIOL HC145, 150 or 200, or BMC101) or AP credit
in biology is a prerequisite.
The theme for this multi-disciplinary course is "Border
Crossings." Biological boundaries, such as cell membranes and
epithelial tissues, help define cells and organisms as distinct
biological entities. Certain bacteria and viruses can transgress
these boundaries, establishing infections that can challenge a
person's health. In addition, socially organized categories, such as
gender, race, class, and nationality, help establish boundaries
around groups of people, creating cultural and social identities.
When infectious diseases spread from individual to individual, people
attempt to distance themselves from the threat of the disease by
reinforcing those cultural boundaries that mark the infected people
as "other," setting the stage for discrimination. Similarly, when
people feel economically or culturally threatened by "others," the
possibility of contagious diseases is often invoked to justify
exclusionary policies.
Class format:
There will be a combination of lectures, videos, large and small
group discussions throughout the semester. You will need to use the
web for research and for sharing your essays with other students in
the class. The last four weeks of the course will consist of
student-led classes on selected topics.
Texts:
The following texts are required; I will place at least one copy
of each of these texts on reserve in Magill. Additional readings
(chapters from books and journal articles) will be assigned and will
be available on reserve.
Overview of Course:
|
Week 1-2
|
Leprosy
|
|
Week 3-4
|
The Plague
|
|
Week 5-6
|
Syphilis
|
|
Week 7-9
|
AIDS
|
|
Week 10
|
Cultural Representations of Infectious Disease
|
|
Week 11-14
|
Student-led Classes
|
Requirements:
1. Analytical review (2-3 pp) of a relevant book, periodical
or web sites, due Jan 29
- I will publish these reviews on our Disease Web page, so the
information that you provide will be available to the whole class
(and others who are interested in the social justice of infectious
diseases.)
- If you are reviewing a book, provide a synopsis; indicate the
audiences who would benefit most/least from the book; comment on
how thoroughly, accurately, insightfully, etc., the author(s)
address the issue; consider how it advances our understanding of
disease and discrimination. For books, list full bibliographic
information: authors, title, number of pages, publisher, date of
publication, illustrations. For science texts, please consider
only those published since 1990.
- If you are reviewing on-line information, consider identifying
two or three web sites that address your topic of interest.
Compare and contrast what information is included/missing, who are
the intended audiences, whether they are user-friendly, how
accessible are the sites, how accurate/reliable is the
information, what are the authors' agendas. For web sites, list
the URL, who set-up and who maintains the site, when was it last
up-dated, and the date which you accessed it. Check the library
web page for information about citing on-line sources.
2. Two 5-8 page essays with necessary documentation examining
issues about the biology of infectious diseases and the nature of
discrimination.
- Select one topic from group a-d and one from group e-h (note
that each topic has a specific due date); one of your essays must
focus on biology and one on social justice. With prior approval,
analysis of a relevant current event or community service project
may substitute for one of the recommended topics.
For your first essay, choose one of
the following topics:
- Biological essays on infectious microbes due Feb
5:
Select a particular infectious agent and examine some or all
of the following dimensions: its ecology, its mode of
transmission, its biological nature including virulence factors,
its effect on cells, tissues and systems in the body
(pathology).
- Social justice essays on public health responses to
infectious diseases or the threat of infectious diseases due Feb
12:
Select a specific disease in a particular cultural and historical
setting, describe and analyze the effectiveness and social justice
of the public health response; analyze the arguments for and
against animal to human organ transplants.
- Biological or social justice essays on immunization
strategies for infectious diseases due Feb 19:
Analyze a particular aspect of an immunization program in the
U.S. or other countries, e.g., smallpox eradication; which is
better: the Salk or Sabine polio vaccine?; development and
approval of a safer diphtheria (whooping cough) vaccine; revised
guidelines for a hepatitis vaccine; religious proscriptions
against immunization; who should pay and how much?
- Biological or social justice essays on STDs due Feb 26:
Examine a specific example of how cultural views of sexuality
affect medical treatment of a sexually transmitted disease, e.g.,
an STD as punishment for immoral behavior, prostitution,
promiscuity, homophobia, safe sex campaigns, STDs on campus.
For your second essay, choose one of the
following topics:
- Social justice essays on poverty, nationalism, social class
and infectious diseases due Mar 5:
Explore a specific instance of how a community's standard of
living and its public health infrastructure affect the
transmission of an infectious disease or how public policies to
restrict immigration and social services threaten public
health.
- Biological or social justice essays on racial dimensions of
infectious diseases due Mar 19:
Explore a specific instance in which racial prejudice affects
the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of an infectious disease;
examine a specific infectious disease which disproportionately
affects individuals of a particular race.
- Biological essays on new diagnostic or therapeutic
approaches to microbial infections due Mar 26:
Examine the data linking infectious agents to diseases such as
ulcers, atherosclerosis, or kidney stones; analyze the genetic
factors that enhance or inhibit a particular infectious disease,
such as cystic fibrosis, cholera, or sickle cell anemia; examine
the underlying biological mechanism behind a new anti-bacterial,
anti-viral, or anti-parasitic drug.
- Biological or social justice essays on AIDS due Apr 2:
Possible topics include pregnancy and HIV; protease
inhibitors; equity issues in drug trials; hemophilia lawsuit and
the contaminated blood supply; orphan AIDS project; furor over the
origin of AIDS; prostitutes and AIDS; culturally sensitive AIDS
education; needle exchange programs; Names project; harm reduction
programs.
3. Discussion and critical review of cultural representation of
infectious disease:
Small groups of students will choose a particular literary work, a
collection of visual images, a film, or a collection of musical works
whose theme explores some form of infectious disease. Class time will
be set aside for discussions during week 10, and a 3-page critical
response will be due Apr 6.
4. Group project:
Early in the semester, students will sign up to research the
biology and social justice dimensions of a specific infectious
disease outbreak. Each group will be responsible for selecting
readings, organizing and leading one class meeting during weeks
11-14. These group-led classes will analyze a particular cultural
moment and specific biological parameters of an infectious disease
outbreak and will examine the appropriateness of different public
health responses. A group portfolio (12-15 pages) will be due the
class meeting before the group presentation. Class time
throughout the semester will be set aside for group work. Possible
areas of investigation include: anthrax and biological warfare;
chlamydia and female infertility; cholera in the aftermath of
Hurricane Mitch; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; prions and
Creutzfelt-Jakob Disease; E. coli 0157:H7 and food-borne
infections; Ebola virus; Hanta virus; influenza; malaria; mycoplasma
and asthma; tuberculosis.
For those of you who benefit from more experiential learning,
community outreach activities can be integrated into the course. For
example, your social justice essay could analyze a community service
project in which you have participated. If enough students are
interested, a group project could be designed to develop and/or
implement a specific community service activity providing outreach or
education about an infectious disease.
Page created by Kaye Edwards. Last updated 18 Jan 99.