Anthropology 240 – Medical Anthropology

Tuesdays/Thursdays: 2:35-3:50 pm, Calhoun 218

Professor: Dominique Béhague, Email contact: dominique.behague@vanderbilt.edu
Office hours: Mondays 12:30-1:30 pm, or email for an appointment (Calhoun, MHS, Room 317)
Teaching Assistant: Dan O'Maley: dan.omaley@vanderbilt.edu

Contents

Course summary ........................................................................................................... 2

Pedagogy .................................................................................................................... 2
Readings ..................................................................................................................... 2
Assessments ................................................................................................................. 2
Assessment deadlines and weightings ................................................................................... 4
Honor code ................................................................................................................. 4
Grading ...................................................................................................................... 4
Part I. Culture & the comparative method ................................................................................. 5
Week 1. Early underpinnings ............................................................................................ 5
Week 2. Crisis of representation ........................................................................................ 5
Week 3. Late 20th century/early 21st century orientations .......................................................... 5
Part II. Politics, ethics, structure, science .................................................................................. 5
Week 4. The Pastoral Clinic / theorizing the political self .......................................................... 5
Week 5. The Pastoral Clinic / gender & exclusion ................................................................... 5
Week 6. The Pastoral clinic/ suicide ................................................................................... 6
Week 7. Thematic and theoretical comparisons ....................................................................... 6
Week 8. Thematic and theoretical comparisons continued .......................................................... 6
Week 9. SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS ..................................................................................... 6
Part III. Entanglements, materiality, new technologies, emerging institutions ....................................... 6
Week 10. Reproductive entanglements ............................................................................... 6
Week 11. God’s Laboratory / local biologies ......................................................................... 7
Week 12. God’s Laboratory / race ..................................................................................... 7
Week 13. God’s Laboratory / race continued......................................................................... 7
Week 14. God’s Laboratory / reproductive governance............................................................ 7
Week 15. Group presentations ......................................................................................... 7
Course summary
This course introduces students to medical anthropology, a subfield of anthropology that is concerned with
studying health, illness, healing and medicine from a cross-cultural perspective. Medical anthropology is at
heart an interdisciplinary subfield that explores health and illness through ethnographic field research and by
drawing from an array of theoretical insights from anthropology, sociology, history, critical theory, feminist
and post-colonial studies, and the health sciences. We begin the course (Part I) by situating the subfield
historically, dipping into the writings and core aims of some of its earliest thinkers who conducted their
research in the early 20th century. We then look briefly at how medical anthropology has changed after
anthropology’s so-called “crisis of representation” in the 1980s. Many new themes and perspectives were
borne of the crisis of the 80s. In this course, we will explore two. In Part II, we consider Angela Garcia’s
The Pastoral Clinic and a selection of related articles by other authors that relate to the recent questions of
how politics, power and ethics shape health and medical systems in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In
Part III of the course, we read through Elizabeth Roberts’ God’s Laboratory, alongside a few additional
ethnographic works that explore new theoretical concerns relating to the material entanglements of bodies
and new institutional forms.

Pedagogy
This is an in-depth reading and writing course. As this is not meant to be a survey course, the reading load is
not heavy. We will however be working through the texts carefully and in an in-depth fashion. Though
most sessions will begin with a short lecture, most of our time together will be structured around discussion
of readings, small group work, and active use and analysis of additional bibliographic and media sources. In
addition to lectures and seminars, a few practical sessions will give students the opportunity to engage with
the analysis of primary ethnographic material.

Readings
There are three required core text, in addition to articles and chapters from books. These can be purchased
new from the book store or used on Amazon.
 Inhorn, MC and WA Wentzell, eds (2012) Medical Anthropology at the Intersections. Durham and
London, Duke University Press.
 Garcia, (2010) The Pastoral Clinic: Addition and Dispossession along the Rio Grande. Berkeley,
University of California Press.
 Roberts, EFS (2012) God’s Laboratory: Assisted Reproduction in the Andes. Berkeley, University
of California Press.

All other readings will be made available via the course OAK page. If the reading comes from a journal that
the library subscribes to, we are not able to post the actual article on OAK because of copyright
restrictions. In this case, you will find a hyper-link to that reading in OAK which you can then download
and read. If the reading is a chapter from a book, you will find a PDF copy of this in OAK itself. Readings
that are to be read before class for each day are clearly identified below. We will also be drawing up a
“recommended reading list” together (see assessments below) and all students are encouraged to read
from this as well. This working bibliography will serve as a reference point for your own research and
reading programme, as well as for your group presentations and essays.

Assessments
Participation: Participation is essential to do well in this course. Class participation will be based on
attendance (to be taken every day) and active participation in lectures, student-led seminars, and active

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participation in small group work. I am aware that speaking up in class can be challenging and intimidating
even for the most extroverted of students. Because of this, we will work together to ensure that class is run
in a supportive and collaborative manner and we will split up into small groups. Remember that asking
questions of your student colleagues and describing why you found a particular reading to be confusing is as
“participatory” as putting forth a firm opinion or view on readings. A grading rubric for participation will
handed out in class on Jan 7th.

Group discussion transcripts: To ensure good class discussion, you will also be asked to lead the
seminar discussion based on the readings three times during the term in a small group setting (with 4-5
other students only). For each of these sessions, you will be required to lead discussion, keeps notes of what
you and your peers discuss, and write up a “group discussion transcript” consisting of a 400 word summary
and analysis of your group’s discussion. A transcript is meant to show that you and your peers have read the
material and have discussed it critically. Be sure you discuss the main points of the articles, why you think
they are important and critically assess the authors’ methods, writing style, and/or analytical conclusions.
Analyses that raise new questions for further research and/or make links to other literature are encouraged,
so bring your laptops to class and be ready to do some bibliographic research. Any new sources you find
will be used to compile the recommended reading list (See above). Sign-up sheets for this will be
circulated in class on Jan 9th, along with a grading rubric. Please keep to the word limit and upload your
transcripts onto OAK by 5 pm two days after you have led class discussion.

Reading notes journal: Most of our seminars will consist of critically discussing readings and small
group work. Several of your writing assignments also entail in-depth writing analyses of readings. To
support you in developing the skills necessary for these assessments, you will be asked to keep a reading
notes journal throughout the term. This should consist of 100-300 words (or more!) of reading notes,
which included summary, critical appraisal, questions raised and new bibliographic references you are
interested in reading. Please try to complete this once a week as it relates to all required readings for either
a Tuesday or Thursday session starting from Week 2 through to Week 13 when the assignment is due. This
assignment will also contribute to the compilation of the recommended reading list. It is expected that
how much you write will vary – some days when you have more time or are more inspired, you are likely
to write more. Other days, it may only be 100 words. Your notes need to be understandable but not
written in perfect eloquent prose. What I am looking for is consistent and continuous engagement with the
readings in a way that builds upon what you are learning from week to week. Specific guidance for how to
effectively take and structure reading notes, together with a grading rubric, will handed out in class on Jan
9th. Dan and I will give you informal feedback on the structure and content of your reading notes at several
points during the first part of the term. Please upload your journal onto OAK by 5 pm on April
3rd.

In-class mid-term: An open-book in-class mid-term exam will take place on February 27th. This will
consist of three short-answer questions. You be able to select which three questions you answer out of 6
possibilities. Instructions and a grading rubric will be distributed on February 4th, but the questions
themselves will only be released three days before the exam. The questions themselves will be quite general
– what we are looking for is good understanding of the readings and ability to analyze several readings at
once in answering a question. Your reading notes journal will ensure you are well prepared for this.

Comparative analysis group project: Though this course is designed to develop in-depth reading and
analytical skills, anthropology is at heart a comparative endeavor. For this assignment, students will be
asked to work in groups, select either God’s Laboratory or The Pastoral Clinic as a starting point, conduct
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 additional bibliographic research and engage with cross-cultural analysis. Groups will be given some time in
class to prepare for their 15 minute presentations on April 15th and 17th and they will be asked to write a
500 word summary of their presentation to be handed in on OAK before class on the day of
their presentation. Your reading notes journal and the recommended reading list will sure be
very useful for this assignment.

Final essay: The final essay of 2500 words is your chance to research a topic that you are particularly
passionate about. For this assessment, you will be asked to read and discuss one ethnographic monograph
alongside research articles and book chapters. A list of potential topics, list of ethnographic monographs to
select from, guidelines for conducting library research and a grading rubric for this assessment will be
circulated in class on March 11th. Please upload your journal onto OAK by 5 pm on April 29th.

**Late submissions will be penalized one full letter grade per day for all assignments**

Assessment deadlines and weightings

Assessment Date guidelines will be Date assignment takes Weighting
distributed & discussed in place or is due
class
Participation January 7 Throughout the term 10%
Group discussion January 9 The day you sign up to 15%
transcripts lead discussion
Reading notes January 9 April 3 20%
journal
Mid-term exam February 4 February 27 20%
Comparative analysis March 11 April 15 and 17 15%
group project
Final essay March 11 April 28 20%

Honor code
Vanderbilt students are required to adhere to the Honor Code. A copy of the Honor Code is available at
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/student_handbook/chapter2.html. Though I encourage group work and joint
study, the honor code does apply to your reading notes as well as exams and papers. Your reading notes
should be your own work (and you will get more out of them that way!). For key information regarding
plagiarism and citation: http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/HonorCouncil/infostud.php. Plagiarism or
cheating will result in an “F” for the assignment and may be reported to the Honor Council for further
action.

Grading
For each assignment, I will provide a guidance sheet with some tips on preparation and a rubric that clearly
identifies grading processes (e.g. what you need to do to get an A, B, etc…). WE will discuss this in class
on the day these guidance sheets are handed out, as this gives you a chance to ask questions and me a chance
to address any doubts you may have. See dates for this above.

A 93-100 B- 80-82 D+ 67-69

A- 90-92 C+ 77-79 D 63-66
B+ 87-89 C 73-76 D- 60-62
B 83-86 C- 70-72 F <60

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Part I. Culture & the comparative method

Week 1. Early underpinnings

Jan 7. Tuesday
 Introduction
Jan 9. Thursday
 Portions from Good, Fischer, Willen and Good, Eds (2010) A Reader in Medical Anthropology,
Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford:
o IEE Evans-Pritchard, “The Notion of Witchcraft Explains Unfortunate Events,” p 18-25
o Charles Leslie, “Introduction to Asian Medical Systems,” p 55-64
o Thomas Csordas, “Elements of Charismatic Persuasion and Healing,” p 91-107

Week 2. Crisis of representation

Jan 14. Tuesday
 Lederman, Rena (1990) “Pretexts of Ethnography: On reading fieldnotes” in Fieldnotes: The Makings
of Anthropology Sanjek, Roger (Ed), Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London.
 Clifford, James “On Ethnographic Authority” Representations, No. 2. (Spring, 1983), pp. 118-146.
Jan 16. Thursday
 Good B and MJ DelVecchio Good (2010) “Amuk in Java: Madness and Violence in Indonesian
Politics” in Good, Fischer, Willen and Good, Eds A Reader in Medical Anthropology, Wiley-
Blackwell, Oxford, p 467-480.
 Das, Veena “The Figure of the Abducted Woman: The Citizen as Sexed.” A Reader in Medical
Anthropology, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, p 232-244.

Week 3. Late 20th century/early 21st century orientations

Jan 21. Tuesday
 Marcia Inhorn & Emily Wentzell, “Introduction” in Medical Anthropology at the Intersections, p 1-
22.
Jan 23. Thursday
 Martin, Emily, “Grafting together Medical Anthropology, Feminism and Technoscience” in Medical
Anthropology at the Intersections, p 23-40.
 Lynn Morgan, Chapter 2 “Getting at Anthropology through Medical History” in Medical
Anthropology at the Intersections, p 41-64.

Part II. Politics, ethics, structure, science

Week 4. The Pastoral Clinic / theorizing the political self

Jan 28. Tuesday
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Introduction, pp. 1-36
Jan 30. Thursday
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Chapter 1, pp. 37-68
 Fassin, Didier (2005) “The politics of life” in Medical Anthropology. Regional Perspectives and
Shared Concerns. p 252-266.

Week 5. The Pastoral Clinic / gender & exclusion

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 Feb 4. Tuesday
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Chapter 2, pp. 69-110
Feb. 6 Thursday
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Chapter 3, pp. 111-149
 Rose, N (2001) “The politics of life itself” Theory, Culture and Society 18 (6), 1-30.

Week 6. The Pastoral clinic/ suicide

Feb 11. Tuesday
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Chapter 4, pp. 150-182
Feb. 13 Thursday
 Kitanaka, Junko (2008) “Diagnosing suicides of resolve: psychiatric practice in contemporary Japan”
Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 32 (2): 152-76
 Garcia, The Pastoral Clinic, Chapter 5 & Conclusion, pp. 182-210

Week 7. Thematic and theoretical comparisons

Feb 18. Tuesday
 Raikhel, E (2010) “Post-Soviet Placebos: Epistemology and Authority in Russian Treatments for
Alcoholism” Cult Med Psychiatry 34:132–168
Feb 20. Thursday
 Bourgois, Philippe and Jeff Schonberg. (2007) Intimate apartheid: ethnic dimensions of habitus
among homeless heroin injectors. Ethnography. 8:1:7-32.
 Ticktin, Miriam (2010) ‘Where ethics and politics meet: The violence of humanitarianism in
France” in A Reader in Medical Anthropology, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, p 245-262.

Week 8. Thematic and theoretical comparisons continued

Feb 25. Tuesday
 Rapp, R and Ginsburg F “Anthropology and the Study of Disability Worlds” in Medical
Anthropology at the Intersections, p 163-182.
Feb 27. Thursday
 IN CLASS MID-TERM EXAM

Week 9. SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

Mar 4. Tuesday
Mar 6. Thursday

Part III. Entanglements, materiality, new technologies, emerging institutions

Week 10. Reproductive entanglements

Mar 11. Tuesday
 Inhorn, Marcia (2006) “’He won’t be my son’: Middle Eastern Muslim Men’s Discourses of
Adoption and Gamete Donation” Medical Anthropology Quarterly 20(1): 94-120
Mar 13. Thursday
 Edmonds, Alexander (2013) “The biological subject of aesthetic medicine” in Feminist Theory April
14 (1) 65-82.
 Franklin, Sarah (2012) “Five million miracle babies later: the anthropology of IVF.” In: Knecht,
Michi, Klotz, Maren and Beck, Stefan, (eds.) Reproductive technologies as global form:

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 ethnographies of knowledge, practices, and transnational encounters. University of Chicago Press,
Chicago, USA, pp. 27-58.

Week 11. God’s Laboratory / local biologies

Mar 18. Tuesday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Introduction, pp. 1-31
Mar 20. Thursday
 Lock M, Nguyen V-K. Chapter 4, “Local Biologies and Human Difference” in An Anthropology of
Biomedicine. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, p. 83-108

Week 12. God’s Laboratory / race

Mar 25. Tuesday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Chapter 1, pp. 32-67
Mar 27. Thursday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Chapter 2, pp. 68-101

Week 13. God’s Laboratory / race continued

Apr 1. Tuesday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Chapter 3, pp. 103-137
Apr 3. Thursday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Chapter 4, pp. 138-179
 Briggs (2004) “Theorizing modernity conspiratorially: Science, scale, and the political economy of
public discourse in explanations of a cholera epidemic” American Ethnologist 31(2): 164-187

Week 14. God’s Laboratory / reproductive governance

Apr 8. Tuesday
 Roberts, God’s Laboratory, Chapter 5 and Conclusion, pp. 180-216
Apr 10. Thursday
 Lynn M. Morgan & Elizabeth F.S. Roberts (2012): Reproductive governance in Latin America,
Anthropology & Medicine, 19:2, 241-254

Week 15. Group presentations

Apr 15. Tuesday
 Comparative analysis and bibliographic exploration – group presentations

Apr 17. Thursday

 Comparative analysis and bibliographic exploration – group presentations