Health and Human Sciences

Durham University

The anthropology of health explores social and biological perspectives on health and disease, from the level of cells to societies. This highly interdisciplinary field overlaps with many applied subjects such as public health and evolutionary medicine.,Our BSc Health & Human Sciences degree is designed to give you a thorough grounding in the anthropology of health, bringing together perspectives from both social and biological anthropology. This degree will expand your understanding of health, bringing together biological and evolutionary research into human genetics and physiology with ethnographic approaches to the social, political, ideological and ecological contexts that shape health risks and treatments. Studying the anthropology of health will equip you with the skills to critically debate healthcare from an interdisciplinary perspective that draws together local, regional and international scales of analysis. As you move through your degree, you will shift from being a consumer to a generator of knowledge, ready for professional or postgraduate life. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.In the first year, you will receive a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of anthropology in the broadest sense, including the anthropology of health, social anthropology and biological anthropology. In your second year, you will begin to specialise in the anthropology of health while still maintaining breadth with optional modules in other areas of anthropology. You will also gain ‘hands-on’ experience of conducting research through a series of local field trips and activities. In your final year, you will design and carry out your own research project for your dissertation and take part in our residential Field Course module, an intensive 7-day experience at one of several European destinations, or online as part of our Virtual Field Course.Course structureYear 1 modulesCore modules:Peoples and Cultures provides an introduction to the peoples and cultures of the world from a social anthropological perspective and prepares you for further critical study of the discipline.Human Evolution and Diversity introduces how humans evolved over the past few million years to become the unique species we are today, rich in biological and cultural diversity. We also cover our relationships with extinct hominins and our closest primate relatives.Being Human: An Introduction to the History and Practice of Anthropology provides an overview of the history of anthropology, including the major theoretical developments and debates, and how these affect the practice of anthropology today.Doing Anthropological Research provides hands-on training in anthropological research methods, both quantitative and qualitative. This module will prepare you for future research projects including fieldwork and your dissertation, and allow you to develop highly transferable research skills.Health, Illness and Society promotes the value of a multidisciplinary perspective to the study of health and illness, and gives insight into how social, cultural, biological and evolutionary factors interact in the study of health and disease.You will learn about the potential for medical anthropology and evolutionary medicine to contribute to health policy and planning in diverse human societies.Year 2 modulesCore modules:Anthropological Research Methods in Action provides opportunities for inquiry-based learning by addressing key anthropological issues beyond the classroom. You will learn to develop and apply research skills relevant to the different areas of anthropology, including field-based research.Research Project Design builds upon previous methods training by providing the skills necessary to develop independent dissertation projects.