This class offers an overview of Western medical theory, practice, and institutions from the 17th century to the present. Students will critically examine how medical knowledge has been shaped by politics and culture. Special attention will be paid to the ways in which gender, race, and class have shaped the history of medicine and the social determinants of health today. Topics covered will include eugenics, medical experimentation, and anti-Semitism in medicine through the Holocaust and beyond; medical ethics and the establishment and impact of the Nuremberg Code; the development of the medical profession and the standardization of medical education; and the evolution of hospital care and medical technologies.
