This course introduces students to the history of infectious disease and the various attempts to manage disease outbreaks over time. It uses interdisciplinary perspectives to engage students in a research-intensive course about disease management, science communication, ethical considerations, and above all, historical thinking about health and public policy. The course is jointly taught by faculty in History and in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology. Grounding this course in historical approaches, History instructors lead students through a history of infectious disease in Canada and in the Global South to illustrate the different kinds of ethical and resource-based concerns that have shaped disease narratives over time. Faculty from BMI provide scientific information about infectious diseases and vaccines, and we jointly provide material about science communication and how public information about diseases has changed over time. Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units HIST at the 100 level; or 30 credit units of University level courses.
This course introduces students to the history of infectious disease and the various attempts to manage disease outbreaks over time. It uses interdisciplinary perspectives to engage students in a research-intensive course about disease management, science communication, ethical considerations, and above all, historical thinking about health and public policy. The course is jointly taught by faculty in History and in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology. Grounding this course in historical approaches, History instructors lead students through a history of infectious disease in Canada and in the Global South to illustrate the different kinds of ethical and resource-based concerns that have shaped disease narratives over time. Faculty from BMI provide scientific information about infectious diseases and vaccines, and we jointly provide material about science communication and how public information about diseases has changed over time. Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units HIST at the 100 level; or 30 credit units of University level courses.
