Course syllabus
The study of medical history aims to enhance understanding of past societies. A basic premise of the course is that the history of medicine can only be understood in the context of the society of which it is a part. The ways in which health providers, legislators and the general public responded to health problems reveal a great deal about social attitudes and power structures within that society. The primary focus will be Britain, but the thematic approach means that other cultures will also be drawn on. The course will increase students’ ability to assess critically the different ways of writing history and different interpretations of the past. Various perspectives on the writing of medical history will be discussed and analysed. The course is organised both thematically and chronologically – the first half is concerned primarily with the nineteenth century and the second half with the twentieth century. Themes within those time frames will be focused on.
Skills
This course aims to build on students’ skills of historical understanding and communication. These include:
- An awareness of historiographical debates, an ability to assess them critically in relation to the sources on which they are based
- An ability to access information and use it constructively to formulate arguments in a logical way
- Ability to engage in scholarly debate and communicate effectively on historical issues in small group discussions
This course (HISTORY210) is taught concurrently with HISTORY367. Students should be aware that the course requirements, assessment tasks, and expectations of achievement for the two courses are different even though the lectures are common to both courses. If you are enrolled in HISTORY210 be sure that you comply with the requirements at 200-level History.
Course co-ordinator and lecturer is Professor Linda Bryder, whose office is located in Short Street, Room 415, phone 9237319, and email is l.bryder@auckland.ac.nz.
Course tutor is Ella Arbury: earb003@aucklanduni.ac.nz
The best way to arrange a time to meet is by email or after the class. Please note there are 2 lectures and 1 tutorial per week.
Lecture Programme: Lectures are 12-1pm Tuesdays and Thursdays
Tuesday's lecture is in the Stone Lecture Theatre, Law, 801-316.
Thursday's lecture is in Human Science Building North, room 352
19 July: Introduction 1: Social History of Medicine
21 July: Introduction 2: ‘The Role of Medicine’
26 July: Nineteenth-century Public Health
28 July: Contagious Diseases Acts
2 August: Nineteenth-century Hospitals
4 August: Nineteenth-century Nursing
9 August: Mental Health and Nineteenth-century Asylums
11 August: “Out of sight, Out of Mind” – film documentary
16 August: Colonial Medicine: British India
18 August: Tuberculosis
23 August: Tuberculosis – film documentary
25 August: National Efficiency and Inefficient Mothers
Mid-semester 29 August – 10 September
13 September: Child Health
15 September: Medicine and War (1)
20 September: Medicine and War (2)
22 September: 1918 influenza epidemic
29 September*: Twentieth-century Hospitals
4 October: Childbirth
6 October: Health consumerism
11 October: Birth Control
13 October: Modern Public Health (1)
18 October: Modern Public Health (2)
20 October: Conclusions
*No lecture on 27 September owing to Graduation
Course summary:
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