GEOG 2014: Health and Place: Introduction to Health Geography

GEOG 2014 explores the distribution of health and disease across the surface of the Earth, so we can start to understand why people in some places experience good health and others face challenges in being healthy. Those underlying factors that affect health and disease are often related to a variety of factors, such as cultural and societal norms, variation in the natural environment, and economic and political settings. In addition to those varying forces, health variation can be different when we examine the situation at the national scale compared to the neighborhood scale. Communication is a key aspect of this course – we will explore how information about health and disease is communicated to the public.

In this course, students will:

Determine the ecological and social factors that contribute to patterns of health and disease. We’ll explore factors such as environmental and population change, culture and identity, and individual and governmental power structures.
Analyze spatial patterns of health and disease on maps to link with factors that explain those patterns
Critique how scientific health-related information is communicated to the public
Create content from newly-gained knowledge to communicate with broad audiences

Why take it?

This class is taught in a flipped format, so students will view (and review if needed!) video lectures outside of class, with our time together in the classroom devoted to discussing lecture material and collaborating on assignments under the instructor’s guidance. This course uses an interdisciplinary focus, allowing students to explore and meld together concepts from biology, epidemiology, public health, sociology, and anthropology. Students will develop skills that will be applicable in a wide range of fields and disciplines, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication skills.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Advanced Discourse and Intercultural and Global Awareness.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.