ANTH 244 - Plagues, Culture And History

Credits: 4

The interactions between disease, social and historical processes, are examined through the lens of the human experience with plagues and epidemics. Addresses the evolution of infectious disease and the differing goals of the host and pathogen. The interaction of humans and disease is discussed in the context of large-scale social transformations such as sedentism, animal and plant domestication and urbanism. Attention is also paid to the role plagues have played in promoting or discouraging migration, wars and colonialism. Examines how these plagues have been conceptualized historically by looking at the change in ideologies of disease over time and across different cultural groups. Plagues are also placed in modern context by examining newly emergent infectious diseases and the potential use of plagues in biological warfare.