Medical Anthropology

Medical anthropology is one of the most sought-after specializations within the broader field of anthropology. Situated at the margins of the clinical and social sciences, medical anthropology seeks to understand the social, economic, and political contexts of health and illness by 1) examining conceptions of self and body, narratives of affliction, and practices of treatment, and 2) exposing the structures of inequality—such as capitalism, racism, patriarchy, and heteronormativity—that prevent people from achieving health and receiving adequate care.

Core Faculty

Related Courses

  • ANTH 301: Culture and Health
  • ANTH 315: Sex & Gender
  • ANTH 370: Ethnographic Field Techniques
  • ANTH 375: Race and Human Variation
  • ANTH 427: Food, Health, and Society
  • ANTH 428: Anthropology of the Body
  • ANTH 463/663: Anthropology of Global Health and Development
  • ANTH 465: Science, Sex, and Reproduction
  • ANTH 467/667: Biomedicine and Culture
  • ANTH 481: Applied Anthropology
Dr. Asim Shrestha and his team prepare to counsel NICU parents, with Prof. Brunson (Nepal)
Dr. Asim Shrestha and his team prepare to counsel NICU parents, with Prof. Brunson (Nepal)