Contemporary Medicine and Society
Code: 106236 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Science, Technology and Humanities | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Miquel Carandell Baruzzi
- Email:
- miquel.carandell@uab.cat
Teachers
- Sandra Elena Guevara Flores
- (External) Celia Miralles Buil
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course approaches the analysis of medicine as a political, social and cultural phenomenon, and examines, among other topics, historical conceptions of health and illness, the relationship between health professionals and patients, material culture of medicine, the emergence of public health or current challenges of global health. therfore, this course explores the influence of sociocultural factors in the construction of the concepts of health and illness and the appearance of the determinants of health.
Competences
- Develop and communicate orally and in writing the objectives and results of research projects on science, technology and society, using techniques for managing scientific information.
- Explain the basic concepts related to life, its origin and evolution, especially those referring to health and illness throughout history.
- Identify the various philosophical, ethical and sociological conceptions of science and technology and recognise their evolution throughout history.
- Recognise the political, social and cultural dimension of science and technology development in the different historical periods.
- Work collaboratively in teams.
Learning Outcomes
- Correctly use databases and bibliographic, encyclopaedic and lexicographical reference works in the health sciences.
- Describe the historical factors conditioning the globalisation of health problems and international strategies on health.
- Develop a critical attitude by studying controversies in the history of medicine.
- Develop a diachronic view of the role of care centres and social and health care agents, in order to assess their past and present contribution to fighting illness and improving health in the population.
- Identify the origins and the institutionalisation of scientific activity, together with the epistemological bases of scientific thought in the health sciences.
- Notice how closely living conditions and the social distribution of health and illness in the population are intertwined.
- Produce papers as part of a group.
- Recognise the essential elements of the medical profession as a result of a scientific, social and cultural evolution, including ethical principles, legal responsibilities and patient-centred professional practice.
- Recognise the states of health and illness as socially determined constructs which change from culture to culture and over time.
- Specify the historical factors conditioning the configuration of the various national health systems.
- Understand the human being as a multidimensional entity, in which the interrelationship of biological, psychological, social, ecological and historical factors has an impact on states of health and illness, together with the manifestations of these.
Content
Block 1: Humanities, Medicine and History
Block 2: The Microbial Theory of Disease
Block 3: Medicine and the Global World
Block 4: Health Communication and Activism
Block 5: Critical Approaches to Medicine
Block 6: Medicine on the Streets of Barcelona
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| CLASSROOM PRACTICES (PAUL) | 16 | 0.64 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| THEORY (TE) | 33 | 1.32 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6, 8, 9 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| ORAL PRESENTATION / EXPOSITION OF WRITTEN WORKS | 8 | 0.32 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| COMPREHENSIVE READING OF ARTICLES AND REPORTS OF INTEREST | 50 | 2 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| PREPARATION OF WRITTEN WORKS | 25 | 1 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| SELF-STUDY | 14 | 0.56 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6, 8, 9 |
The teaching-learning methodology of the subject includes three types of activities: directed face-to-face activities, supervised activities and autonomous activities. Directed face-to-face activities will consist of theoretical and practical classroom classes where the teaching team will explain the framework in which the contents and basis of the subject included in the program are framed. Supervised activities will consist of scheduled academic counseling sessions. The independent activities will be dedicated to the students' study, reading and academic works.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral defence | 30% | 0 | 0 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| Participation in debates | 10% | 2 | 0.08 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1 |
| Theory: Assessments written | 60% | 2 | 0.08 | 11, 2, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6, 8, 9 |
The evaluation of this subject consists in:
1. Short Essay 20%
2. Oral defence 30 %
3. Long final essay: 40%.
4. Participation in debates 10%
At the time of each assessment activity, the professor will inform students (Moodle) of the procedure and date for grade review.+
If a student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant change in the grade for an assessment, the assessment will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary process that may be initiated.
A minimum grade of 5 out of 10 points in the final essay and the entire course is an essential requirement for passing the course.
Students will receive a grade of "Not Assessable" provided they have not submitted more than 30% of the assessment activities.
SINGLE ASSESSMENT
The single assessment consists of a long essay on a chosen topic with a weight of 40%, a short essay with a weight of 20%, and an oral defense with a weight of 30%.
For the assessment to be effective, the student must pass each of the different tests separately and must obtain a final grade of at least 5 points out of 10.
Bibliography
Specific bibliography
López Piñero, José María. La medicina en la historia. Madrid: La Esfera de los Libros; 2002.
López Piñero, Jose María; Terrada Ferrandis, Maria Luz. Introducción a la medicina. Barcelona: Crítica; 2000.
Barona Vilar, Josep Lluís, editor. Manual de Historia de la Medicina. Valencia: Editorial Tirant lo Blanch; 2023.
Barona Vilar, Josep Lluís. Introducció a la medicina. València: Universitat de València; 1992.
Cooter, Roger: Pickstone John V. Companion to medicine in the twentieth century. London-New York: Routledge; 2003.
Rodríguez Ocaña, Esteban. Por la salud de las naciones. Higiene, microbiología y medicina social. Madrid: Akal; 1992.
Harding, Sandra G. Ciencia y feminismo. Madrid: Morata; 1996.
Han, B.-C. La sociedad paliativa. Madrid: Herder Editorial. 2021
Han, B.-C. La sociedad del Cansancio. Barcelona: Herder Editorial. 2022.
Jackson, Mark. A Global History of Medicine, 2018.
Porter, Roy. Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine, 2003.
Reference bibliography
Cooter, Roger: Pickstone John V. Companion to medicine in the twentieth century. London-New York: Routledge; 2003.
Ripoll Miralda, Jaume. Grec mèdic: guia per identificar termes. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat; 2018.
Bernabeu Mestre, Josep. El llenguatge de les ciències de la salut. Introducció a la formació de termes mèdics. València: Conselleria de Sanitat i Consum de la Generalitat Valenciana / Universitat d'Alacant; 1995.
Cueva Martín, Alejandro de la; Aleixandre Benavent, Rafael; Rodríguez i Gairín, Josep Manuel. Fonts d'informació enciències de la salut. Valencia: Universitat de València; 2002.
Fausto-Sterling, A. Sexing the body Gender politics and the construction of sexuality. New York: Basic Books; 2000.
Aresti Esteban, N. Médicos, donjuanes y mujeres modernas: los ideales de feminidad y masculinidad en el primer tercio del siglo X. Zarautz: Universidad del País Vasco; 2001.
Sánchez Villam, M. C. Entre materia y espíritu. Modernidad y enfermedad social en la España Liberal (1833-1923). Madrid: CSIC. 2017.
Schiebinger, L. ¿Tiene sexo la mente? Las mujeres en los orígenes de la ciencia moderna, Madrid: Cátedra. 2004.
Software
No specific software required.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |