ASL 301: American Deaf Culture 

Vasquez, Valentino

Study of the relationship between small groups and dominant culture in the United States. Explores issues of language, culture, self-representation, identity, and social structure. This class satisfies the Identity, Pluralism and Tolerance multicultural requirement.

ENG 386: Bodies in Comics

Wheeler, Elizabeth

One could say that most comics are about the human body, in all its variations, exaggerations, erotics, poses, powers, and vulnerabilities. This course examines the human body in contemporary comics with particular attention to disability and gender. We’ll look at three important comics genres: memoir, fantasy, and superheroes. With each text we’ll also read about bodymind matters like body image, violence, trauma, depression, Deaf culture, ADHD, and spinal cord injury—and we’ll see how comics renders such profound matters through fantasy, visual metaphors, and good storytelling. This class satisfies the general education Arts and Letters requirement and the Identity, Pluralism and Tolerance multicultural requirement.

HUM 240: Medical Humanities

Wood, Mary

How does Western biomedicine define disease and wellness (both now and historically) and how are those definitions imposed on and adapted within the Global South? How do cultural narratives inform both popular and expert understandings of medicine? This class explores crucial questions about health, well-being, medicine, and social inequality in the twenty-first century, with a particular focus on how narrative works in medical contexts. This class satisfies the general education Arts and Letters requirement

IARC 204: Understanding Contemporary Interiors   

Ahn, Kyu-Ho

Introduction to theory of interior architecture with a focus on inclusion. Design criteria explored through illustrated lectures and projects involving analysis of space. How do our environments shape human activities for all people, including people with disabilities? This course addresses accessibility and inclusive design in architectural contexts.

INTL 463: Population Displacement and Global Health

Yarris, Kristin

This course frames global health in broad terms to include the underlying social and economic conditions, including climate change, economic underdevelopment, and political instability, which displace people and which present barriers to achieving health, mental health, and wellbeing in displaced communities. We explore how violence, social suffering, health, disease, and mental health are intertwined with displacement. We also study the roles of international and national laws and multilateral and non-governmental actors in shaping the global, national, and local responses to migrant and refugee communities.

PPPM 202: Healthy Communities

Ngo, Nicole

What is it about living in certain communities that leads to poor health? How do we measure the health of a community? This course provides a broad overview to public health’s approach to answering these questions, and considers three modifiable factors influencing health: medical care factors, social and behavioral factors (e.g. tobacco, obesity, and stress) and environmental issues (e.g. clean air, clean water). In addition to examining the evidence that links these factors to community health, we will evaluate public policy influences, healthcare delivery system design factors and community planning strategies to improve public health. Students will be introduced to basic methodologies to collect meaningful data, discover how to read and interpret health-related research and learn how research findings can be applied to impact public policy. This class satisfies the Social Science category of the Group Requirements.

PPPM 460: Health Policy

Ngo, Nicole

In the United States, we pay almost twice as much per capita for health care as other industrial countries. Yet, there are well documented problems with health care quality and equity. This class is an introduction to the key health policy issues of access, cost, quality and disparities. This class satisfies the general education Social Science requirement

PSY 366: Culture and Mental Health

Hall, Gordon Nagayama

This course introduces you to the role of cultural and sociocultural influences on mental health. You will learn about research on culture, race, and ethnicity, on diagnosis, psychological assessment, and psychotherapy, and on mental health issues specific to ethnic groups of color in the United States. This class satisfies the general education Social Science requirement and the Identity, Pluralism and Tolerance multicultural requirement.