Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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SS 415CA - Culture and Health in Central America

3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
This course examines the culture of Central America with an emphasis upon the relationship between cultural practices and health.  The history and culture of Central America will be examined, as will the causes of the persistence of poverty among large segments of the population in Central American countries.  The course will examine in particular how the underdevelopment of the region and its poverty impact healthcare.  This course consists of classroom sessions on campus as well as a required trip to Honduras or Nicaragua during the break between Winter and Spring Quarters with the non-governmental organization Global Brigades.  Students must receive the instructors’ permission to register for this course. (prereq: none)
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Become familiar with the cultures of Central American societies and how the history of the region has shaped the economic, political, and religious institutions within Central American society 
  • Understand how the persistent poverty in the region has negatively affected the quality of health and healthcare in Central America
  • Understand the public health strategies that are employed in Central America and other parts of the developing world to address these healthcare challenges
  • Use the knowledge they have gained from classroom instruction to assess the causes of medical problems common among the populations of Central America 
  • Learn about the strategies employed to address these challenges during a trip to the country of Panama to provide basic healthcare services with the non-governmental organization Global Brigades

Prerequisites by Topic
  • None

Coordinator
Dr. Patrick Jung



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