This course is designed to introduce students to the practice and value of cultural studies through the examination of diverse representations of public health in the 20th and twenty-first century US. Our studies will zero-in on the production and distribution of food, workplace safety, environmental hazards, and the health care delivery system. Primary texts include fiction, film, government documents, and investigative reporting. Active class participation, short responses to assigned readings, and a final 7-8 page essay or alternative project are required.
Texts: Sinclair Lewis, The Jungle; Ruth Ozeki, My Year of Meats; Helena Viramontes, Under the Feet of Jesus; Ann Pancake, Strange As the Weather Has Been; and course packet