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Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (AP) – Medical Anthropology

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Location: 2054 Vari Hall, Tel.: 416-736-5261
Website: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/anth/
Chair: A. Schrauwers
Undergraduate Program Director: A. Schrauwers
Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus: P.H. Gulliver
Professors: G. Gold, M. Silverman, P. Van Esterik, W. Giles
Associate Professors: N. Adelson, K. Denning, S. Gururani, Z. Hirji, T. Holmes, K. Little, M. MacDonald, C. McAllister, D. Murray, N. Myers, A. Schrauwers, D. Winland, D. Yon
Assistant Professors: O. Alexandrakis
Professors Emeriti: M. Blincow, M. Critchlow, P. Harries-Jones, F. Henry, E. Kallen, D.P. Lumsden, J. Nagata, S. Romalis, G. Thaiss, J. Van Esterik

Medical Anthropology provides an anthropological perspective on health and illness processes and the socio-cultural factors that shape the experience of illness, patterns of health and disease, and access to health care services. Medical anthropology uniquely studies both cross-cultural and biomedical systems of healing. Medical Anthropology examines HIV/AIDS, Alcohol & Addiction, Mental Health, Global Health, Food and Nutrition, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, Reproduction, and Disability.

Medical Anthropology falls within the applied anthropology field, and students with this specialization also go on to other professional programs such as medicine, nursing and public health where their research and critical thinking skills in the analysis and interpretation of biomedical knowledge is appreciated in the context of a rapid increase in cultural diversity of those entering the health care delivery system.

The Department of Anthropology has been a leader in Canada in the development of courses in medical anthropology. For more than a decade, the department has consistently offered courses covering anthropological perspectives on food, nutrition, reproduction, aboriginal health, international health, mental health and disability. We offer a breadth of courses few other departments in Canada can match. These courses can be found in our "Gender, Health & the Body" stream.