First-Year Seminar

ANTHROPOLOGY 247

Under which socio-historical conditions was the idea of a universal right to health conceived? This complex notion did not spring fully formed from the pen of the jurists who authored the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Instead, it gradually emerged from philosophical texts and artistic works that advocated for this right. In the first part of the course, we will examine the origins of this right in France, which took shape during the Renaissance. First conceived by a doctor who wrote a best-seller recounting the tale of a giant, Gargantua, this right was later forcefully proclaimed by Zola, defender of the rights of workers in the mines of northern France. In the second part of the course, we will extend our study of the healthcare system in contemporary France to public health policies in the French-speaking countries of the West Indies (Haiti), West Africa (Senegal), and Quebec. By adopting different cultural perspectives on the right to health from legal texts, literary excerpts, works of art, and discussions with invited guests from the medical field, first-year students who are interested in careers in healthcare will be prepared to question its timeliness and relevance. Taught in English. This course is for first-year, non-transfer students only. This course counts towards the French for the Medical Professions track.
Course Attributes: EN H; FYS; BU Hum; AS HUM; AS LCD