Semester: Summer 2013
CRN: tba
Location: WWW
Professor: Elizabeth Hubble

Description:

Broad overview of gender and women's issues from a social science perspective. Relevant topics related to the sociological and psychological aspects of gender across culture are explored, including masculinity, femininity, violence, reproductive health, cultural diversity in the expression of gender, issues in sexual orientation, and media contributions to these issues.Online course for first 5 weeks of summer session.

Semester: Autumn 2013
Location: LSH 391
Professor: Stuart Justman

Description:

Fall 2013 - Liberal Studies



INSTRUCTOR: Stuart Justman



Location:  LSH 391




Time:    MWF 11:10



ABOUT THE COURSE:



Amid the surge of interest in the placebo effect, it has become clear that the words used by doctors and nurses have therapeutic value in and of themselves. The placebo effect is a medical application of the principle that words matter.



For example: in an experiment deemed a classic in the placebo literature, patients who were told in definite terms that they would soon get better improved at a significantly faster rate than patients witht he same complaints who were told that the doctor didn't know what was wrong with them. Neither group waas actually treated with anything but words.



Situated at the crossroads of medicine and the humanities, this course will look into the changing reputation of the placebo effect, with a focus on the power of words to induce therapeutic - or counter-therapeutic - effects. The course presumes an interest in medicine. It does not presume knowledge of biostatistics.



Selected Texts:



Benedetti F. Placebo Effects: Understanding their Mechanism in Health and Disease. Oxford UP, 2009.



Jopling D. Talking Cures and Placebo Effects. Oxford UP, 2008.



Kirsch I. The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth. Basic, 2011.