Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Courses
HUM
7 courses with the subject HUM, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
HUM 115Voice and Identity
An interdisciplinary humanities course that focuses on understanding the events and trends of the 20th and 21st centuries in this complex, globally connected world by considering the role of identities: people and things “not seen” and “not heard.” We will look at a variety of historically ignored groups and how they relate to the environment, population, wealth, power, and tensions and conflicts. Political, social, economic, literary, and artistic events of the previous century suggest that dominant voices drown out oppressed voices. How can these identities express themselves? We will study visual and written texts by authors from diverse cultural backgrounds. These works will lead to discussions, informal writing exercises, and formal assignments. Students will explore the impact of cultural concerns for an increasingly multi-cultural world. HUM 140 Travel in Literature and Images (formerly LAS 171) In this course, students study travel literature and images beginning with Homer’s The Odyssey and ending with contemporary accounts. Students also create their own travel reports to share with the class during the last few weeks of the semester. This course asks students to consider not only how the act of travel but also how representations of travel can help us to understand ourselves, others, and the world. (3) HUM 145 Challenged, Banned, Censored: Visual Art and Literature (formerly LAS 233) This course investigates various works of art and literature that have been, for whatever reason, challenged and banned from the public eye. Censors claim they are preserving the values of society, but their opponents claim they violate an individual’s right to intellectual freedom. Discussions on visual art treat the shocking first Impressionist
This medical humanities survey course studies how the interdisciplinary engagement of the arts, social sciences, and medicine adds to medical education and practice. This course aims to stimulate and enhance students’ critical inquiry skills and growth in empathy and compassionate care. Important issues in life, in health, and in our psychological, emotional, and existential experiences as human beings will be explored through multiple genres and perspectives, including literature, film, history, philosophy, religion, and ethics. Topics may include but are not limited to: the history of medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, death and dying, doctor-writers, narratives of illness, illness in film, medicine and power, religion and bioethics, suffering and hope. (3); Prerequisite: 2nd year standing or permission of the instructor
Designed for students who wish explore the concept of human rights in an era when genocide has become a common warring practice in various regions of the world, this course studies significant genocides of various ethnic and minority groups. The course will look at the universal declaration of human rights and the practices of human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and engage the various readings and films/documentaries of genocidal events, the precipitating events and the aftermath of those genocides. (3) HUM 250 Visual Art and Literature of the 20th Century - What is “modern?” (formerly LAS 234) This course concentrates on the growing sense of modernity that began in European culture at the end of the 19th century, moved to the United States after World War II and now is creating the reaction of “post-modernism.” Class discussion focuses on the rapidly shifting movements of modern art and parallel developments in literature. (3);
This course introduces students to the culture and customs of Senegal (West Africa) including the role of culture and customs in health and health care. Although this course can be taken without going to Africa, the course prepares students for a 3-week (June - July) study abroad in Senegal. Students who go to Senegal intern in one of the following areas: healthcare, art therapy, orphan care, women’s rights, the environment, or teaching. Pairs of
HUM 300Night Visions: The Medical and Cultural Legacy of Sleep and Dreams
This interdisciplinary course examines the cultural, historical, and medical significance of sleep, dreams, and nightmares across diverse societies and time periods. Drawing from medical humanities, psychology, literature, and critical theory, students will explore how sleep functions not only as a biological process but also as a complex cultural phenomenon shaped by social, political, and economic forces. Key topics include the role of dreams in ancient religious practices and psychoanalytic theory, the medicalization of sleep disorders, the commodification of rest in contemporary capitalist societies, and the intersection of sleep with race, class, gender, and disability. Students will engage with a wide range of texts, from classical philosophical works to modern literature, as well as visual art, film, and case studies on sleep disorders. Course assignments are designed to foster critical thinking and interdisciplinary analysis, including dream journals, literary and cultural analyses, case study presentations, and creative projects. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how sleep and dreams reflect broader societal values, anxieties, and structures of power. (3); Prerequisite: HUM 115 Voice and Identity
HUM 332Her Body, His Science: How Medicine Has Overlooked Women
This course rigorously examines the entrenched legacy of misogyny within medical practice and theoretical frameworks. Historically, medical research and healthcare practices have predominantly centered male bodies and perspectives, often marginalizing and adversely affecting women. This course will delve into the historical persistence of these biases and their continuing impact on contemporary medical practices. Through lectures, discussions, and critical analyses of archival materials, students will attain a deeper insight into how gender has shaped medical knowledge and practice, exploring inclusive models that enhance accuracy in understanding the human body. Ultimately, this course aims to cultivate a nuanced perspective on transforming medical practice to effectively serve all genders. (3) Prerequisite HUM115
Although this course can be taken without leaving Albany, this course prepares students for a 2-week study and medical mission in Belize (during the January following the fall semester). During the fall semester, students learn about Belize and give presentations on tropical diseases, developing-world health care, and health conditions specific to Belize. Students also prepare pamphlets and educational skits and practice the basic health-clinic skills they will use in January. In Belize, students immerse themselves in Belizean culture by living with families in San Ignacio (2 or more students per family), attending lectures and workshops, visiting Maya ruins, hiking, caving, and snorkeling the world’s second longest barrier coral reef. In villages along Belize’s border with Guatemala, students set up and run health clinics, participate in medical home visits, and educate grade-school students about health and hygiene. As determined by a student’s program and in consultation with the course instructor and the student’s program director, a student in an appropriate year of study can earn 3 credits for this course and then additional credit by completing HHS 401 for Capstone Experience credit. (3); Prerequisite: COM 115
