Stress and society
understanding the embodiment of social inequality
Why do humans experience stress? Is it an adaptation or maladaptation? How can stress be studied and measured? What are the impacts of stress on health? Is stress a psychological or a physiological phenomenon? How can stress explain health disparity?
This course provides a comprehensive examination of the human stress response and how stress impacts public health. Drawing from multiple disciplinary and methodological approaches, students will gain an understanding of stress as a complex social and biological phenomenon.
Class objectives
By the end of this class, students will:
1) be able to critically evaluate claims about stress and health in peer-reviewed articles, mass media and advertisement
2) understand the biological, evolutionary, and social dimensions of stress
3) identify the limitations and advantages of different disciplinary approaches to the study of stress
4) have the skills and background to analyze and comprehend cases in which stress can lead to social inequality, and vice versa
SUMMER 2023 | MW 1- 4 | 3 CREDITS
ANTHRBIO 297 - 201
There are no prerequisites for this class, and no prior knowledge
of anthropology, evolution, or biology is expected.
Instructor
Paloma Contreras Zúñiga
I am a PhD candidate in Biological Anthropology at the University of Michigan. I investigate the effects of water insecurity in physical and mental health among women from Mexico City, using a biocultural approach.
My previous research focused on genomic analyses of evolutionary processes in indigenous and admixed populations from Southern South America.
My research interests include environmental health, biocultural anthropology, and Latinx studies.