Module 2

How do epidemics begin and spread? How do human responses help or hinder during trying times? Can the way we think about medical outbreaks tell us anything about how we should think about human behavior? In this module, we will explore epidemics in many forms: historical and current, medical and social. While we learn about the scientific investigation and medical intervention in these outbreaks, we will also focus on the social and cultural responses to develop a model of how best to respond to challenging circumstances. We will also examine the ways that the concept of “contagion” is applied to human behavior and ultimately explore the question of why we behave the way we do.