Health, Science and Society | Northwestern SPS - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

This course focuses on the emergence of the human species through the process of organic evolution, emphasizing genetics, the fossil record, and comparison with our nearest living relatives. Carries science credit.

Topics in this course include: theories of interactions between culture and biology that affect human health; beliefs and practices for curing illness and maintaining wellbeing; cross-cultural study of infectious and chronic diseases, mental illness, infant/maternal mortality, poverty, and gender. Carries social science credit.

This course utilizes an evolutionary perspective to understand key features of human anatomy, health and disease. Coverage will include review of some basic evolutionary processes, a brief overview of human evolutionary history, followed by a consideration of the primary body systems and regions in the human organism. Our focus will be on the historical context of selected human structures and their function/dysfunction across these systems. Some specific topics covered include: evolutionary compromises and plasticity in musculoskeletal structures; complex structures and birth defects (pharyngeal arches, etc.); human developmental genetics, environmental plasticity, and epigenetics in relation to health and disease; theories of “mismatch” between modern lifestyles and our evolved features (related to metabolism; allergy, the microbiome, cancer, etc.); population growth and zoonoses; and human life history and aging in evolutionary perspective. This course is suitable for students interested in human evolutionary biology and health, and those planning careers in the health sciences.

This course is an inquiry into the current coronavirus (SARS-CoV2, Covid-19) epidemic, taken from multiple perspectives in public health and the social sciences. The course will consider the pandemic in real time, in the context of other disease outbreaks to learn what is different about this one, about its modes of transmission and its impact on individuals, communities, and nations. Applying public health research methods including epidemiology, outbreak investigation, and medical anthropology, we will examine several responses organized to combat the pandemic, in clinical sciences, community health, and supply operations and logistics. Finally, we will gain skills in locating and critically analyzing information. The foci are health outcomes and communities most impacted by the virus. Evaluation methods include weekly response papers, participation in discussion, and a final project. Carries social science credit.

This course will consist of an analysis of the ethical issues that arise as a result of the developments in medicine and biotechnology. Topics considered will include the physician/patient relationship, the researcher/human subject relationship, issues at the beginning and end of life, children’s issues, the right to health care, and the allocation of scarce medical resources. The course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.

Note: This course is limited to School of Professional Studies students only. Undergraduate students in other schools at Northwestern are not permitted to enroll in this course.

This course will survey the field of social psychology, which is the study of how social forces and social relationships shape individual thinking and behavior, with a focus on the classic studies and enduring topics in the field. Sample topics include: the self and self-esteem, altruism, aggressive behavior, close relationships, stereotyping and prejudice, and behavior in groups. Students will also be exposed to recent research and current debates on these topics. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

This course was formerly PSYCH 204 Social Psychology.

This course introduces the study of human development throughout the lifespan, from conception to death. This course explores developmental theory and research with an emphasis on the interactive nature of biological, cognitive and psychosocial changes that affect each individual during childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Specific topics discussed include prenatal development, genetics, developmental milestones, intelligence, language acquisition, temperament and attachment, parent-child influences, sibling relationships, emerging personality traits, peer relations and problems of social development, emotional regulation, morality and aggression, vocation and career, life satisfaction, and mortality. Lectures will draw from real-world examples, fictional depictions of development throughout the lifespan, and clinical case studies. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

This course was formerly PSYCH 218 Developmental Psychology.

This course will provide an introduction to the major categories of maladaptive behavior/psychological distress and related research findings. Goals/topics include encouraging thoughtful and critical evaluation of the DSM and other systems of classification, exploring etiological theories and how these views have changed in recent history, developing critical thinking skills through the study of several controversial issues in abnormal psychology, and emphasizing the human face of psychological distress through case studies, readings, and videos. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

Theory, methodology, and empirical data related to how evolution has influenced human psychology and behavior. Emphasis on mating. Carries science or social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 110 or equivalent.

This course analyzes causes and consequences of stereotyping and prejudice, as well as methods used to study these issues. Students may conduct original research. Carries social science credit. Prerequisite: PSYCH 205 or equivalent.