Health and Healing in America

Throughout the third unit of this course we’ve been reading and discussing health care and medicine in the period 1890-1950. For Response Paper #3, due Wed 4/17, choose one of these prompts and craft a 3-4 page paper drawing on our class discussions and course readings in this unit: Willrich Pox, Rutkow Seeking the Cure Chapters 8-10, and Penney & Stastny The Lives They Left Behind.

Option 1: Discuss innovations or new developments in health care, technologies, institutions or delivery of care in the early twentieth century. As its name suggests, the “Progressive Era” (1890-1920) is named for the optimistic political and cultural movement which sought state solutions (regulation, legislation, institutionalization) to the persistent social and biological problems arising from urbanization, industrialization, and global imperialism. Were these new developments really “progressive”? Why or why not?

Option 2: Our readings have uncovered tensions, concerns and conflicts when it comes to medical care in the period 1890-1950. Choosing examples from at least two different readings, consider some of these conflicts or unresolved issues – describe what was at stake, who took sides, and how the problems were either solved — or not.

Option 3: If you’re familiar with the New York Times Review of Books (and if not, you should be), you know that its essayists often compare two or more books on a related theme and offer insights on their scholarly or cultural contributions. In the style of such an essay, summarize or characterize the main argument of at least 2 of our readings from this unit, assess their content and provide a thoughtful/critical analysis of how well they convey the realities of health care, medicine, and illness in the American past.

Option 4: How were prevailing ideas about sickness, health and the body changing from the 19th century to the 20th century? Discuss, using evidence from our readings or class discussions.

Reminder: no class Monday 4/15 (Patriot’s Day). On Wednesday 4/17 we will view the 2007 Michael Moore film (documentary, expose, provocateur) Sicko in class, as a way to kick off our final unit on the extensive, highly technology-based system of health care in the contemporary United States, and to begin thinking about some of the issues (economic, ethical, and ideological) in debates over health care now.