MAM Medical and Health Anthropology

The Master in Medical and Health Anthropology provides theoretical-practical knowledge on the fundamentals of medical anthropology, and helps students develop research projects and apply the knowledge and skills acquired independently.

This advanced program explores the relation between health, disease, collective representations, and ideology, and shows how healthcare practices and beliefs vary between societies, and how cultural, social, economic and political dynamics affect health and access to treatment.

Medical anthropology examines the ways in which health and well-being are socially and culturally established, in comparative and trans-national contexts, and the ways in which culture can affect how medicine, disease and healing process are experienced in individuals and in societies; moreover, it explores how body and self, and the notion of individuals and persons are perceived.

It actively promotes a debate between anthropology, clinical practice, scientific knowledge, primary and public health in different national and global contexts, by dealing mainly (although not exclusively) with:

• Analysis of the care systems and their social-cultural variability.
• “Traditional” medicine”.
• Analysis of medicalization processes in care contexts.

The Master in Medical and Health Anthropology is addressed to:

• Graduates in humanistic and social disciplines
• Graduates in healthcare disciplines
• Healthcare or NGO professionals, healthcare policy and global health program consultants, people working in international healthcare-related contexts
• Medical anthropology and social sciences researchers and scholars
• Public healthcare professionals looking for a cultural approach in their practice

The competences acquired are relevant for:

• Academic research and research institutions
• Public and private healthcare sector
• Healthcare policy and community health program consultancy
• Support to healthcare institutions and personnel
• Preventative healthcare and maintenance

Some of the skills acquired include:

• Conducting historical-anthropological research on healthcare topics
• Understanding the interconnections between culture, society and health
• Analysing and intervening on healthcare policies with a cultural approach
• Knowledge of healthcare practices and beliefs in different societies
• Managing healthcare projects in intercultural contexts
• promoting healthcare equity through cultural understanding
• Consultancy and surveys on public healthcare perception in different national and transnational contexts

Module 1: History of Care from Prehistory to the Modern Era: Diseases and Pathologies.
This module explores the evolution of medical treatments developed throughout history to address human diseases and pathologies.Through a journey from ancient civilizations to the modern era, we will examine therapeutic methods, beliefs, and practices, offering a critical perspective on the development of medicine over time. The aim is to understand the interaction between science, culture, and society in shaping medical care.

Module 2: The Impact of Darwinism on Medicine and the Impact of Medicine on Human Evolution
This module examines the influence of Darwinian theories on medical thought and analyses how medical practice can, in turn, affect human evolution.
We will explore the connections between evolutionary theory and modern medicine, highlighting their reciprocal influence and the role of natural selection in processes of health and disease.

Module 3: Ethnobotany and Paleopathology in Medical Anthropology
This module offers an initial in-depth look at ethnobotany and the use of medicinal plants throughout history. The second part provides an introduction to paleopathology and biological anthropology. Through a number of significant cases, we will initially focus on explaining the centrality of images in science, highlighting the relationships between science, society, art, and medicine. Finally, we will explore the theme of the search for longevity and understanding the mechanisms of aging, which open up broad prospects for medicine, but also raise questions about individual responsibility towards our bodies and the type of society we want to build. By studying osteoarchaeological remains in depth, we will analyze the dynamics related to pregnancy, birth, aging, eating habits, and disability. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of these factors on the lives of ancient populations, providing an interdisciplinary perspective between biology, medicine, and archaeology.

Module 4: Introduction to Medical Anthropology
This module introduces the themes, theoretical perspectives, and methodological approaches that have characterized the discipline of cultural anthropology. It will analyze the concepts around which the discipline has developed, from the overcoming of the concept of “race” to the adoption of a scientific concept of “culture,” up to the still-current question of “identity.” This will be followed by an overview of the history of studies and field research methodologies used in cultural anthropology, concluding with a focus on some of the issues at the center of current scientific debate. The last part of the module is dedicated to analyzing themes and concepts specific to medical anthropology.

Module 5: Ethics of Care and Applied Public Health Anthropology
This module aims to reflect on the ethical dimension of care and care practices from the perspective of cultural anthropology. It will examine the ways in which bodies, health, and illness are concepts closely interconnected with the social and cultural contexts and political, economic, and power dynamics in which they are considered. It will also focus on the doctor/patient relationship and all situations involving care relationships.

Module 6: Case Studies
This module presents a number of case studies that are particularly representative of the topics and theoretical and methodological approaches introduced in the previous modules, offering students a rich and concrete overview of the ways in which the key concepts and analytical tools of medical and health anthropology can be used to understand, analyze, and intervene in the various empirical realities that anthropologists and health professionals constantly encounter

The Master’s lessons will be provided online, on the Moodle platform, and on-demand, as the videos may be seen in asynchronous mode, and are accessible to students 24/7. It features on-demand lessons in Italian, Spanish and English,  as it was designed for students and professionals who wish to conciliate other activities and professions with the need to qualify or specialize themselves further.  There will be frequent and easy interaction between students and teachers, through Moodle’s Forum, a place designed to exchange reflections or ask questions on the modules covered during the Master.

It lasts one year, with video lessons held between November/December 2026 and May 2027.

At the end of each module, students will be required to complete the relevant homework, in asynchronous mode, to ascertain their knowledge. Among them, the aforementioned research project or an ethnography on a topic relevant to the modules covered during the course. At the end of the year, the project will be presented by the student online, via Zoom.

The Master, activated internationally in collaboration with the Universidad Javeriana of Bogotà, Colombia, offers a high-level training opportunity thanks to a multidisciplinary faculty composed of experts from different disciplinary areas. This approach guarantees a broad and in-depth vision of the subject, allowing students to develop specialized skills and a complete understanding of the sector. Furthermore, the program encourages the comparison between different academic and professional perspectives, enriching the learning path with innovative methodologies and an international network.

The general ranking of merit for the academic year 2026/27 will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.